I'm Such a Weakling

I admit it. I couldn't take waiting on the new bobbins any more so I wound off one the bobbins and plied what was left on the others. Crazy I know. I'm trying to convince myself this somewhat compulsive behavior was done for reasons other than I've become addicted to smitten with spinning. I really need to make sure I can spin a consistent yarn. Right? I really need to know exactly how many yards of that yarn I can spin per gram if I'm going to have any success at all with dyeing the awaiting pencil rovings and ending up with a yarn that has the color lengths I want. Right? I need to know if I can and if I even like spinning ultra tiny singles needed for a 3-ply. Right? Those are legitimate reasons. Right? Right!?!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This hank is a 2-ply that I plied with lots of twists per inch. I could count it I guess but I'm such a tactile and visual person the numbers wouldn't really mean much to me anyway. It was over plied as a matter of fact, but I did that on purpose just to learn. I had to put a little weight on the hanging hank to set it straight. I learned with this skein that I could in fact put in enough twist while plying to make a 2-ply look almost round in a cross-cut view like a 3-ply would. It also cuts down on the lofty smoochie-ness of the yarn and makes it feel similar to a cabled yarn. I sure this will be an incredibly hard wearing yarn. How it will knit up is another story for another day.

104 grams, 178 yards, 2-ply, very high TPI



Below is my attempt to make tiny singles. No I didn't stop to take pix of the bobbins before I plied...sigh. It wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. While spinning I only thinned out and broke 4 times and broke the thread only once as I plied. (yes, I am patting myself on the back)

103 grams, 234 yards, 3-ply


What did I learn by making this skein? I learned that I can spin a fine, consistent, single. I also learned that I'm just as pleased with my 2-ply worsted wt as I am with this 3 ply worsted wt. 2-ply is soooo much easier to ply and more fun to do. I doubt if a lot of 3-ply is my future.

The two skeins below are just what was left on the bobbins after doing the 3-ply. 118 yds of a light 2-ply sport wt and 42 yds that was Navajo plied. Hmmm I guess I really ought to divide the fiber a little more evenly obviously just eyeballing the pile isn't cutting it. Imagine how much closer I could get to having fewer leftovers if I had a scale. Oh wait, I do. Guess I ought to use it a little bit more. :o)



I sent and inquiry regarding my should-be-here-by-now bobbins today. I got a reply late this afternoon. There was a slight mix up, they thought they had already shipped them to me. arrrrgh
But they are making everything right and have shipped them today promising delivery on Friday.

Here I sit. Nothing on the wheel, new bobbins coming on Friday, rovings not dyed yet, and my sister is arriving from GA tomorrow for a little visit. She a non-fiber person and I haven't seen her for almost 2 years. I'm sure I don't have to explain to anyone reading this what that means. I guess Ill be digging up long ignored knitting that has been patiently waiting on the needles to keep my itchy fingers busy as we chat, yak, giggle, and talk while stuffing ourselves silly on all the food she misses by not being here.