Hi folks,
Again, this is pretty terrible. I'm just not reliable as a blogger it would seem. Oh well.
I've experimented with a little jacquard dyeing, but I still like my wiltons. I've instead branched out and attempted methods other than the crockpot. I've done the microwave thing, and I've done stove top. Interestingly, I think I prefer stove top the best.
I was initially concerned that I would burn the living crap out of the wool, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that my wool was the softest of all the methods I've tried so far.
In addition, I've been practicing my short draw, and trying to keep it from getting too tight or dense. I know a lot of people put stock in the long draw, but let's face it, I'm just not there yet. Besides, the short draw is great for rovings with lots of colours because it gives you greater control over what colours you're pulling. If you've got a roving spotted with brown, pink, and green, and you want to see more candy-striping with the brown and green, it's really quite easy to do with short rows. When you're bored of that and want a spot of white, just pull it up. The downside is that I find it difficult to watch tv or a movie while I'm doing this, because I enjoy watching the fiber so much.
I've also heard that you get less yardage with short draws, but seeing as how I haven't mastered the long, I can't give you my two cents on that.
In other news, I spun up some fiber from Marajane01's shop and made a Leethal skoodlet of it. I did all of it inside of a week, which is pretty wild, considering I don't have much in the way of free time right now. The skoodlet is super cute, though I think I'll like it better once I block it. I'll post before & afters when I do.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Where the hell have I been anyway? (A word on wheels)
Oh me? I've been playing with my new wheel, and not much else. Love love love. Not ready to really share any FOs with you at this point, but I love it.
Now having bought my first wheel, and having only my dear Twitter friends to guide me, it was a bit scary. But wouldn't you know it, now that my wheel has arrived, was easily assembled and I've been spinning for about a week, spinning and non-spinning friends have been crawling out of the woodwork to ask me things.
I don't promise to have any or all the answers, but I do have some research, and some information.
Picking out your first wheel
There are a ton of websites out there that will tell you about all the parts of a wheel, what they are, and what your options are. This is a good place to start. Just knowing what parts a wheel can have, what the variation can be, and what such variations cost will help you...if for nothing else than you'll be able to ask more questions.
The Woolery has a lot of good information--> http://www.woolery.com/Pages/selectwheel.html
but even this was a bit overwhelming to me. Here are some basics to help make it less scary:
+ Treadles: just like a sewing machine, this is how you power your wheel--with your feet. Your options are single or double. Some folks prefer to have a single because they're more familiar with sewing machines, while most who have injuries, arthritis, RLS, fibromyalgia etc prefer the double because it takes some of the pressure off a single leg, and has a lower overall impact on both legs.
+ Ratios: You're going to hear a lot about this. Every company/site will list the ratios each wheel can spin. The ratios tell you what sorts of yarn you can spin with it. It's usually presented as 4.5:1 for example, which would mean that the flyer spins 4.5 times for every revolution of the wheel. This ratio means you can spin relatively bulky yarn. For a ratio over 10, you're looking at spinning rather fine yarn, and over 15 it's safe to say you're spinning laceweight. Speaking of which....
+ Flyer: The flyer is that wishbone-looking thing that spins around the bobbin/newly made yarn. It contains hooks (usually) which allow the yarn to be collected on the bobbin in a specific place. So you move the yarn along the hooks so that the bobbin takes up the yarn evenly.
+ Add-ons: Most wheels have a lot of add-ons, like lace flyer kits, jumbo flyer kits etc. And of course, let's not forget additional bobbins, a lazy kate etc. In the price of your wheel, you may wish to consider this: Are you going to want to spin lots of lace, or super-bulky yarn? Does the wheel you're thinking of buying have that possibility when it comes to the standard ratios of the wheel, or will you have to purchase an add-on? Similarly, you can never have enough bobbins. How much do bobbins cost for the brand of wheel you're looking at? Bobbins range in price from $10-40, so this (at least to me) is worth considering.
As I have more time with my wheel, I'll be able to share my likes & dislikes, and perhaps have more of an opinion. As someone who seeks balance, and solutions, I definitely struggled with making this purchase. However, with a lot of legwork, and trying out wheels whenever possible, you'll end up with something you're sure to love.
