Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Preparation

 I learned how to use my Takli spindle!  For my fiber this month from FiberBinderClub it was FoxFibre brown cotton so I knew I had to stretch my spinning skills and try the little spindle again!  Well, when I threw out the 'it isn't wool....' mentality, the right skills kicked into gear and I thoroughly enjoyed a good spin!
 I wound the singles from the spindle onto one of my weaving bobbins so I could spin the second half of the cotton roving.
 Then plied them onto my larger Kundert spindle so all the fiber would fit..........how do you like my bobbin holders?!  Knitting needles and an old shoe box worked great!
 I have a 33yard skein of cotton yarn!
 Next, it is recommended to boil the yarn to enhance the color and to set the yarn.  The smell was very much like tea-the color in the pan was like tea, too.  I wonder if it is tannic ?  (This cotton is not dyed, it is grown in this brown color so the water is not tinted with dye but with the very color of the cotton itself which is why I think it might be tannic like black walnuts.)
 As long as I was boiling cotton, I got out my previous projects and yarn-boiled it and hung it out to dry.
 The yarn is very soft and the color is just a bit deeper.
  We are going to finish this little hall to the breezeway after all-Bill just has to frame this and he is finished with his part!  We are very close to the finish line!!!!
 Bill had to prep the sliding glass door for sheet rock finishing.......
 He had to frame and then secure all the new wires for outlets, thermostat, etc.  We are ready to roll!
The cats have been playing with a box.......when they are not doing this---->
Naughty, Nyki!

6 comments:

  1. The new yarn is pretty; I also love the smooth wood of the [bowl?] that goes with your spindle.

    So exciting to see things really coming together on the last frontier of the house! The best part is that I will actually get to come and see it soon after it's done!!!

    Look at Nyki's face in that last picture...she is not sorry at all...and in fact, she looks quite impressed with herself.

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  2. Your broken ornaments must remind you of when the kids were little and went oops! Being that I was sure they were perfect kids and wouldn't have done it on purpose!! Can't wait to be there and see your projects in person! Love, Mom

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  3. Yarn is beautiful. Nice shade of brown.

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  4. I am so impressed with your talents and inventiveness. DD and I both have Russian (supported) spindles. I can't spin on a drop spindle or a spinning wheel, so I don't know what possessed me to buy those Russian ones. Perhaps the thought of spinning quietly while sitting?

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  5. umpf, cats and christmas trees... but the baubles are so inviting:))
    I love spinning the coloured cottons, although the takhli still defeats me (I use the Spindolyn or the wheel). weird though, that the green colour always goes much darker after boiling than the brown! I like the slightly bumpy cotton yarns to knit with - must be perfect for your warmer climate to knit into tees etc.?

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  6. What really impresses me is how close you were between the two bobbins while plying. And I show all my spinde spinning students that particular lazy kate. It's handy and cheap. :)

    So glad you liked this month's selection. It was hard holding it back for the 12th month, but we wanted a fun surprise for everyone.

    Naughty Nyki is right. Oops!

    My word verification word is moran - perfect for someone who plays with yarn, don't you think?

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UPDATE

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