Fiber Monday - Angst spinning

I don't know about you, but I could use some far less serious and concerning things to think about right now, so it's good it's Monday. All of the serious and concerning things I don't want to have to think about could also be an explanation as to why I have so much spinning to show you this week. I find spinning to be incredibly calming, and you get cool yarn out of it to boot. 

So let's start with the show and tell.

First, the sock yarn I showed you last week. Nothing has changed except that I wound it into a skein in order to wash. Oh, and there is one teeny tiny skein you can see on the bottom. I had two bobbins with a little bit more yarn on them than the third, so couldn't use them to make a 3-ply. So, I decided to learn how to chain ply which is where you take a single yarn and then using loops and things turn that single into a 3-ply. It has been on my list of things to figure out, so that felt like a success this week. 

Next I finished spinning two huge bats that I had made then had started spinning one of them only to leave it sitting on the studio table for a while. I have now started to ply them together.

Then, in between all of this, I started a new spinning project. Because it makes sense to start a new one when you still have at least two unfinished projects on the table, right? 

So this is one of the dyed fiber that I bought in Arizona when I was there this past spring. This is hand-dyed Jacob sheep. I have wanted to branch out on what types of wool I spin, so this was the biggest reason I bought it. I'm not sure I'm a fan. It is a lot rougher than what I am used to spinning. We'll see how it eventually turns out. Here is a closer look at how it is looking on the bobbin. It looks kind of pretty. I'm not sure I'm sold yet.

Finally, because I don't have enough raw materials and potential projects, a (somewhat) local spinning store was having a big sale. So I went. My reasoning was that I might be able to find some supplies for the spinning and knitting classes I'm teaching in the fall. And I did! I found a really good deal on wool yarn and I bought a bag of process roving that will be great for the class to use. But, I might have come home with a few more things as well. I can't help myself, it seems, when faced with craft supplies. (I believe I have written about this little quirk of mine before.)

Look at what one of those things was!

It's a handy little carry bag with a nice case inside to carry spindles. I have been wanting something to carry a spindle for a while, so this was exciting. But wait, there's more! It also came with this lovely spindle.

It's hard to see what it looks like. Here's a better picture. Isn't it lovely? 

I wasn't sure how it would spin since it was so skinny and light, but it actually spins extremely well. I like to spin finer yarn rather than thicker yarn, and I think this is going to do that very well. You can see how much smaller it is than my other top whorl spindle. 

Now, with a handy case and a nice spindle, I could actually take spinning projects out with me instead of just knitting ones. We'll see if I actually do it. Knitting in public already causes a lot of comment. I'll have to be in the right frame of mind to spin in public and navigate the inevitable comments.