Friday, April 24, 2009

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)

merino top-fine shetland-light grey coopworth-3

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.

merino with coopworth~ 339yds-14WPi-2-ply thick thin yarn
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.

merino teal&tan with coopworth~ 283yds-12WPI
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).

merino-coopworth 2-ply-~ 622yds together-12to14WPI-2

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.

***

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.

Sam April 15-22
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 April 14-32
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!

***

21 comments:

Tinchen {Katrin} said...

Wonderful colours! Love them! I wish you much fun with knitting now :)!

Have a nice sunny weekend,
greetings from Germany,

Katrin

Alexandra said...

The yarn is beautiful! I love all the colors! Your dogs are very pretty and sound like a lot of fun!

Renata S. P. said...

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Colors!!! Specially the blue part!
Sam looks very gourgeous in this picture =D

Have a nice weekend,

Renata S. P.

Anonymous said...

I like how you used the slubs to really bring out the colors around the gray. It'll be interesting to see how it looks knit up but I'm like you with trying to keep the number of active projects low. Those doggies are smart ones. They have their own little personalities and habits and definitely require lots of hugs!

2paw said...

What a lovely sweet story about Sam, isn't he so lovely??!! Biko is just looking sfter everyone and I love her in her special girls' collar!!!

sgeddes said...

I love the roving and how the finished yarn turned out. I'm surprised it isn't darker though. That's the fun though - seeing how it turns out.

I miseed the postcard request on your last post, but I would like to help. Please let m eknow where to send a card.

Maggie said...

That's a lovely photo of Biko! Your dogs are so beautiful and even though I'm a cat person, when I see their photos and read about the joy they bring you I almost want to get a big dog myself! I love to play with them, but I think the extra work involved might be much for me.

Your Tan and Teal came out so pretty! Can't wait to see how it knits up. That was a hard colourway to give up. I made 4 braids total, spun 2 of them into a chunky scarf kit as part of a yarn order for The Craft Lounge (in NJ), and you and Naomi got the other two. I wonder what she's done with it!

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

Love to hear about Sam and Biko! Sam does look sad that it isn't Winter any more ~ I know just how he feels :)

The blue slubs are pretty and do make the yarn very "designer" like. Can't wait to see how it looks knit up!

hakucho said...

Love your latest spinning product...the colors are superb :)

Frieda said...

Another skein of beautiful handspun ! The colours are super , love the teal in it .

You took such nice photos of the pups . Unlike them , I'm just happy that spring is finally here . These bones like a bit of warmth , but then I'm not wearing a fur coat :) .

Dave said...

That yarn turned out lovely -- wonderful colours. I'm seeing more yarns where people use a different yarn to ply. The variety is amazing.

"Can't stand multiple projects". Umm. Gasp!! :-)

Happy weekend!

Amanda Bee said...

Absolutely gorgeous - I just love how the browns and turquoise compliment each other.

momsue84 said...

Monika, the picture of Sam is beautiful!! Biko, too. But, from a photographic perspective, it looks like a fine portrait. Seriously, an excellent job.

hannah said...

The yarn is beautiful!

And as usual I like the stories about Sam and Biko. Keep writing about them please!

Angelika said...

That yarn looks fabulous and I can imagine it to be soft. I love how the colors change. Just perfect.

Knatolee said...

Okay, I REALLY REALLY love the colours in that yarn!!!

And your dogs are gorgeous, comme toujours. :)

Päivi, Lankakomero said...

You have made lovely yarn as usual!

kitkatknit said...

I love the pic of Biko! And Sam too of course.

Knitting it Out in an Urban Zoo said...

Gorgeous colors, gorgeous dogs too!! I am in possession of the book at the moment (in Chicago). I will read and pass on in the appropriate fashion. Thanks for initiating this!

T-Mom said...

Cuties! I love your dogs.

Mine don't get to be out without supervision, either. It's partly because I don't want them barking at passers-by, but also because I don't want anybody teasing them (as a college student did over the weekend, until he saw me, the creep).

Monica aka Gloria Patre said...

Wow! You've really graduated from plain-jane spinning! I love the colors and using a finer strand of a neutral really helps show case the slubs and transitions! Gorgeous gorgeous yarn!!