This week in the studio, I worked on a blend that feels like the very first hint of spring color. I needed some yarn to knit a simple small winter hat, and it was the perfect excuse to get back into spinning!
I have had my Ashford Spinning Wheel for I believe around 10 years now and I did spin a lot when I first bought it but I let this craft go for a few years, simply because I THOUGHT I had no time.
Then more responsibility came, life got even busier and I realized I was never going to get the perfect time for blending fiber, spinning, unwinding the bobbin (it takes remarkable time 😛 ) setting the twist… unless I decided that right now is the best time. So, I simply decided to do it – in many takes and with all the imperfections!
PS. spinning takes A LOT of practice if one wants to create THE PERFECT looking yarn, so for now I will have to accept my thin and thick yarn results 😀
The Blend
I decided to mix white 16 micron merino (so soft!) with some pink, a cold grey, fuchsia and a little Angelina fiber!
If you haven’t worked with Angelina before, it’s a very fine, heat-reflective fiber that adds a subtle, ethereal sparkle. It doesn’t scream; it just catches the light when the yarn moves.
At the Wheel
I spun this blend on my Ashford Kiwi 2.
Since I needed a thicker, more substantial yarn for my next project, I decided to Core Spin this blend.
For the core I used a merino yarn I had sitting around in my stash in a quantity that wouldn’t let me knit anything substantial. By core-spinning I managed to create a bulky yarn much faster than a traditional spin. It gave me the weight I needed while letting the fuchsia and sparkles sit right on the surface where they can be seen.
Side note: I actually do not love 2 ply yarn, and I do not love to ply yarn 😀 However I am open to changing my mind once my spinning abilities improve and I am able to consistently spin a low weight yarn. We’ll see about that.
The Process
If you want to see how I did it, here is a calm, silent video:
Leave a Reply