May 9, 2012
A New Toy

I seem to be on a roll buying fiber related equipment - keep it rolling....

Louet Junior Carder - I feel like I made the perfect choice (with help from Ginny)

Within minutes of opening the box, I started making a pile of stuff to put through....

85 grams of merino, silk, corriedale, qiviut, cashmere, angora, yak, and baby camel (I added more than was in this original picture)

I only put it through the drumcarder one time and realized it was perfect exactly like that for a textured yarn. I wanted the color streaks and some lumps and bumps and tweediness and nepps.

spun into 173 yards of beautifully textured 2 ply worsted weight yarn

I have lots more yarn pictures, but realize I am probably the only one obsessed with this yarn so I won't bore you :)

Instead I'll overload you with woven scarf pictures .....

Warp: 173 yards (85 grams) of handspun 2 ply worsted weight handspun drumcarded fiber including merino, silk, corriedale, qiviut, cashmere, angora yak and baby camel. Weft: I skein Elann Baby Cashmere (60% baby alpaca, 30% merino, 10% cashmere - color 1321) Size: 8" X 64" Warp and Weft Specifications: 8 dent rigid heddle, 8 epi, 6 ppi, 73 warp ends and 83" warp length. I beat the weft very loosely - sort of just placed it gently to be sure the beautiful handspun warp showed up in the finished scarf. Finishing: hemstitched ends (3 per stitch) - 2" fringe Since the baby cashmere is a fingering weight yarn and I used a gentle beat, it just highlights the handspun warp - I love this effect! The scarf is deliciously soft and warm!

My next drumcarding plan is to card enough fiber (mixing and matching stuff I have -- I'm in the gathering phase right now) for a sweater. I will spin it during Tour de Fleece in July - can't wait!

If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :)