Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Firsts

I'm totally behind on updates on my alpaca processing. I'm now over halfway into skein 6 of "Sanya" and have all the rest washed and have washed about a pound of "Miz Scarlet." I also have some Corriedale cross on my Maine Woods top whorl spindle which is zooming along fabulously. But I don't have much time for updating tonight so I want to touch on some big firsts today.

I'm most proud of this one:

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I spun LACE!!! I can't believe it!
This is some Ashland Bay Merino Top in Laurel. I have 4oz of it intended for some sort of project for my mom because the colorway is something she would love. I hadn't decided what it wanted to be yet but today it started becoming a beautiful laceweight. I'm thrilled. This is on my new MicroTrindle. I love it. I haven't been able to spin anything like this before without seriously overspinning or having it fall apart. Can't wait to see how much yardage I can get out of it.

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I also got my Valkyrie Extra Fine Combs today. I must say, they shipped amazingly fast. I have never done any combing before but I want to turn Miz Scarlet's fleece into some lovely smooth combed top. Didn't have much time but I had to try them out so I combed a few locks and pulled them off (need to whip up a diz).

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Meet my very first bird's nest. :) I think I'll need to use a little oil spray when combing the bulk of the fleece but this was just a quick one-off sample.

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Then of course I had to spin it up. Spun like a dream on my MicroXL. I think I have to declare this my very favorite spindle ever.

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Did a quick 2-ply job with an Andean bracelet. Not the best picture but you get the idea.

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I definitely have a renewed interest in spindle spinning now. The Trindles are amazing. I was immediately able to start spinning totally suspended, no need to resort to park-and-draft. I feel like I can do anything now. Lol. I was even able to go back to my MW spindle and spin without parking as well once I got my groove down with the Trindle. And by the end of the day I was able to produce the aforementioned lace!

These pictures really don't do any of the new tools or fibers justice but I had to share.
I'm beyond excited. ;)

The Tour de Fleece was perfectly timed for me and it has definitely driven me to become a much better spinner. And it's soooo satisfying!

Ok, ok, I have to share the Sanya progress...

Skein #4

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Skein #5 (atop some clean Miz Scarlet... but the color is totally inaccurate)

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Ok, that was longer than I planned. Lol.
Now it's definitely bedtime. Haven't been feeling well or getting enough sleep. Spinning has helped keep me occupied though so I focus less on feeling like ass and feel productive anyway. ;P

2 comments:

WonderWhyGal said...

oooh, love the new goodies! Congrats on getting your spindle groove. It seems like my spindle spinning has clicked this year too. Having the right tool sure makes a major difference. Now I want to get a trindle.

The Knitphomaniac said...

I'm loving the Trindles. Haven't taken the Purpleheart and heavier beads for a spin yet (can't decide on a fiber for it) but I love the carbon fiber in both lengths. The MicroXL spins very steadily and for a crazy long time. And fast! The MicroTrindle is also very nice because I can use it in a more confined space (I was spinning in bed last night... lol) It's a little trickier/more prone to wobble but still very cool.

The wait time from order to shipping can be a bit lengthy (my first order took over two weeks) but it was worth the wait.

I think I have the spindle bug now. I'm in the process of ordering a custom GrippingYarn Rose supported spindle. Hopefully that will complete the collection for now. Lol.