Fiber Monday - Clearing the decks and a little reviewing

(Warning, this is long, even for me.) For several months, my yarn storage consisted of a pile on the floor of my studio closet. I had been looking for something specific, but because my yarn far exceeded the storage available, the only way to find what I was looking for was to dump it all on the ground. And there it sat. And sat and sat and sat. And I ignored it because I didn't want to just shove it all back in the cubbies without sorting it a bit first. 

We'll, there's nothing like a new year to prod one into doing a little organizing, us there? So yesterday I took a deep breath and tacked the yarn problem. I got rid of nearly a full kitchen garbage bag's worth of yarn. There was just so much I was never going to use for one reason or another, that it made no sense to keep it. 

And by getting rid of it, I mean I handed it to Y. saying she could have any of it she wanted. She was thrilled and happily carted it all up to her room. Everyone was happy. 

This also meant it was easier to see what I actually had. It turns out that what I actually have is quite a bit of homespun. (I'm sure that surprises no one.) Bug I was kind of taken back by just how much there was. Want to see?

So thus is what I had stashed in my studio closet. This is not all of my hand spinning because I have made quite a few things with it as well as having given a fair bit away. I found it interesting to see it all laid out because it allowed me to see my evolution as a spinner. 

The skeins on the right hand side are from when I first began spinning when B. was two, which would be twenty-eight years ago. (That seems crazy, by the way.) Here they are up close. (Also not all of what I had spun as I had made at least one sweater at that time.)

The skeins to the upper left of those were some of my first skeins from getting back to spinning after a significant break. (The pink, not the blue.)

But this is what I found most interesting (and heartening). In these three skeins you can see three very different stages of my spinning ability. The one on the right is one of those very early return to spinning skeins. The one in the middle was maybe a year into my return, and the one on the left is a skein I finished yesterday, almost seven years after the skein on the right. 

And a closer view.

Here is what I see. The skein on the right is fairly thick and fluffy. It's actually not bad spinning, but I was bothered that I couldn't spin finer yarn. The skein on the right is after being really focused on spinning thin. It was my only goal and I remember working really hard to get this yarn as fine as possible. It is certainly thin, but looking at it now, it feels underplied and too thin. There is no body to it. 

In this pair you can see the super thin skein next to the skein I just finished. I wasn't purposely trying to spin a thicker yarn, but because this is an appropriately plied 3-ply, it ended up being a thicker yarn. It's just a nicer yarn over all. It is certainly a nicer yarn to the touch. 

It's funny that in general spinners tend to be able to spin only thick yarn, work hard to spin thinner, then find themselves working to be able to purposely spin a thicker yarn on purpose. 

So after that little bit of navel gazing, I have also been focused on finishing up projects and planning what I want to work on this winter. 

First, I'll show you that grey yarn once again. This was the fiber that came with my newest wheel that I was using to get used to spinning on it. I got a little over four hundred yards of a heavy worsted weight yarn. 

I also combed and spun just a little bit of the Cotswold fleece I have. (From an earlier shearing of the sheep from yesterday.) I wanted to see what it would be like to work with and what the yarn would be like. Here's the little 28 yard skein that only weighs a quarter of an ounce.

I love the sheen it has. It is also softer than I expected given it is a long wool. I'm thinking it would be great for weaving. I'm thinking I will dye the fleece, then spin it with an eye to weaving fabric yardage in order to make some item of clothing. This is the project I will use my newer wheel for. I'm thinking the whole process may take a couple of years. I am the walking routine of slow fashion. 

Other projects I am going to be working on this winter. 

I'm nearly done weaving the band on my inkle loom. There are just three more pegs to go around.

For my next project I want to try tablet (or card) weaving on the inkle loom. (This will have a lot longer explanation when I actually get to it.) But I did need cards, so I made those.

I have threaded the floor loom for a scarf that I have been planning for ages. 

This was going to be a quick project I could weave while I waited for the parts that are on order. Then I could get one more project done before we take the whole thing apart. But then, after I had started, I realized that I don't have enough books to attach the treadles to the shafts to get the pattern I want. So here it sits until my order arrives. I'll weave the scarf and then take the loom apart. I did get everything wound for the weft and ready for weaving, though.

I've also been thinking about using all of this handspun into a color work sweater to knit. It might have to be a sweater vest because I'm not sure I have enough yarn for sleeves. 

My other wheel I'm going to use to finally get all my breed samples spun with. I'd like to see how many I can get through over the winter. 

I've found that while I tend to flirt from craft to craft depending on how I am feeling at any given time, this really only works if I have a sense of what projects I am going to be working on for each craft. Having a plan at least one project ahead stops me from becoming paralyzed with too many options.