What does Spinning mean to you?

What does Spinning mean to you?

 

Some think it is a child turning round and round really fast, while playing, until they get dizzy and fall down.  Some may even think of a merry-go-round from their childhood, and how fast they could make it go, before they jumped on.When you type in spinning on the internet you get things like spinning bicycle wheels, tires, exercise bikes. 

However, to us Fiber Artists, it means twisting fiber, fleece, or wool roving, silk, alpaca, angora, mohair, flax, etc. into a continuous thread using either a spinning wheel or a drop spindle.  Spinners can spin their thread thick or thin, plied or un-plied, some will dye their yarns, while others leave it natural.

Fiber artists use their yarn for knitting, crocheting, or weaving projects.  I have seen people even use unspun fiber for knitting, crocheting, weaving and yes even felting.  I love seeing all these different ways of using fiber.

I love to spin my yarn into thin singles, 2 plied yarn and even a 3 ply yarn.  I knit a lot of different projects from my yarn, like socks, hats, scarves, boot cuffs, cowls and shawls.  I have even wove triangle shawls, scarves and overshot coverlet squares with my handspun yarn.  I have even dyed my own yarn too, its fun to watch the fiber absorb the dyes.

Spinning is a form of art and is done in a variety of ways, which makes it exciting, because no 2 yarns are the same.



Lots of spinning yesterday and some knitting this morning

Well, yesterday I got a lot of spinning done.  I managed to finished refilling the 3rd bobbin,

then I started in plying

This was all done in 1 hour 49 minutes 56 seconds.  I took a bit of a break and then came back, to finish plying up this skein.

I wound it off onto my niddy noddy, then washed it and hung it to dry.  Then I returned to my spinning wheel to start plying up a new skein.

I came awfully close to filling this bobbin.  It took my 1 hour 50 minutes 45 seconds to finish the first skein and start plying up this skein.  All in all I spent 3 hours 40 minutes 41 seconds in the spinning room.  Not bad for a days worth of spinning!

This morning though it picking up my Handspun Knitted Mountain Sunset Colonial Merino Half Circle Shawl and started in knitting.  I knitted 10 rows and started on the 11th row.  I now have 78 completed rows with 1/4 of the 79th row started.

The shawl isn't laying flat, due to my beginning a new row.  However, the pattern is starting to show up.  I need to get a closer picture of what I call shells,......the pattern calls them fans.



Relaxing Sunday, Knitting on new shawl and maybe some spinning later today.

Yesterday was a quiet relaxing Sunday with my husband, Sue-chi.  We were hoping for some warmer weather, so that we could start leveling the ground and cinder blocks to get ready for erecting, our greenhouse.  However, we didn't get the warmer weather, so instead we relaxed and watched some old movies (Flight of the Phoenix with Jimmy Stuart, The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio).  Today though, I started off knitting on the Handspun Knitted Mountain Sunset Colonial Merino Half Circle Shawl.  I was only able to knit 8 rows though, in 1 hour 48 minutes.

However, I have a total of 68 rows knitted so far and that is not bad, since I started knitting on this shawl last Wednesday.

Now to head upstairs and do some spinning.  I'm hoping to finish refilling the third bobbin and then start in plying up a new skein of Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca Yarn. 



Back upstairs plying and spinning.........New listing

So after spending my morning yesterday dyeing some handspun 3 ply white alpaca yarn, I headed upstairs to finish plying up another skein of yarn.

Then because my 3 bobbins were empty and needed to be refilled once again, I changed bobbins out and started in spinning again.

However, this morning was spent running errands, but once they were done I came home and rewound my newly dyed skeins, made labels, took pictures and then listed them.

http://www.spinningginny.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=152&products_id=561

http://www.spinningginny.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=152&products_id=560



Dyeing Day, New Listing and a little spinning

Before I get started dyeing up 2 new skeins of Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca, I want to share a new listing with you.

http://www.spinningginny.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=121&products_id=576

I started knitting this up yesterday morning, before the sun came up, then stopped to go and do some spinning.  This morning I finished it just before sun rise.

 

Now I've got all my dyeing stuff set up and I'm ready to get busy dyeing up my 2 skeins of Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca Yarn.

I've brought my water to a simi boil, added my Royal Blue Dye Stock and 1/4 cup of vinegar.  Now its time to add one of my skeins of yarn to the pot.

The yarn really soaked up the dye fast during the first 30 minutes.  Now its in the cooling down stage for 30 minutes.  Then I'll drain it and soak it in the synthrapol for 5 minutes.

