Trenchwork

I’ve finally finished the Merino-Tencel blend which has been occupying both the Rose and the little Bossie spindle.

The Stats:

Fiber: Merino-Tencel (70-30) roving from Kendig Cottage, Cafe color.
Finished Weight: 432 grams/15.23 ounces
Yardage: ca 1100, 2-ply (376; 452; 272)
WPI: 18.
Spun on: Rose and the .7 ounce Bossie.

The Lessons.

I started this spin at the same time as Spin 7 with the Merino-Tussah so that I could compare the two along the way, and I’ve learned a few things. Spin 7 was a straight three-ply yarn and this is a two-ply, but even given the difference in ply, there is a difference in texture. The Tussah blend has a crisp feel to it that the Tencel blend does not; the Tencel blend is softer. They handled about the same during the process, and I didn’t notice any real differences in drafting or twist needs (allowing for the extra needed for the three-ply). I suspect the Tussah blend would be softer if it had a bit less twist and were a two-ply, but I don’t think it would be MUCH softer. It seems to have a good amount of twist at the moment, and I have a hunch that soft, crisp feeling is part of the Tussah’s quality.

As an aside, I tested that theory by spinning a yard of Tussah top into a two-ply to see what would happen, and while it’s relatively soft, it has that same crisp—almost papery—feel to it.

Obviously I need more experience, so silks are next on my list.

The goal for this spin was a light fingering to laceweight yarn, to retain the softness of the fiber, and to focus on consistency in the singles. I think, in some ways, that all three of those things happened in spite of me. The singles are generally very consistent, but they’re definitely not perfect. There are some places here and there where the single thinned a bit too much; it was just so easy to draft this fiber into a really thin yarn! I had to concentrate on getting the same thickness throughout the entire pound’s spinning experience, and I found myself unintentionally going thinner on the spindle than on the wheel.

Where I went wrong, however, and the place where I’m disappointed in myself, is in the ply. I recently started knitting a project with Spin 3 and I’ve discovered that I lose twist when I knit. Ok, that’s not a new discovery. I’ve seen that in millspun yarns when I knit, but I forgot. I didn’t think about it regarding my own handspun yarn. Clever, eh? That means that if I plan to knit with my own yarn, I need a solid ply. The alternative is to spin and ply in the opposite direction and while I want to experiment with that, I’d like to learn to do it properly.

Generally speaking, I think there’s a comfortable amount of ply in most of the yarn, but there are two problems. In some places, the thinnest single slipped through into the ply and spiraled around the thicker single, which creates a tiny rough spot in the yarn. It will be buried in the surrounding fabric when it’s knitted, but it bothers me that it’s there. More significantly, there are some longer stretches where the ply is too loose. I think I sabotaged myself and continued plying when I should have taken a break; I lost focus. I haven’t discarded the idea of fixing those sections by running the entire skein through the wheel again and adding twist in the weak spots, but it’s not something I have time for right now, so it will rest for a bit.

Finally, I have to say that I absolutely am in love with this fiber. The roving was very well prepared and incredibly easy to draft, and the yarn maintained that softness even in the hands of an inexperienced spinner. I want a sweater of this stuff! Of the 9 spins thus far, this yarn has the best feel. The color is consistent throughout, and it has all the shine of a silk blend. Seriously–I want more.