Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Using one's handspun

I find I learn a lot about my spinning by using it. I have only used a couple of my handspun skeins so far but the next few projects are almost all handspun.

I started with a pair of hats out of the Lincoln-Corriedale cross I spun in Maggie Casey's class in August. If you remember, this was a fleece that we carded and spun in class. My handspun varies from rather tightly spun to a nice fluffy but solid yarn. I love knitting with the well spun parts. The thin, overtwisted parts are a pain to knit but it works.
This is a hat I made from one of the two skeins I had. It is the Bus hat. I made it longer so it can be folded up over the ears. The length of the hat is 9" (vs the 5.5" in the pattern) and then I started shaping the cap.

I like this so much that I am making a second one with the other skein.
In this hat, I am just doing a k4, p4 rib rather than the pattern in the other hat. Just for variety. I finished the first hat in about 48 hours. So this should be done in the next day or so.

Knitting with woolen spun yarn is a pleasure. It isn't appropriate for a shawl, I think, unless spun much thinner than I am spinning it. But it is perfect for hats. There is a bit of lanolin left and it makes the wool comfortable. I am really enjoying knitting with this yarn.

I am also trying to finish up the Corgi Hill Farm Mangosteen gradient - at least the first single so I can pack away the spindle without anything on it. I wound off the third bobbin of singles from the spindle and am working away on a 4th segment.
That is all that is left. I think about sections of 7" will finish it. I tend to think of spindling in those sections because that is what I pull off from the rope and it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I am done with it. 

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