More Spinning!

After spinning up the Zen Yarn Garden fiber (spin 6), I went back to the Heinz 57 fiber and focused on spinning up two full bobbins, trying to spin consistent thin single.  I ended up with about 103 grams / 255 yards of yarn, which I dyed using the Malbec.  I still had some paler spots, these were co-located with the ties, even though I tried to tie them loosely.  I might try using this yarn as the weft in some weaving.

Next, I pulled out some fiber that I had recently received from Paradise Fibers as part of their Fiber Club.

The fiber is called Girl with Pearl Earring, and contains 54% merino, 40% Kid Mohair, 6% Stellina.  It was a bit of a tricky spin for me, and I ended up with thicker singles - every time I tried to go thin it would go too thin and break.  I’m not sure what I would make with it.  The fiber club came with two fibers, and I’m still spinning up the second one, but I do have a sample.

The yarn is multicolored, and I’m not trying to do any sort of color management.  It is 60% Extra Fine Merino, 25% Baby Alpaca, 15% Tussah Silk.  This one came out a bit thicker as well, although I have spun another third of the fiber and the single has come out thinner, so maybe I’m getting a bit better.

All of these were plyed on my new wheel, an Ashford Kiwi 3.

I’ve set it up across the room from my Kromski.  It is wonderful to ply on.  On my Kromski my treadling is slow, but on the Kiwi I am fast, and the plying goes quickly.  I also bought a second niddy noddy, as the one I have only makes shorter skeins.  When I tackle long draw I will do that on the Kiwi, as my setup with the Kromski doesn’t really lend itself to those sort of arm movements.