I've added V's photo (see March 5 entry) of her latest spinning from some roving I did a few weeks ago. It's the most beautfiul yarn. And she's thinking of knitting it with some BLACK wool. Oooooooh! Can't wait to see. 

I've been spinning the sari silk in with some funky Nepalese wool and it's coming out really well. Must go find camera. I get this fibre blend already spun and dye it, but I'm spinning it thinner (I just love thin yarns) and it's coming up nicely!

Comical Carder

Ok, so V and I decided it would be fun to rent a drum carder to make batts from the enormous pile of alpaca fibre someone gave her partner, Lenny. 

Well, it got waaaaaaaaay outta hand. I mean, once I got started I just couldn't stop. She happily sat there spinning her gorgeous EGMTK bamboo/wool while I made an extraordinary mess on her patio. Poor Lenny, his tidy nature didn't enjoy the spectacle. 

Batts of:

1) alpaca, black coloured sheep wool, and finn from Susie Horne; some just alpaca/black wool

2) bamboo, nepalese doggie's brekkie wool (I had dyed blues/greens) with some organic merino I had dyed in a celery/citrine

3) organic merino and soy; organic merino and bamboo

Poor V -- I started her on soaking the dirty-ish white alpaca while I batted the brown and black. Ummm, it's kind of a poopy icky business. V just isn't into cleaning dirty fleeces. 

I took home a bag to wash this week. Perhaps when she has gotten over the first session, she will find it in her heart to invite me back. 

Our first batt looked decidedly feral, but after that, I started to experiment with the infernal machine and got a better result. The proof will be in the spinning. One should not blame one's tools, but damn, that carder is a beast! Not easy on the elbows!

Back to work - M, still SIOz with her feral spindle

For V

The Yarn V spun from the roving pictured below

 

Above Photo Copyright 2009 Vellan

Below, the superwash/nylon blend roving I painted for Vellan --

Hmmm. The photo on my screen makes the colours look lighter than they are. Rats. Anyway, the superwash/nylon roving is from my sister's business, BitsyKnits -- check out her gorgeous stuff on etsy and her blog -- bitsyknits.blogspot -- you know the drill! Sorry B! I know this bit was for me, but I couldn't help it -- V was having a shiteful week and I thought she'd like this.  I promise, I've been hording the spinning fibre you dyed!

m

 

Monkey wearing Monkeys

Monkey Partner Richard in Monkey Jungle Hat

Worked in Vellan's Yarn w/a big knotty stitch for texture and i-cord cast off edge

Close-Up Shot of Texture

All the work was done by Vellan, not me, to make this hat look good. I'm using every last skerrick of yarn -- the last of the ball will go onto a pair of hand cosies

Vellan's Handspun!

Vellan's handspun -- before I left for the USA trip, I loaded her up with some crazy hand-painted sliver. This one is from the Bendigo Readyspin I dyed in Monkeys in the Jungle.

From THIS :

I love the monkey brown and the greeny goodness. Doesn't V spin like a genius?

Vellan's THICKIE handspun -- she insisted on me having this giant pile of white handspun. She should have known it wasn't safe around me, so it is now hand-painted in Luxor. PURDY!

I'm doing it, I swear

In between writing and sketching for latest design deadlines, I've sneaked in some spindling -- and I'm spinning the spinning fibre shown in the Jan posting (McLaren Vale colourway). The photo just doesn't do this fibre justice and I promise to photograph the threadinprogress. It's olive, diff. purples, and deep foresty greens. It will require a new design. *sigh*

In the meantime -- check out the funky buttons that are too nice to not live with handspun. They're made by a local artist from Australian wood. LOVE THEM.

Spinning Resolution

Must make time for spinning. All knitting and no spinning makes Melissa a dull girl.