Let's spin together

spinners coming together to try all the different yarns and musing about them

[frogeyedape]

Ok so I was looking at how to make boucles, right? And I'm going...that's just a spiral ply...with another ply step after. What makes it different?

Having sat on the thought: the book recommends not 1 but 2 different opposed plies--first, plying the base & looping singles together to add twist to the base ply, then plying the 2-ply with a binding ply to add twist to the binder.

S base + Z looper plied S (base is the opposing ply), then 2-ply S + Z binder plied Z (binder is the opposing ply).

What a clever formula to add twist energy while still balancing everything out in the end! And what a nice progression of topics, going from opposed plies to boucles!

Soooo I grabbed a bag of kid mohair roving I got a few years back and I am spinning the looper first (Z). Considering some merino for the base & binder, as I don't want to use what silk I have for this project. Still have to decide if I am going for max yardage or a fun spiral boucle.

[frogeyedape]

Soooo I took a bit of a spinning hiatus to focus on fleece preparation, but! I did finish spinning my mohair roving singles! I have tried a bit of plying with them and it's been given me a headache, so I may need to change up my plans again, but here's what I've done so far:

The plan I settled on after picking the project back up was S core Z looper S binder, but ended up w/more Z singles, so switched to Z core/binder S looper. (You may notice a trend here)

Today I tried plying to make the boucle and...struggled. I got this much on my first attempt:

I stopped myself from struggling on because my core kept snapping and even finding the other end of it on the bobbin was a PITA. Thought I might fair better switching back the OG plan with S core Z looper as the S singles came out a bit thicker (thus stronger, I thought). Gave up on it after the first (or 2nd?) core break, plied it back on itself as a binder, and now I have a little loop of yarn slightly bigger than a choker.

So! Plan now is: let headache fade. Consider actually using a commercial thread for the core & binder (and acquire it). Could use both mohair singles as the looper for 2 new boucles...

I think I need to work on isolating ply twist, ie while plying prevent any ply twist from traveling up the singles. Then again, maybe my core was snapping because I didn't let enough of the core singles twist (which was up-spun in the first ply) travel to the rest of the singles? It kept snapping *on the bobbin*. But even letting that twist move it would've built up excessively regardless. Hmm.

Not a thrilling addition to the spin along, but hey, I did a thing! @yarn-design-spin-along

[yarn-design-spin-along]

Bucle is really a PITA 😬

I really hope it works out for you!

[yarn-design-spin-along]

So June is officially over. And July is time for cable yarn! Also the Tour de fleece starts this month!

I have to look through my stash what I want to use for the cable yarn, but I think it was the brown ouessant Batt

Anyone plans for this month? Do you plan on combinating the tdf and the spin along?

[comfortabletextiles]

My boucle yarn is done! (For a few days actually, but last week's were a lot, so I'm a bit behind)

Very soft.looks a bit Like the water melon zombie barf

Also habe some singles over

No idea what to do with them yet xD

[loyoen]

My spin along yarn from february is done! I tried hawser ply and it took forever... I don't think I want to do that again, it's terribly boring. but! I will knit socks with it and see if all the plying was worth it and actually makes them last longer.

The wool is Shropshire from Frau Wöllfchen in "Lava".

Look at all the colours!

[yarn-design-spin-along]

ITS MAY!

That means it is time for boucle yarn!!

Also if you have spun am April yarn, how did you like it??

[comfortabletextiles]

Dryed and blocked. The swatches from the spin along yarn

I think the fluffy march yarn is my favorite

[comfortabletextiles]

Two singles done, one to go!

[comfortabletextiles]

Opposing ply plyed!

[comfortabletextiles]

Two singles done, one to go!

[comfortabletextiles]

For the April spin along i want to make the 3-Strand Opposing-Ply Yarn!with the last camel/Silk batt I have and some Hand dyed mohair I bought AGES ago

The only question is. Do i use 2 singles of mohair and one of the mix. Or the other way around 🤔

And do i make it a bit thinker for maximum fluff and texture visual, or very thin, so i might actually have the meters to make anything with it 🤔🤔

[swords-n-spindles]

How many grams do you have of each? If the mohair is double the green stuff, do two strands of mohair + one strand green. If it's more green stuff than mohair, do the other thing.

[yarn-design-spin-along]

20g of the batt and 100g of mohair xD so a tiny bit more of mohair...

So it is grey with green 😌

[comfortabletextiles]

For the April spin along i want to make the 3-Strand Opposing-Ply Yarn!with the last camel/Silk batt I have and some Hand dyed mohair I bought AGES ago

The only question is. Do i use 2 singles of mohair and one of the mix. Or the other way around 🤔

And do i make it a bit thinker for maximum fluff and texture visual, or very thin, so i might actually have the meters to make anything with it 🤔🤔

[yarn-design-spin-along]

I REALLY love the Gimpy yarn, but i definitely need to practice thick singles 😅

But i can see Me spinning more of it in the future

[yarn-design-spin-along]

Happy first day of April!

This Month we have: Opposing Plies

Basic Opposing Ply Yarn

Opposing-Ply Pigtail Yarn

Energized Cable

Multiple Opposing Plies

3-Strand Opposing-Ply Yarn

4-Strand Opposing-Ply Yarn

What do you guys want to make this Month, and how did you like the March yarn??

[comfortabletextiles]

LOOK AT THIS IT IS SO SOFT

Gimp yarn is very good yarn!

[comfortabletextiles]

All played3up 🥰

[comfortabletextiles]

Working on myarch yarn

[yarn-design-spin-along]

So, last few days of February, how is everyone doing?

[loyoen]

Still in january :D

I've got some southdown I wanna try hawser ply with (for socks), but uuuuuuh I maybe spun ⅙ of it until now. guess I'll skip february and get back to the spinalong in march - flame yarn will be fun!

[yarn-design-spin-along]

Flame yarn!!! Yes!! I'll try spiral yarn, if I'm not totally overwhelmed by other stuff xD

[loyoen]

Flame yarn! And snow! I had to use the chance and take pretty pictures :D

But uuuuuh, my wheel really doesn't want me to spin that thick. Or make coils. I might need a bigger flyer for artyarn - if I find one that fits...

[yarn-design-spin-along]

I adore how the grey looks with this brown

[milkweedman]

I know im like an hour past the deadline for february's spin along, but in my defense i spun this while it was still february, i just lost track of time xD

I chose to do the energized singles. This is southdown babydoll roving spun on a supported spindle. I'm gonna hold it alongside the already spun yarn for the sock im doing, bc i've encountered a long stretch of thin yarn.

I don't tend to leave things as singles, so this was fun xD felt very fast.

@yarn-design-spin-along