I’ve neglected you terribly. My last post about spinning was when I started the Crosspatch Creations Art Batts back in April. As I spun that gorgeous fiber, I realized that it deserved to become something that I could wear and enjoy for years. So – sweater it is. I did not have enough raw fiber for that, so I contacted the woman I bought it from at SAFF and got more. It has been really fun to spin and knit as I went. The sweater is mostly completed now – the front and back pieces are getting blocked right now, and when they are done I will sew the shoulder seams and knit on the collar and front button bands. Then it’s just adding the sleeves and doing the side seams.
My new spinning project is milk fiber. Yes, you read that right. Fiber made from milk protein. If you are interested, this blog post https://exchangingfire.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/what-is-milk-fiber/ has more information about the fiber and how it is created.
It’s beautiful. Also known as “milk silk,” it is very soft and has a lovely sheen. It’s a little slippery to work with, and wants a lot of twist. I found that using a VERY light tension on the take-up to the bobbin made it easier to spin. I bought it at SAFF last year from Roo (http://moonwoodfarm.com). She recommended that prior to spinning I should gently lengthen it out a little – not really pre-drafting, just loosening it up a bit – so I did. I had read that this fiber can be clumpy to draft, and I think this helped avoid that.
In any case, I would not recommend it for beginners. For my first sample, I did a two-ply yarn. I’ll do another sample as three-ply, and see which I like better.