Who knew?! I’m not a girly girl by any stretch of the imagination. I wear comfortable shoes. I don’t wear make-up. I really couldn’t care less about my clothes as long as they aren’t binding and don’t make me look much fatter than I already am. The only thing I spend money on appearance wise is my hair, which I cut and color regularly and have for years.
So what’s the fascination with PINK? I don’t know but I’ve been loving it lately. I have a few pink shirts and a great pair of pink courderoys that I love to wear and lots of pink in my socks.
You can imagine how happy I am with this month’s Project Spectrum color. SO. HAPPY. I told you all how I was going to use this particular a-long to concentrate on my spinning and man am I glad I did! I was sort of in a panic and didn’t get my roving in time for the start of the month, but I’m making up for it now. I called my favorite intrepid dyer, Tina, and asked her to bail me out. She sent me 8oz of HOT FLASH Biffle (and I’ve got another 8oz on the way!)
Oh my god this stuff is GORGEOUS! (Photographing it, though, is very difficult. Reds and pinks by extension get very very constrasty and your exposure has to be spot on and even then lightening or darkening even a little bit is very difficult and the colors never seem true. This is the best I could do.) Predrafting it has been a DREAM.
On the left is a third of the big hank. Then split in two. Then the final draft of the middle strand. Predrafting, it turns out, is key to spinning, thank you very much. Essential. This was by far the best spinning experience I’ve had so far. My last attempts taught me much about tension and the revolutions of the wheel and spin and this time out I paid very close attention to the feel of the yarn beneath my fingers. I set the drive band on the second whorl and therefore was able to treadle at my usual slow-ish pace but still get a really nice spin to the yarn. I felt the spin travel down the fiber under my fingertips and for the first time I think I really, really got it.
I made yarn. Every now and again I did the Claudia test and pulled it out from the bobbin to test it’s sturdiness. Yup. I made yarn. I’d like to think that 99% of this bobbin is actual yarn and will not pull apart when I go to ply it. I now know that in all my previous attempts I was NOT getting enough spin on the wheel – therefore there wasn’t enough spin in the yarn. It was falling apart all over the place.
Besides figuring out what SPIN actually is in the yarn – feeling it – really feeling it for the first time it seemed, this Biffle drafts like freaking butter. This is the most even yarn I’ve spun. And even then I was deliberate about it – pulling it back if it was thin in places and breaking off and rejoining the fiber to thicken it up, or pulling it out and respinning thicker parts. I wasn’t successful all the time, but I tried to be conscious of what I was doing. And I think it shows.
I had the MOST FUN last night. Just a blast. Thanks Tina and thank you Lolly for the inspiration of Project Spectrum! Tina sent me some beautiful Red Biffle as well, but I don’t think I’ll be able to spin it up before the end of the month – especially since I’m going to try to get the whole pound of this pink stuff spun up. It’s too good! I ordered some batts from Grafton Fibers today for next month’s challenge too. I can’t wait!
Cara, I’m much like you. Not at all a girly girl, never have been (ok, maybe when I was 7) And I did wear a pink gown to my junior prom. But pastels, and pink in particular were all the rage in the mid 80s (Gotta love Molly Ringwald in Pretty In Pink!) So thats my excuse as to why I historically wore pink, but have always hated it.
Lately though, I have been fond of it (its weird, and I can’t explain it!)
Your spun yarn looks delish! My, how much better your pink is to your earlier tries (don’t take that the wrong way, spinning is like knitting, it requires practice…really, did you actually get gauge the first time you knit something? If you did, disregard my statement you freak 🙂
I’m not uber-girly, either, but I like pink too. It’s just a pretty color. But your yarn is more than pretty – it’s gorgeous! It glows.
It is heart stoppingly beautiful but you KNEW I’d love it. It makes me swoon it’s so pretty and not just the color but your spinning. Look how fine it is…it LOOKS like yarn!
now thats some pretty yarn girly.
I’m sure it’s no surprise when I say I LOVE IT. Both the pink and the red are just amazing. Question though – what’s biffle? I know it’s some sort of roving but I’ve heard of roving and sliver but never biffle.
Oh Cara! Your spinning is beautiful! And isn’t it a wonderful feeling to know when there is not enough twist and when it’s just right? Happy plying!!
Your YARN looks great! I agree that you have to make be conscious of what you’re doing when you’re spinning. I was getting lazy and my yarn wasn’t looking as good – now I’m paying attention and it’s looking much better. You will LOVE the Grafton Fiber batts, too!
That’s an extremely pretty pink!!!!
It’s so pretty I want to eat it.
I’m not a pink-girl, either, but it can be pretty! I spun some fuschia yarn for a friend who LOVES pink and thoroughly enjoyed it. (And, of course, my bedroom was pink when I was little.) Your spinning looks great–it’s amazing what a difference predrafting makes. It almost makes up for what a pain it is (grin).
Gosh that stuff is gorgeous! And pink is like my favorite color!
You have taken to spinning like a duck to water, my dear!
Gorgeous!! Both the before and after.
Gosh. I can hardly click away!!
Just Gorgeous!
Why is it you always make the yarn I love??
Fantastic job, as always. Do you have any plans for it yet, or is it just for petting?
OMG! I caught my breath when I saw your gorgeous roving rose and your spinning is SO pretty, and the photos are awesome. Man I could just frame this post and put in on my wall for art! Seriously! It’s AMAZING! =)*)
I love the colors. Thanks for posting about your spinning experience. I’m just learning and I love reading about others’ experiences.
Oh, it’s gorgeous. What pretty yarn you’ve spun. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
I love pink and I LOVE that roving. It looks good enough to eat.
that looks great!!
Pretty!
yummmmm, how fantastic is that pink!
I have been enjoying your “slide show” at the top of your blog. Your pics are beautiful! Are you a professional photographer? (I’ve been enjoying your blog as well:) I’m a knitter but don’t do anything fancy. Right now I’m in a rut making “wonderful wallabys”–sweaters with a hood and front pouch pocket.) And I love to visit your blog as much as possible.
Absolutely beautiful – both color and spinning! The Grafton Fibers batts are wonderful to spin also. And I didn’t realize that Blue Moon sold roving too – looks like I’m in trouble again – or still…
I am not a pinkie girl either, but that looks lovely!
I am a pinky girl, and I am just thrilled to see all of the lovely spinning you have been doing, C!
Oh, that’s the pinkest pink EVER. I think I need to lie down for a while. Wow.
I have been falling in love with Pink since my little girl came to my life :). Your yarn is beautiful.