Spinning Notes : Week 4

I am presently spinning the same thing I was two weeks ago when I posted that video up on Youtube. It is roving from Frabjous Fibers. My mother in law got me for Yule two years ago. I started out spinning this last spring on my french spindle. The picture really doesn't do this colorway any justice.

They call it #4 Chromatophobia Pink. It ranges from a royal blue to a rose pink. The green shades are both peacock blue and grass green. The yellow shade is something somewhere between butter yellow and lemon. The transitional points between the shades are really delightful.

The fiber blend is exceptional. I honestly can not begin to describe how lovely it feels in hand to spin it. It is their "Opulence" blend. It is 30 % superfine merino, 30% tussah silk, 20% baby camel down, and 20% royal baby alpaca. If my hands are too dry, this fluffy stuff does catch on them a bit. If the weather is hot and humid, it will felt lightly as I am working. As such, I use my little wrist distaff to manage the fiber that I am not actively spinning.

I have been using my small turkish spindle for this project. I started on my french spindle but I got frustrated because my hand kept cramping. My goal is to (at some point) learn how to spin holding the spindle in my hand rather than supported in a bowl. It may require a lighter spindle, though. I am on the hunt for a medieval stick style spindle. In the meantime, I am going to try out the whole spinning with a knitting needle thing. My hope is the smaller diameter of the knitting needle will be easier on my hands.