Trenchwork

In between the black batts, I’ve been doing a few others.  These two went to a swap partner . . .

Creamy Caramel

and

Still Waters

And I love them both.  Caramel is a natural-color blend of wools, alpaca, and silk, and the largest portion is alpaca.  Waters is my own dye job and is a bit deeper than appears in this photo.  It’s a blend of a soft wool, kid mohair, and Tencel with just a dash of glitter.  I’ve got a batch of it on the wheel now, and even spun softly, it’s turning into a slightly heathery and extraordinarily glossy yarn which is incredibly soft.  I think I have enough for a pair of mitts, but I’ve already dyed up enough for a second batch which is set to be sold if I don’t claim it first!

And to answer your question, yes.  I’ve decided to see if some of the fibers I come up with will sell.  Just enough to help finance a larger carder.  DH had suggested it long ago, and I’d actually thought about it, but to be honest, I hadn’t exactly felt that I knew enough to sell anything.  After all, I’ve only been spinning for a couple of years.  I’ve come to the conclusion that while I have a lot to learn, I might actually know more than I think I do . . . and certainly enough for this.

Plum Blush

A blend of wool, silk, and rayon, this fiber wants to be spun woolen and spins up to a slightly textured but very smushy yarn. I’m not entirely certain what I think of the colors OR the fiber prep, but I’ve mixed up 100 grams of it so there’s enough to play with and see what happens.

Lemongrass

This is a green version of the “Still Waters” batts, and the photo doesn’t show the flash of angelina. There’s not a lot in the batts, but enough that you see it in the finished yarn. Like this:

This is “Still Waters” spun semi-worsted. In the time I started this post, I managed to finish the yarn and I cannot say how much I like it.  It’s even softer than I expected, the Angelina is just subtle enough that it creates a shimmer rather than high profile bling, and did I say it was soft? I’ve put the larger photo in so that you can see some of the gleam in the yarn, but feel free to click through for even larger to get a better idea of the glitter.  Tencel may be touted as a silk substitute, but I have to say that I think it has more sheen than bombyx and is just as soft, if not softer.

The Stats
Fiber:  South African Fine, Kid mohair, Tencel, and a dash of Angelina in my own blend and my own dye.
Weight: A hair less than 4 ounces (109 grams)
WPI/TPI: 12-14 / 7
Yardage: 279 yards

The spinning isn’t perfect; there are a few features here and there (e.g., the WPI ranges between 12 and 14).  But I can’t remember the last yarn I was this satisfied with despite the features.  It’s mine in ways most of the others haven’t been:  it’s my own design for blend, color, and spinning.

In all honesty, I’m rather pleased with myself.