Twist and Shine

When you've got a really pleasurable fiber blend, it's hard not to spin it up right away. For me, anything with silk in it feels like a real treat. So it's not surprising how quickly I finished up these two skeins of BFL/silk from FatCatKnits.

I decided to spin the two colorways in this club shipment, Twister and Trigger, as individual skeins, splitting each length of fiber in half lengthwise for two-ply yarns in which the colors match up in some spots and occasional do a little barberpoling. The finished skeins are in the fingering to sport category and -- amazingly -- both 195 yards.

After the plying twist fiasco on the first skein (that's the one in the top in the photo above), I took a slightly less aggressive approach on the second, allowing the brake on the wheel to pull the plied yarn in before too much twist could build up in it. I was a little surprised at how overplied the first skein was, but then I realized that my usual amount of twist works better for a very crimpy fiber like merino or Targhee or Polwarth; BFL is more wavy than crimpy, so I was simply overpowering it. It's a good reminder that your twist should really match your fiber.

I've just started spinning my last FCK club shipment, which is an interesting blend of Polwarth and flax. The flax, while very well blended, feels quite strange to spin, and I'm having to resist the urge to pull it out as I spin because it feels a bit like kemp. I am spinning this shipment much like the last -- two separate two-ply skeins -- though this batch will be a bit thinner, probably a light fingering weight. There's not much to see just yet, as I've only just started, so stay tuned for a progress update.

In other news, I have a new spinning toy! I think I mentioned that my birthday was this past week, and when the Mister asked if there was anything I wanted, I gave him a strong hint in the form of a link. And now I am the proud owner of an Akerworks lazy kate!

I had been thinking of getting one for these ever since they came out, but it was Becks' review on the Tiny Fibre Studio podcast that convinced me that I really needed one. This is my third lazy kate, but it's the only one that will hold four bobbins. I also love that I can use it to hold a spindle, which will make winding off singles so much easier. Obviously I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I'll be giving it a try as soon as I have some singles ready to ply. I'll give you a full review then. I'm excited to give it a full workout!