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New Etsy favorite: Metamorphosis - Handspun SW BFL Yarn 250 yds by ByRebekahWithLove

New Etsy favorite: Ebb and Flow gradient handspun yarn by bluecocoonyarn

When I went to set the twist on the dark brown yarn I’d spun earlier, I realized the skeins were way underplied. I ran both skeins through the wheel again, adding more twist.

The smaller one is now a pretty tight 2-ply laceweight (around 30 WPI), 60 m/10 g (that’s 66 yd to .35 ounces).

But, I didn’t know what to do with such scratchy laceweight so I decided to try cable-plying with the larger skein. I divided the skein on two bobbins and cable plied those together. The other bobbin ran out first (as is their way) so I tried Andean plying with the other half. Had some, ahem, technical difficulties with the bracelet so the other end is a little overtwisty.

The larger skein resulted in 210 m and 87 g (230 yd/3.1 oz) of DK weight (14 WPI). And I managed to find the tag for the fiber while organizing my stash: it was dark brown Ashford Corriedale and not Black Welsh after all.

Learning to ply, indeed! First wheel ply, first 2-ply, first cable ply and first Andean plying bracelet.

And now the hard part, what to knit with it?

I taught myself to Navajo ply! It wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought although my plying is not even by any standards. Still, I’m pretty happy with the results. <3

Specs

• Cheeky Navajo
• 350 m / 108 g (380 yd / 3.8 oz)
• WPI: 22 (fingering)
• Navajo ply
• Fiber: 100% Falkland roving from FreckleFaceFibers, in colorway “Cheeky”

Listening to the Just One More Row podcast has made me want to take up spinning again. I finished the singles of the Black Welsh I’d started in probably 2009 (seriously!) and then - for the first time - plied them on my wheel last night.

These skeins need to take a bath first, I’ll post specs later.

I found some old photos of the handspun yarn with which I made these three projects.

Handpaintedyarn.com merino roving in colorway “Wooden Rose”, spun on a Louet bottom-whorl spindle to about 100 g of lace-to-fingering-weight yarn.

These three projects were made with the same yarn I spun and plied on the spindle. This merino roving was purchased from handpaintedyarn.com.

• Garter Stitch Mitts
• Pattern: Garter Stitch Mitts (Ravelry) by Ysolda Teague (@ysolda)
• Needles: 3.5 mm

• Not Cashmere Cowl
• Pattern: Cashmere Cowl No. 2 Lace Rib (Ravelry) from The Purl Bee
• Needles: 3.0 mm
• Mods: cast on 120 sts instead of the 180 specified in the pattern

• Handspun Baktus
• Pattern: Baktus (Ravelry) by Strikkelise
• Needles: 3.0 mm
• Other: used both ends of the ball to get two-row striping

I looooove the garter stitch mitts!

Hannah was a super fast and fun knit, it took me just two days.

• Pattern: Hannah (Ravelry) by Blake Ehrlich from December 2007 MagKnits
• Yarn: about 100 g of handspun (bulky weight) in two colors
• Needles: 6 mm circular and DPN’s
• Mods: One-row buttonholes according to Theresa Vinson Stenersen’s instructions in Summer 2007 Knitty. Knitted two rows less stockinette before crown decreases. I’m glad I did that because I think I would’ve ran out of yarn otherwise!

I love it! It’s a bit too large but I love it anyway. I haven’t even found the right buttons for it yet but I’ve been wearing it nevertheless. :)

I’ve never done Lolly’s Project Spectrum before but this year’s elements-themed PS3 seems such a fun idea. Kicking of the year in February/March are FIERY colors of oranges, reds, and pinks.

I started with tame and innocent looking fiber, spun it on a drop spindle, soaked, and finally dyed with food coloring. My first handspun, squee! It’s not perfect but I made it. :) That’s roughly bulky-weight yarn in a 55 g (the paler one on the left) and 44 g (on the right) balls.

And how could I resist casting on something with it? I got nearly perfect gauge for Hannah.