Handspun Friday - Tan & Teal

Thanks everyone, who agreed to send a postcard! That's wonderful of you! (there will be over 20 post cards on their way)



Usually I spin my yarn for hard wear, or at least long lasting. That's why I like to spin as evenly as possible, and ply the crap out of it (see cabled yarn). This yarn was originally planned to be a 3-ply yarn, as you can see in this picture. I've got this great merino fiber Tan & Teal from Maggie (it was not even in her store, I just saw it on flickr and got lucky!), the light grey is Coopworth sliver, and the natural white is Fine Shetland. Using all three together would have meant that I would have lost the beautiful colores in Tan & Teal. And besides, as I picked up Fine Shetland, it was so very soft, and suddenly it felt wrong to add it here, and not use it by itself. Now I will.


2-ply, thick/thin yarn, ~ 339yds, 12-14 WPI (more on the 14 WPI side)

I started spinning Maggie's merino, and after about a quarter bobbin full, an unintentional slub occurred. That got me thinking (have been reading spinning books and got probably inspired). A 3-ply would obscure the wonderful colores of the merino for sure. I did not want that. I started to spin slubs intentionally, which is not easy, since I pretty much didn't want that in my yarns I've spun so far. To my surprise it was fun! I like the blue/teal color especially and every blue slub made me happy.


2-ply, thick/thin yarn, ~ 283yds, 12-14 WPI (more on the 12 WPI side)

I had slightly less Coopworth fiber to work with, but I figured, since I wanted to spin this evenly fine, it would be enough, and it was (with left overs).



This yarn bloomed a lot after the wash and drying. It might not look it, but it's squishy and soft, you hardly feel the rather scratchy Coopworth. I would like to cast on at once with this yarn, to see how it looks knit up, but I want to finish my other projects first. Can't stand multiple projects, so it has to wait, like all the others.

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The pups have finally accepted that it's Winter no more, and they don't like it (yet), probably because of the rain we got lately. When we are in the backyard, after a while they wait at the door to go inside, before I'm ready.


Here's the Samster, looking out the bay window in the living room, surrounded by my spinning equipment. I was told by a family member recently, looking for a place to deposit his plate on the coffee table, that it was a big mess. But I disagree, this chaos has its order, which admittedly only I understand, and as I pointed out, there are only tools I'm using every day around.

Anyway, back to Sam. He was so cute today, he made me laugh, and hug him. Our dogs don't get to be outside by themselves. It's mostly because Biko would get into trouble because she gets bored. I don't want any trouble, and I hate it, when she's barking at the birds and bees, and passers by. So they don't, get to stay outside without supervision I mean.

Today though, Biko was out on the balcony, barking her head off, and I was busy vaccuming the walkout basement. We had some stuff on the floor, which could hurt their paws. Sam as usual was right beside me, and that was not good. I let him outside, because he never gets into trouble by himself, he's a good boy. :o) At first he was happy, but that changed as soon as he realized, that nobody was following him. By then I had closed the door and vaccumed away. When I was finished I opened the door but could not see Sam, only his abandoned red Jolly ball. I called, and that's when he came galloping as fast as his gimpy legs would let him around the corner of the winter garden. He was waiting at the garage door to be let in. I'm sure he was looking for a way in other than the closed door. We use the door through the garage more during warmer month. Anyway, he's cute and a little smart. :o)


Biko all the while did what she likes to do - barking, until I cut her off and get her inside. I played around with the photo a bit, but I'm too impatient to waste too much time on this.

Wish you all a wonderful weekend!

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