Friday, October 29, 2010

Handspun angora

So I had been arduously spinning the angora roving I bought at the Garden State Sheep Breeders Sheep and Fiber Festival back in September -- on my spindle -- and I had worked through about four ounces in a month.  Along comes my spinning wheel and zoom!  I zipped through the second four ounces in less than a day.  Here I am plying the spindled yarn with the wheel-spun yarn with a little help from Kelsey the cat:


Winding a hank on the swift is much quicker and easier than using a niddy-noddy, in my experience.  My swift, when it's fully opened, makes a 36-inch skein, and I had about 51 yards of what feels and knits like a bulky-weight yarn when I was done. 


Here's the skein, all neat and tidy and soft and fuzzy.  I carried it with me and petted it all day today, but couldn't resist and by 4:30 was winding it into a ball so I could begin knitting K's Christmas mittens.  It is truly delicious, and I am utterly amazed that I am so far along in the process of turning fluff from a bunny into clothing for my child.  Incredible!

3 comments:

  1. Feets and kittyfeets!

    Also pretty wool. :D

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  2. That is amazing...thanks for posting all of the photos. It's really neat to see how all of this works.

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  3. Yay! Bunny-fluff mittens and kitty feet. It must be fall...

    Looks cozy and lovely. I'm envious of your swift, and what's a niddy-noddy? I've not encountered that word before.

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