Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Spunky Fiber Club June - Tulip!

Another day, another post. This was June's installment, 4 oz of Blue Face Leicester called "Tulip". To be honest, I didn't like it. Red is a color which I have a hard time to get feelings for, good ones, I mean. Usually I love Amy's hand painted roving a lot. But it amazes me always, how roving changes after spinning.

Nevertheless, since I'm a member of the Spunky Club now, I started to prepare the roving.

Since I didn't care all that much for this fiber, I thought I give Navajo or chain plying another try. So I spun all of it. I've got 1 1/2 bobbins full. Spinning is always a lovely thing to do. There were wonderful color combinations and nice effects during spinning, and I was warming up to it.
Chain plying is another thing, I'm not good at. It's a great PIA, but I think I've learned something, as usual, and the next time I come across another roving I don't like, I'll give chain plying another try. I need a lot of "other tries" to get this finally right. There are sections which are good, others are horrible, it's all part of the learning process, I tell myself.

Funny thing is, there is lots of lovely roving in my stash, but what do I spin? The one which I don't care for, go figure!

Since chain plying cuts the amount of singles in thirds, I've only got 135 yds in the finished skein. Actually I've got two skeins. I was trying to spin a little thicker this time. It came out heavy worsted. Too lazy to get the WPI tool out. It's not important. I wound the larger and smaller skein into one.
For some reason I took pictures of each step of the whole process to making yarn. It's a lot of work, and I didn't have to prepare and paint the roving or share the sheep for it, still, it takes time to make yarn.
Now I thought, I've come this far, now I can knit up something so everyone can see how it looks as a knit fabric.
What to do with 135 yds? A hat of course! I wasn't going to look for a pattern for this one. Before I fell asleep, I had a vision of a hat, I could make. Next morning I grabbed some 5mm DP needles and got to it. I made it up as I went along, and halfway through I knew I would run out of yarn, and also, that it was going to be big. Since the yarn's called "Tulip" anyway, I thought it would be nice to make the crown in my hand spun yellow. That's what I did.

It might look funny to you (it did to me), after I put it on my big noggin, it was still too big, but with a bit tucking here and there, I had a cool looking hat on my head. I'm actually looking forward to cold weather so I can use it. I might knit this "style" again, with some modifications, because I like it. And since it's Blue Face Leicester wool, it's not scratchy, nice for a hat.

There you have it!

I know it's the end of July, but I haven't gotten my July Fiber installment. I've seen it, and it is a wonderful color! Can't wait to get it and spin it! Got to go, must get this brown BFL off my bobbins, to make room for other lovely stuff.

19 comments:

Michelle said...

Thanks for sharing those beginning-to-end pics. I'm in awe of you spinners who create such beautiful yarn.

Lynn One, Purl Two said...

i love that stuff! it looks great. while i don't spin and don't seeing myself spin for a while- i do love watching the process unfold. beautiful!

hakucho said...

For roving you weren't very crazy for you ended up with a very beautiful yarn and finished product. I love your hat and I really like the hat band... is that linen stitch? I would never have thought of that stitch for a hat, just because it doesn't stretch much. Guess it makes it more like a tam. Very beautiful!

happy knitting :)

Kris B said...

I really like how you added the yellow to the hat. It looks awesome. I also enjoy seeing the pictures of the roving before spun and after.

Anonymous said...

I don't spin, but I understand the "spinning the roving I don't care for" because I do the same thing with yarn. I often save the beautiful stuff and knit with the less than beautiful...I think I'm afraid to mess up the pretty yarn by knitting the wrong pattern!
I like your hat!

Tracy said...

Verry nice.

Bea said...

The hat is beautiful, and I love the yarn! I only have a few spindles, but navajo plying looks totally confusing to me, you did a great job.

Anonymous said...

You don't like BFL? Woman, are you mad?!? :o)

It looks great and a hat is the perfect project!

Strickfimmel said...

Das neue Garn ist wunderschön geworden. Schon allein die Farbe ist echt klasse und die Mütze,die Du daraus gestrickt hast, ist super geworden. Tolle Arbeit!!

N. Maria said...

Your spinning is wonderful to behold! If I had more room, I think I could be a fiber junkie, too!!!

Kat said...

Wow, that's awesome! I love the progression in the pictures, and the hat is just wonderful.

I think you're too hard on yourself--the yarn, knitted up, looks totally fabulous.

T-Mom said...

That turned into just beautiful yarn, and the hat looks so cozy--kudos!

Karen said...

I think it is beautiful. I love the yellow up top too. I'm not a spinner and I don't envision things like I'd like to. It seems that even if you didn't have a "feel" for this roving, you knew what to do with it, and it turned out wonderful. I bet you'll love wearing it. Congrats!

Anonymous said...

Great hat, I love watching the process from beginning to end and the spot of yellow on top is perfect.

DAWN said...

I love the yellow spot on top of the hat. It is like you have a bright idea.

Beverly said...

The spinning and the knitting make a great combo. Looks just like you planned it that way.

eyeleen said...

I never would have guessed that yarn came from that roving! Beautiful yarn, wonderful hat, I love the yellow center!

Anonymous said...

I saw your hat on the Spunky Club blog and really liked it, especially the yellow part. I even commented on it to a friend of mine and wondering how in the world you managed to get the yellow that was in Tulip at the top in the crown. Now, I know.

Looks like you did a good job on your NP, hope you like it a little better now. I will say that it is hard on my hands and I would rather three ply., but I DO like the look of the yarn when you NP.

Violiknit said...

Cuuuuute hat! It's a great "ugly duckling" to "beautiful swan" story.