 

Now that both skeins are dyed and hanging to dry, its time to head up to the spinning room and finish plying up another skein of Handspun 3 ply white alpaca yarn.

 

 



Did exactly what I hoped today today and more!

I mentioned yesterday, that I hoped to finish refilling the third bobbin today and that's just exactly what I did.

Then I went on to start in plying up the first skein and after 1 hour 37 minutes and 9 seconds, here is where I ended up.

After finishing lunch, I headed back to the spinning room to finished refilling this bobbin of 3 ply handspun white alpaca yarn.

I finished this bobbin up before the 1 hour 37 minutes 28 seconds and started in plying up a second skein.

Then after plying up this second skein, I still have some time left of the clock, so I started in plying up a 3rd skein

Now tomorrow, I'll finish plying up this 3rd skein of handspun white alpaca yarn. Then I'll start in refilling these 3 bobbins once again.  Now to go and wash the 2 skeins I plied up today and hang them to dry over night.

 

Back to the spinning wheel

After taking the last 4 days off from spinning to do some knitting, it was time for me to get back to the spinning wheel today.  I able to spend roughly 2 hours, 20 minutes and 25 seconds at the spinning wheel.  I would have spent more, Monday's are about doing the laundry and going grocery shopping.  Anyways  I came really close to refilling the 3 bobbin once again. 

I hope tomorrow to finish refilling it and start in plying up 2 more skeins of 3 ply white alpaca yarn.

Spinning mood

And I'm still spinning away, just finished refilling the second bobbin of white alpaca.  I love this fleece, there's still 2 1/2 buckets of carded batts from Bellagio's fleece.  The first 2 bobbins are waiting patiently on my sewing box and the third bobbin is now on my spinning wheel.

 

Right now I just can't seem to get enough of spinning, so I am in the spinning mood,  so as soon as I fill up my bobbins, I start in plying up more 3 ply yarn.  Then as soon as a new skein of 3 ply yarn is spun up, washed and hung to dry, I'm back at the spinning wheel refilling my bobbins once again.

 



Tuesday morning spinning, and new listings

Good Morning Everyone!  It's Tuesday and time to get back to the Spinning Wheel, but first I want to share my 2 new listings.

Turquoise Handspun Alpaca Yarn 204 yds.

http://www.spinningginny.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=152&products_id=556

Turquoise Handspun Alpaca Yarn 227 yds.

http://www.spinningginny.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=152&products_id=555

I was up bright and early this morning, spinning for 1 hour 29 minutes and 24 seconds, and this is what I accomplished so far.

I finished refilling the first bobbin and then started in refilling the second bobbin.

I'm heading back upstairs now to do some more spinning, hope you enjoy your day!

 



Dye pot's on the stove and Presidents Day Weekend Sale

Good Morning Everyone!  Today I'm pulling out the dye pot and dyeing up 2 new skeins of Handspun White Alpaca Yarn.  I'm dyeing these 2 skeins Turquoise and I'm also making up 2 new dye stocks.  One dye stock is going to be Royal Blue as I'm out of that right now and the other will be Pink.

 

This picture is me just getting ready.  I have my Turquoise all ready, just need to make up the other 2 dye stocks, before I actually start dyeing.

Now that I have the Royal Blue and Pink dye stock all made up, I'm letting them cool down before I screw the tops down.

Now I'm going to take the Turquoise and add it to my empty dye pot and then add 6 more pints of water, bring it to a low boil (I mean low boil were its just starting to get the bubbles at the bottom of the pan) and add my 1/4 cup vinegar.  Then I'll add my first skein of Handspun White Alpaca to the dye bath.

Then I'll let it steep for 30 minutes, when the 30 minutes are up, I'll turn the heat off and let it cool down for 30 minutes.  Then I'll soak it for 5 minutes in hot water and Synthrapol, (speaking of which I need to order some more, as I'm getting low) then squeeze out as much water as I can and hang it to dry.  I'll repeat this process for the 2nd skein.

 

Happy Presidents Day! Spinning Ginny is taking 25% off her entire inventory.

Sale starts 2/13/16 ends 2/16/16!
http://www.spinningginny.com/

 



Lost in my own spinning world

Sometimes I just get lost in my own little spinning world.  Once I get into the spinning room, my thoughts are on nothing but fiber, spinning, carding, weaving and knitting.  Today was not the exception!  I knew that today I'd be concentrating on where I left off yesterday on my spinning.

