Too many irons in the fire...maybe

I might have too many spinning projects in progress. The only one that worries me is that alpaca fleece I started spinning and haven't touched for possibly months.
The spinning is simple and absolutely monochromatic and the only texture is a little bumpiness from the carded fiber so as much as I am fully committed to finishing the spinning (or so I convince myself), I still need some variety especially after Camp Burton.
I spun and navajo plied Great Balls of Fire roving and I really love it. I love the colors. They appear a little more subtle indoors, definitely "guy colors". I would love a sweater but I don't have enough...not even for a vest.
I washed the swatch and the whole drape changed. Prior to washing, I thought I'd knitted it on too small needles. It was stiff and densely knitted. I now know it's an absolute must to wash those swatches, especially with handspun. I hate to think of all those unsatisfactory swatches I made and ditched the idea for the yarn because I neglected to wash the swatch.






The Crosspatch Creations was so much fun to spin and fast too because I spun it woolen. I opted for a two ply. I want 2 pounds of this stuff! In fact, I feel like making a promise to myself that I will never buy less than 2 pounds of fiber because everything I spin, I want to use to make a sweater.






I guess 2 pounds is not really a reasonable goal though because not stressing only the expense, I remind myself that it took me almost 3 months to finish Joe's sweater.
Yes, it's finally done! And I am pretty much pleased with it though I had a lot of trouble with the finishing. The crochet edging was very tough for me and hand sewing the zipper was so time consuming. I was stuck with purchasing a zipper that was too long and I chose to fold over the tops and stitch them down. I wasn't pleased with the result. It looks okay from the outside but I was afraid that the stiff ends would rub against Joe's neck and irritate his skin. My other option was to trim the zipper. I was nervous about the tape unraveling but I might have to do that if the zipper turns out to be a problem.
To console myself about not being able to buy 2 pounds of Crosspatch, I started blending fibers on the carder. At first, I ended up with many knitted swatches reminiscent of the 1980's. Finally I came up with something I liked.
It's camel down, cotton with silk noil. No, I won't have 2 pounds of this but maybe a pound to about a pound and a half. And it would be easy to put together another camel, cotton blend with a complementary silk noil if I end up feeling I must have something bigger tha a vest.
This was another swatch that changed from a tight stiff fabric into one with a wonderful hand to it. All due to just a quick wash.





I knitted this swatch right off the bobbin without finishing the yarn but I think it gives enough of an idea. Oh yeah.........I navajo plied it. I really don't have any reason why except all my bobbins are filled up with that alpaca. I know I really shouldn't continue on this way...but I might.
Truly by chance, I ended up as one of the applicants for a fiber show exhibition. I have been assured that even if we don't get accepted by the gallery, there will be a show either with another gallery or a show organized by our members. It really has shown me that it has been important to get out there and connect with other fiber people.
A talented potter, Mary Hosick took the photos for the application. We got some good ones and Mary was so sweet to give me a CD with the photos on it. She also added one of the photos on the CD label!

Camp Burton!!!

I finally made it to Camp Burton this year. The NorthWest Regional Spinners Association has a spinning retreat right here on my island. It's very freeform, just unstructured time for spinning and visiting. But there were about 5 vendors all with great offerings.
I bought some Crosspatch Creations from Amelia of the Bellwether.

It's a blended batt from Joan Contraman in Montana. A mixture of 2 types of wool Corriedale Cross and Romney (names of each sheep provided!), silk and viscose. The color is called Tammany's Prize.
I started spinning it up almost immediately. Here's one skein from one 4 ounce bag. 200 yards of 10 wpi (wraps per inch).








I also bought a 1 ounce batt of English Garden from the Bellwether. It's another blended batt from Crosspatch Creations.
I spun it up and navajo plied it just to get an idea what it would be like as a 3 ply. I want 2 pounds of it!

I think it would make a beautiful sweater.
Meanwhile, as I save my pennies, I'm inspired to start blending different fibers and colors together on my drum carder to get more textured yarns.


There was also a woman there with a company called Great Balls of Fiber. I love the name. She had some alpaca/merino superwash that she had overdyed on pale brown, gray and green. The colors spun up beautifully. I bought about 8 ounces though the picture below doesn't really show the colors well. I've found that photographing outside is the only way to get true colors and it's been raining so much.

Everyone seemed to have some of her dyed fiber!



Most of the spinners stayed 4 days in cabins. They met and spun in a common area. Since I live on Vashon, I visited briefly on Thursday and then again more extensively on Saturday afternoon.
What can I say! Spinners are such great people. I didn't know anyone. The room was filled with spinners. Not a free chair in sight never mind a spot to put one. Someone immediately helped me find a chair and as I wandered around looking confused, another woman told me just to stick it in the middle of a circle. I felt so comfortable. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I sat chatting and spinning for about 5 hours and then went back again that evening. Six of us stayed up spinning, talking and laughing until past midnight.
All I can say is that it was so much fun. I'm amazed at all the talent and knowledge in that room. Every bag had beautiful things peeking out. Some people even showed me the gorgeous yarns and knitted items that were hidden at the bottom of theirs.




I'm having so much fun with entrelac.








I've designed a few hats in children's and adult sizes. I've used the wonderful Noro Silk Garden and have been hand dyeing fiber and spinning it up with entrelac in mind. It's so much fun but I feel like I want to do more than a few more hats to get it right and also to explore color a bit more. I really do like to just sit back and let it happen without influencing the way the colors come off the needles but I do see the fun of maybe using 2 different balls of yarn and switching every row. That would take away some of the building up of color in certain sections.
And after seeing all the wonderful fibers and yarns at Camp Burton, I feel I want to play a little more with texture and blended fibers in these hats. The Noro one is absolutely satisfactory. Please disregard the unwoven ends sticking out!












But the handspun ones need some tweaking.












I saw some hamster bedding at a friend's house. I rushed to Petco and bought this:




It's viscose and a little under $4 for 35 grams. I spun up a little and it produced a fine slightly bumpy yarn. I'd like to try blending it with another fiber. I'm not so good with my ounce/gram conversions but I think it's probably not such a cost effective way of getting spinnable viscose. I had to try it though. I'm not even sure that the color is fast though I am assured that it's perfectly safe for my rat/hamster/mouse to eat.

Joe's sweater has been a challenge in some ways, primarily the finishing details. I didn't want to rush through so I took my time and redid almost every part of the process, sometimes 3 times!

Right now, I'm hand sewing the zipper in place. The finish work on this sweater has been tough!





And just in case, you didn't know what I meant by using those children's foam floor mats for blocking.............