Knit/spin/weed/drink tea/repeat

Winter is focus.  Spring is distraction.  ADHD is just an extreme pole of human attention span.   This must be how bees feel when they see SO many good restaurants in the garden. 

Distraction has gone hand in hand with an inability to tolerate frustration.  Mr. Etherknitter's wounds reach far in their impact on our lives.  Knitting has proceeded at an unprecedented, disturbing minimum.  I DO have a FO to flash.

Trekking XXL, colorway 77
Usual st st pattern, Dutch heel, kitchenered toes
Let'snotdiscusswhenstartedcomparedtowhenfinishedok?
#1 1/2 needles (love 'em)

I'm one skein short of an afghan.  It turns out to be the best knit in the house because of the absence of frustration in its mindlessness.  I briefly thought of binding off now, and abandoning that 13th ball.  I realized that the leftover yarn would haunt me for the rest of my fiber life.  I knew I would have to BURN it, and even that wouldn't have exorcized the demon, so I joined the ball and kept going.  Most knitters seem to feel the same way about ending a big project...must-be-done-nownownow-can't-wait-hurryhurry... 

It just doesn't work that way, so I spin lots, and do the gruntwork of gardening. 

Four ounces of 60% cormo/40% alpaca roving sounded really good.  It turned out to be problematic fiber.  I tried to catch a picture of the millions (okay, thousands) of neps, but Nikon wouldn't do it for me.  I had trouble predrafting.  That fiber mix should separate silkily.  My spinning learning curve took a steep upward slope when I realized that the vendor had sold me fiber that had partially felted in the dyeing process.  Shame on them.  $18.50 for neppy, felted roving. 

I thought about sending it back.  Return postage, plus the prospect of the inevitable tussle that is called customer service, provided enough disincentive to abandon that path.  I considered tossing it in the trash.  I'm WAY too much of a packrat for that solution.

I spun it.  Predrafting hurt my left thumb joints.  I discovered that spinning it by letting the pull of the wheel draft it out decreased the number of neps that got through.  More tension = smoother fiber.  But I also found that I probably overspun the fiber.  No worries.  I've decided to ply it on itself, and use it as an experiment to see if I can get a tighter two-ply without unbalancing it.  Some of my skeins have shown evidence of losing more twist than is optimal in the final product.  So this is a logical next step, using fiber that I'm not going to obsess about.

The shade garden is a spring glory.  These crazy ladies were in a big rush to show their petticoats.  It is still early season, and they had to keep their coats wrapped around them for warmth.  They are Sanguinaria canadensis.  Their friends call them bloodroot.

 

 

Comments

[jess]

i don't see any neps ;) I think it looks fantastic and can't wait to see what you think after you ply it with itself.

The socks are great, too. Trekking is one of those yarns that looks so much better worked up than in the skein. :)

[and hmmm, another flower to consider for my shade garden... right now mine is all astilbe, hostas, and a few other things.]

[Carole]

The spinning looks awesome - I don't see any neps at all. But it's disappointing that you had to struggle with it as you've got enough to struggle with right now.
Nice socks, too.

[Lee Ann]

"One skein short of an afghan."

You might not have meant that the way I read it, but...let's just say I empathise ;-)

[Cindy D]

Spin it all anyway and let the neps be a design feature. It's texture, woman!

[margene]

The bloodroot flowers are beautiful and one I have never seen. We only have the traditional flowers...tulips, daffies and such.
Fiber that isn't up to standard is a good way to learn new things. You've learn more than you wanted with this one but sounds like you showed it who was boss.

[Jennifer]

Wow. I'm amazed at what you were able to do with that roving. Even if it is overspun or a neppy, just call it novelty yarn and make a garter stitch scarf. or something. The socks look great, by the way.

[Cathy]

Gorgeous socks. Laughing over your title - was on the same page yesterday. I consider bloodroot the perks of reading blogs. I don't have any, I don't know if they would grow here. I come to terms with I don't have to spin, grow, do everything - as long as someone does/blogs about it. Vicarious pleasure. Take notes for me tonight - I have a walking date at island time.

[Angela]

All neppy, felted roving should have such patient spinners to make them look good.

I bet you do get a tighter 2-ply. I've been trying to put more twist in my singles for that very reason.

[Cordelia]

Oh, I just love bloodroot. And wild columbine. And trillium. And...
Well, spring in general.
I hope Mr. E. is doing well, staying on target. Enjoy your garden, and plenty of good wishes for your next roving!

[Marcia]

Isn't it great how socks are just always THERE for us?! The spinning looks fabulous, Nikon nothwithstanding, BUT. Something I have discovered is that overspinning is not bad once you know what you're doing. In fact, you would have to add way more twist than you would think right to get a decent 3-ply yarn. And, if your plied yarn is still a bit "unbalanced" (whatever that really means!)much will resolve in the "wash/swing wildly around head/whack on the patio" treatment that I now give ALL my yarns. Just saying.

[Juno]

You lose sommat like 1/3 of your twist when you ply. So if your plied yarn is too ..ahem... limp, definately increase the twist on the single.

I don't know what the conventional wisdom is on this, but since I tried it this way, I've been happier with my end product.

[Kathy]

What neps ?!? If you want neps . . .

You are the afghan goddess, hands-down. Keep on going -- you are almost done! And, the socks are lovely in their understated elegance.

[Martha]

I might have to go back to Garden in the Woods to replace that bloodroot the squirrels ate. So pretty!