This bobbin was almost completely full yesterday with handspun 3 ply white alpaca and my goal for today was to finish filling it.....

which I accomplished in the first 27 minutes and 27 seconds of spinning.  I then wound it off onto my niddy noddy, washed it and hung it to dry.

Then I began plying up another skein (22nd) and managed to almost have the bobbin full again in 1 hour.

This is what happens when I get lost in my own little spinning world!  Now that lunch break is almost over, I think I'll go and get lost again.  I so LOVE to spin!

 

 

 

Dyeing, Labels

Yesterday, after dyeing up the Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca Yarn a lovely "Aztec Gold".  I just couldn't stop, so I pulled out the other 2 skeins of Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca.  I set up my dye pot, but this time with some lovely "Fire Red" dye and place the first skein into the dye bath.

Around 5:30 pm I had finished dyeing both skeins and had them hanging to dry with the 2 skeins of "Aztec Gold".

Today, though I'll be printing labels, taking pictures and listing these 4 new skeins on my website.  So stay tuned into my shop at:  http://www.spinningginny.com as these new skeins will be listed soon.



Busy spinng the last 2 days, dyeing today #dyeing #skeins #white #alpaca #yarn

Sorry for not posting!  I just got so into my spinning the last 2 days, that I just decided to post pictures instead.  So for those of you, that don't follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, here's some pictures from the last 2 days.

 

 

Today I'll be dyeing up 2 of the skeins that I plied up on Tuesday.  These skeins will be dyed "Aztec Gold",  Here's what one of the skeins looks like in the dye pot.

I'm typing this blog, while I'm dyeing my yarn.  Tomorrow after these skeins are dry and I make labels, I'll take some more pictures and then get them listed.  I might even be dyeing 2 more skeins tomorrow, so stay tuned to see what color I choose to dye tomorrow.

 

Dyeing in the kitchen again #dyeing #scarlet #alpaca #handspun

Well, its that time again!  Dye pot's on the stove, with what was some Handspun White Alpaca Yarn.  Now it's Handspun - Dyed - Miss Scarlet - Alpaca - Yarn.

This is only the 1st skein, I still have 1 more to dye after this.  I usually dye 2 skeins at a time, so I have another skein in the background waiting for its partner to be spun and plied.  So this is pretty much all I have to show for now, I will be back at the spinning wheel later today spinning up more white alpaca batts.



Time at the #spinning wheel

Well, now that I have no other projects currently to work on...........I'm spending a lot of time at my spinning wheel, as you saw from yesterday's post.  So today was pretty much the same, only not as many pictures to show off.  Today I started off where I left off yesterday, in plying up the 17th skein of Handspun White Alpaca.

Soon, though I had another full bobbin of plied Handspun White Alpaca Yarn, ready to be wound off onto my niddy noddy, then washed and hung to dry. 

Then I replaced an empty bobbin with a 1/4 full bobbin of handspun single alpaca and started in spinning again to refill it.

Time flies by, so fast when I'm sitting at the spinning wheel.

 

 



Stitches are out! Yippee!! Lots of spinning today!!! #spinning #bobbins #alpaca #white

Well, I went and got my stitches out today (2 hours ago).  I'm so happy, and when I got home I headed straight to the spinning room.  It was so nice to be sitting behind my old friend (spinning wheel), and spinning up alpaca again.  Oh yes, the alpaca fiber feels so nice again in my hands.

This is the third bobbin, that I'm refilling again and I'm getting close to filling it up.  I think another batt will do it.  I was right!  It only took 1 more batt to fill it up.  Now I have 3 full bobbins.

The first bobbin (on right) weights 5 1/8 ounces - 2 ounces (for bobbin) = 3 1/8 ounces

The second bobbin (middle) weights 4 1/4 ounces - 2 ounces (for bobbin) = 2 1/4 ounces

The third bobbin (on left) weights 4 7/8 ounces - 2 ounces (for bobbin) = 2 7/8 ounces

Total  3 1/8 + 2 1/4 + 2 7/8 ounces = 8 1/4 ounces of spun single alpaca yarn.

Now to start in plying up the 16th skein of 3 ply white alpaca yarn.

Whoohoo!  Another full bobbin of Handspun 3 ply White Alpaca Yarn from Bellagio's Fleece.

Now to wind it off onto my niddy noddy, wash it and hang it to dry.  Then start in plying up the 17th skein.