I meant to post this yesterday, but it summer seems to have temporarily arrived so I did not get a chance.
Lurking in my stash I had a big fluffy batt, it seemed like a great choice for trying to improve my spinning
50g of Cheviot x Border Leicester
New things:
- Spinning from a batt rather than roving
- New type of fibre, a change from merino
Good things:
- The colour is nice
- It was cheap (£1.50 for 50g)
- I bought it on a nice day out at a country show last year
Bad things:
- I am pretty sure it had not been scoured, it was really greasy...
- And smelly too.
- There was a lot of plant material in there
- And a whole lot of something that I didn't look at too closely. I just pulled big chunks out and binned them
- Some of the fibres were really short and rough
The aim for this was to spin a thicker single with less twist in an attempt to avoid overtwist on other projects.
The plan to spin thicker and less twisted was fairly successful although it is not overly even. I am going to try making a square and felting it in the washing machine as that will hopefully get rid of some of the smell and grease. 
It's a pretty color though, putting aside the issues with all the dirt and your spinning looks great!
ReplyDeleteI love the color. That bites about the dirt and grease though. Weird that it would be sold that way. Can't wait to see your felted project. Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
ReplyDeleteOk, I so need to learn the difference between batts and roving. I love the spin, but definitely wouldn't be too keen on something smelly. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it really helps us to progress as spinners when we occasionally spin something unpleasant or difficult! I like spinning from batts, but I love spinning from pencil roving ... so easy it's like cheating!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Spinster Beth. Spinning something less than appealing makes us really appreciate the nice stuff.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fiber Arts Friday!
Pretty color-I'm surprised it was so dirty even after it had been dyed-but your spinning turned out nice. Be sure to show us the finished project.
ReplyDeleteI've learned a lot about fibers and fiber processors. It's amazing how fiber can be so beautiful yet not live up to the expectation. I've spun a few roving like that.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I left you a message on Rav too but Brother Bear and his classroom got the Flat Stanley today. THANK YOU! You are a rock star!
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!