[Helen]

How about carding the roving again? I still have the electric carder waiting here. ;-)

[June]

I must ask... who made and sold you this neppy product? (I maintain a mental blacklist of vendors that should never never be patronized.)

[claudia]

I'm overlooking the fact that it is very blue here today. Socks! Singles!

[mamacate]

I think your logic is right on. I find it takes a bit (and a couple few yards of really badly plied yarn) to convince my hands to ply differently, but high-twist singles just need to be plied with more twist to be balanced, of course.

Once we've dug up the space surrounding our house one more time, I shall have to talk with you about shade plants. We have all shade, and I get lost in plant catalogs with "full sun" "part sun" etc. Someday we'll have more than crabgrass, foundation plantings, and pine needles.

[Chris]

Oh, those Trekking socks are glorious!! Love 'em.

Um, yeah - you spin, girl, you spin! ;)

Regards to Mr. EtherKnitter.

[Catherine]

I've been putting more than the recommended twist in my spinning lately, and I'm much happier with the resulting yarn. I think you'll be pleased with the end result, but I agree the vendor should be ashamed. Cormo is just a difficult fiber, imho. It felts if you breathe in its general direction.

[minnie]

i understand completely about neps. i got a box of what was supposed to be good fiber (i cant remember waht it was, anymore) from ebay, and discovered a pilly mess full of vegetable matter. and you know what, i wonder if it got slightly felted in the washing, because it's a bitch to predraft, but it's the only way i can work with the shit. i'm trying to use it up with some handspun i'm using to knit vests for afghans for afghanistan and dulaan.

the sock looks nice, and the flowers are glorious. there's nothign blooming in my yard yet. sigh

[julia fc]

My tree peonies are setting their buds. It's such an exciting time!
Go go go on that single, dear. Trust in what Barbara told you and you'll be fine.

[lisa Co. Springs]

Pretty, pretty yarn. I took the plunge and signed up for a spinning class---I have my doubts about being any good at it though.

[Judith]

Just one word--bloodroot....perfect!

[Andy]

I've had the same problem with some long Romney that was carded with too much waxyness by a commercial carding company and then left sitting several years. I tried to dye it to loosen it up but it felted a bit and was very neppish too. Snarly. I found that if I split the batt (would work with roving too) down to an inch and predrafted to pencil roving size I could spin very fine. My choice was to get the VM to pop out as I drafted it to a fine yarn size which also took out the lumps to some degree, Did I mention it was full of second cuts?!--I snatched them out as I was able from the taut yarn as I spun it. However I left the slubs that were too tangled and tried to slip them into as thin a slub as I could by tugging at them from both ends as I spun the yarn. I plyed it for 2-ply and figure the slubs are taken up in the spaces and evened out. A 3-ply would compact them if you want to squash them even more. I think the main thing is too consider the fleece from its positive side and enjoy the project without letting it cause anxiety. I got over worrying about the lumps because I was knitting a lovely ostrich plume lace bonnet for myself, it didn't matter that it was a little lumpy really, no one will ever know but you.

[Kim]

Lovely post.......cormo can be neppy and I agree, it is so frustrating to spin fiber that you expect to be a pleasure only to find that you have to fight with it. You would never know though by the picture.....it looks lovely.

[Sylvia]

Cormo is notorious for neps. I have become quite skeptical and test the fleeces carefully for tenderness because I've seen more tender Cormo fleeces than any other breed over the years. My guess is the cross of two such easy keeping breeds yields some spotty genetics or a more difficult to manage cross? There is spectacularly perfect Cormo available, but not a lot.

Even the very good Cormo requires careful processing to keep it from shredding or felting. You have to get the scour hot enough to draw off the wax, but in such a way that doesn't felt the fiber. Tricky! I always dye it *after* spinning. I cleanse the undyed plied yarn thoroughly first, then dye. I had an experience where I didn't get all the wax off and dyed the wax, making a grayish tinted goo that was permanently annealed to the fiber. Eww.

You did just the right thing by increasing twist and trying to draw out as many of the neps as possible. Is the alpaca component also super-fine in terms of fiber diameter? Any prickliness? You might see if you prefer a 3-ply. Your spinning looks wonderful.

[LeAnne]

Hi Laurie! I'm going to spend some time reading your blog today. Tell your husband that I'm going in for my first follow up appointment tomorrow. It's been 7 weeks since my surgery, nearly 7.5 since my accident. I'm doing pretty well, although still on way more painkillers than I think I should be and way more frustrated (it comes and goes) today than I should be. It's a gorgeous day here in the Pacific NW and I want to be outside! I guess I could be, but that involves at least 4 stairs and there is no one here to help navigate until later and she's too little...

[LeAnne]

Must. Remember. "One skein short of an afghan". What's ex-fix?

[Lucia]

Hey, Laurie, you sure do have some gorgeous stuff going on over here! Neps, schmeps, the stuff looks great. There is something about spinning, isn't there? Even better than knitting for blissing you right out.

All the best to Mr. E!

[`Lisa S]

It's weird how some fiber combinations can be sort of problematic, neps aside, especially when dyed before spinning. I will never do a cashmere/silk project again, at least from undyed fiber bought from a certain vendor. Cashmere spins like a dream but then there is the silk component that wants to clump. Not so much fun. Perhaps spinning before dyeing but where is the fun in that?

Healing light to Mr. EK and strength to you.

[Peeve]

It is a pretty colour - hope it works out!