Two Bins Full

 

Yesterday I was able to get a filling replaced but it meant a very early morning and I felt tired and dragged all day.  I did manage to get two towels woven, and I poked about in my spinning fibre stash and finally found the bump of the pale grey I knew I had...somewhere.

A local guild member has been having fun dyeing roving and I've accumulated quite a few braids so my intention is to use the braids to make 'heathers' (of a sort) by spicing up solid colours with the variegated braids.  

The braid in the middle of the picture has quite a pale value and I kept thinking it would work nicely with the pale grey, so that is where I will begin.  Hand dyed braids are also more expensive than solids, so using them for special effects seems like a good (financial) strategy to me.  This approach also gives me unique looking yarn.  I further customize my yarns by plying them with different commercially spun yarns.

Now, I know you are wondering: what is she going to weave with that? 

Thing is, I'm not.  These yarns are intended for knitting, in part because trying to weave with handspun means an enormous investment of time and I'd rather work with purpose bought yarns for weaving.  

I had - for a time - completely given up spinning but then the universe kept delivering me spinning wheels so eventually I started spinning again.  I use it as a more portable craft I can bring to demo days, but also allows me to knit small(er) items and gives me another portable craft for stitch n bitch or knitting in public days.  Knitting with my own handspun is very satisfying.

On the other hand, I've managed to spin up way more yarn than I have managed to knit, while also accumulating buckets full of shawls, so now I'm looking for something else I can knit with my handspun.

When I learned to spin, back in 1974 or so, the primary method of spinning (here) was supported long draw.  Roving was expensive, so I mostly either hand carded or used a drum carder and spun that way.  It is a process/method that I still enjoy and prefer to use.  

Since one of my stated goals is to use up my stash, that means fibre stash as well.  So far I've spun up two large plus two small bins of rolags made about 3 years ago(!).  One batch has been wet finished and another just needs to be done.  Then I can wind the skeins into balls and eventually figure out what I'm going to knit with it.

Over the past few days I've made more rolags/blending board worms and filled two of the small bins ready to go.  But since making them takes up the entire dining room table, I'd like to fill more of the bins so I can then put it away and bring out the spinning wheel.  Since my spaces do multiple tasks, I don't like to just do a little bit of something, put it all away, over and over again.  Once I get into my stride of the task, it just feels right to keep doing it until I have a stash, like the bins full of prepared fibres.

We woke to a nice sunny day again, although it stays a bit chilly.  However it's lovely to see the blue skies and sun, and I'm making good progress walking so the incentive is high to keep going.  I'm determined to reclaim at least some of my fitness.

Three more towels and then I can cut off the first half, wet finish and then there will be more hemming to do.  I am, as they say, spoiled for choice!