Ride a painted pony...

[socksforphlox]

I am blogging on a delay, about a day or two, but at least that gives me time to download and tweak pictures*.

I finished spinning the BFL right after I posted about it, and after it dried I plied!

Comments

[ladyknits]

Yikes! You're really getting into this spinning thang! I'm so impressed.

What projects are you going to bring for our SnB tomorrow?

[socksforphlox]

I haven't decided on what I am bringing yet... I will give it some more serious thought tonight :)

[fibreartfan]

You will have to start bringing home the fleece by carload. 3 Rovings a week is pretty good. The new yarn is gorgeous. Maybe you should check out the Toronto spinners and weavers, they could demonstrate the Navajo ply. You could probably try out a few wheels as well. At the very least you could get different opinions on what they like or don't like or what they want to buy next.

[knittinggoof]

very nice! i personally find that it's harder for me to resist buying roving than yarn.

have you tired plying energized singles, or are you setting the twist before you ply? i've heard that both work equally well, but lately i've been doing the former.

keep in mind that navajo plying is going to significantly reduce the length of your originally singles, and also that it's notorious for causing the "barber pole" effect in the finished knitted item. still, it can't be beat for preserving the purity of colours in a multi roving.

[socksforphlox]

I have been setting the twist before I ply, especially since the energized singles twist on themselves so much... it really drives me nuts. I like to work with the set singles much more.

I think I have been putting too much tension on the yarn when it is setting, so I am going to try letting it dry in a different way on the wensleydale. It might add to the loft?

I know that I will need 3 times as much yarn for a navajo ply, but I think it might be worth it. I want to preserve those colours!

[knittinggoof]

lately i've been winding my singles into balls on a felt bead and trapping them under small clay flowerpots when i ply. it seems to keep them in order.

that could be affecting the loft...i once tried hanging a skein on a hook in the shower with a towel as a weight and i swear the yarn came out a little fluffier than usual. though it might have been because i had put less twist on the yarn as i spun it, but i'm going with the setting method as my reason.

definitely give n. plying a go on the wheel. doing it by hand freaks me out (well, at least the instructions do) as i keep picturing these horrible tangled singles snarls (which i doubt happen, but you never know.) the instructions and the concept just seem easier to grasp when it's done on a wheel.