I became very excited about dyeing some camel/tussah blend I bought quite awhile back from Crown Mountain Farms. I dyed it with Jaquard acid dyes but completely forgot to add vinegar to set the dyes though they seemed to be pretty colorfast anyway. Maybe our well water is acidic enough. To be extra sure, I gave the fiber a vinegar bath.



I started spinning without thinking about what it would be. Worsted spinning is very much like a meditative act for me. I just wanted to spin. I didn't want to plan. I loved the colors and the yarn. I wanted to preserve the color sequence and since I didn't split the roving to insure the color changes would be visible after plying, I was left with 2 choices. I could navajo ply but I'd end up with a thicker yarn and probably not enough yardage to do anything with or I could use the yarn as is-unplied. I had heard that it is not necessary to have a balanced yarn to knit lace because it is blocked into shape each time it's washed so I went for that.

This will be a long term project. Lace is very rythmic and pleasant to knit but time consuming! I do like and look forward to seeing the end result. I'm realistically thinking the fall because I will not be working solely on this.
My sweater made from handspun singles is waiting for its collar. I haven't wanted to think too much lately and the sweater is getting a shawl collar. I have an eye injury that though not serious is long lasting and very wearing.



I spun the yarn so that there would be large blocks of color but I forgot that the sweater body would be worked in the round to get some symmetry with the color. The stripes are more narrow than I wanted though the sleeves are more what I wanted. I think the different widths of color band will work. I might have to pull it together with patch pockets.
I realized after I finished the sleeves that I could have easily made the color repeats longer on the body if I had just broken off the yarn and mixed and matched as one does anyway with stripes. I had this one vision of knitting the sweeater skein after skein without breaking off the yarn. I kept that vision even when I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted but I do think it will all work out fine.
I love doing these sweaters with bulky singles. I will do more of these. They are quick to spin and knit!