What's On the Wheel

Michelle asked if I would consider doing a weekly blog post on my spinning, in much the same fashion that I do the Masters Monday posts. I pondered the idea for a while before deciding that for me, the weekly posts about spinning won't work.

The main reason is that I am a one-thing-at-a-time spinner and, wanting enough to actually DO something with when I'm finished, I spin large amounts of most of the preparations that I begin.

Like this for instance. This is part of about 2 POUNDS of blended batts that I am drum carding and spinning. It's a combination of black superwash merino, bright lime green merino, and a blue/green firestar. I have no idea what I'll make with it when I'm done, but it will be a long while before I card, spin, and ply it all ---- months likely, as I don't spin every day.

That type of long term focus would make for very boring weekly spinning reports.

Another Skein

Another fat skein plyed up. This one is 6 3/4 ounces/92 grams, 316 yards/289 metres of 2 ply pink superwash merino. I spun it from mill ends that I processed on my new drum carder.

I'm beginning to suspect that I am very inaccurate when I measure WPI. Using a WPI tool I estimated this to be between 15 and 17 WPI (it varies a little in thickness), which would make it a fingering weight. However according to my calculations using Spinderella's formula of weight multipled by yardage I get something more in the line of worsted to perhaps even bulky!

I've been knitting a good many years (over 30) and just eye-balling it, I'd say it is somewhere in the neighbourhood of sport to light worsted weight. I guess the true test would be knitting up a swatch......but I don't have time for that right now.

Oh a little additional tidbit of information; This skein was from 8 batts so the batts I made must have weighed less than an ounce each, about 11.5 grams a piece. I wonder if I'm supposed to be making them fatter? To me it seemed that the carder was "full" at that point. If you have an opinion on the matter, please comment. Keep in mind that this is a "fur drum" I'm using and the teeth are shorter and finer than standard drum carders.

If you missed the post about my lovely Christmas present, it's a Patrick Green drum carder, the "Deb's Delicate Deluxe".