Now having bought my first wheel, and having only my dear Twitter friends to guide me, it was a bit scary. But wouldn't you know it, now that my wheel has arrived, was easily assembled and I've been spinning for about a week, spinning and non-spinning friends have been crawling out of the woodwork to ask me things.
I don't promise to have any or all the answers, but I do have some research, and some information.
Picking out your first wheel
There are a ton of websites out there that will tell you about all the parts of a wheel, what they are, and what your options are. This is a good place to start. Just knowing what parts a wheel can have, what the variation can be, and what such variations cost will help you...if for nothing else than you'll be able to ask more questions.
The Woolery has a lot of good information--> http://www.woolery.com/Pages/selectwheel.html
but even this was a bit overwhelming to me. Here are some basics to help make it less scary:
+ Treadles: just like a sewing machine, this is how you power your wheel--with your feet. Your options are single or double. Some folks prefer to have a single because they're more familiar with sewing machines, while most who have injuries, arthritis, RLS, fibromyalgia etc prefer the double because it takes some of the pressure off a single leg, and has a lower overall impact on both legs.
+ Ratios: You're going to hear a lot about this. Every company/site will list the ratios each wheel can spin. The ratios tell you what sorts of yarn you can spin with it. It's usually presented as 4.5:1 for example, which would mean that the flyer spins 4.5 times for every revolution of the wheel. This ratio means you can spin relatively bulky yarn. For a ratio over 10, you're looking at spinning rather fine yarn, and over 15 it's safe to say you're spinning laceweight. Speaking of which....
+ Flyer: The flyer is that wishbone-looking thing that spins around the bobbin/newly made yarn. It contains hooks (usually) which allow the yarn to be collected on the bobbin in a specific place. So you move the yarn along the hooks so that the bobbin takes up the yarn evenly.
+ Add-ons: Most wheels have a lot of add-ons, like lace flyer kits, jumbo flyer kits etc. And of course, let's not forget additional bobbins, a lazy kate etc. In the price of your wheel, you may wish to consider this: Are you going to want to spin lots of lace, or super-bulky yarn? Does the wheel you're thinking of buying have that possibility when it comes to the standard ratios of the wheel, or will you have to purchase an add-on? Similarly, you can never have enough bobbins. How much do bobbins cost for the brand of wheel you're looking at? Bobbins range in price from $10-40, so this (at least to me) is worth considering.
As I have more time with my wheel, I'll be able to share my likes & dislikes, and perhaps have more of an opinion. As someone who seeks balance, and solutions, I definitely struggled with making this purchase. However, with a lot of legwork, and trying out wheels whenever possible, you'll end up with something you're sure to love.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Buttercup, Copper, Golden Yellow
I'm actually quite pleased with this photo. The colors are a bit more pungent in real life, but the glare with the flash washed everything out.
I thought this would be a great side by side comparison, and it was quite helpful.
I love love love the copper, but need to find a use for it. I think it would be divine on bamboo or soysilk.
Also, I really want access to a drum carder. I don't really want to own one, but it'd be nice every now and then to get greater variation with solid tones.
I thought this would be a great side by side comparison, and it was quite helpful.
I love love love the copper, but need to find a use for it. I think it would be divine on bamboo or soysilk.
Also, I really want access to a drum carder. I don't really want to own one, but it'd be nice every now and then to get greater variation with solid tones.
Round 8, Red Fail
Le Sigh. Still haven't successfully dyed red. Bright Superman, fire engine blood red.
Someone on rav suggested that I dye it pink and overdye it with True Red. Given the fact that I'm using a color called "red-red", I'm sort of irritated, but oh well.
Someone on rav suggested that I dye it pink and overdye it with True Red. Given the fact that I'm using a color called "red-red", I'm sort of irritated, but oh well.
"Batman Black" or Round 7 continued
Yeah, so this is how it turned out when I took it out of the dyebath. My heart sank. However, it is an interesting and variegated purple. Maybe this'll do for Hulk or Joker. Ooops, did I just give something away?
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Round 7, I can haz bloo?
Um, so this time I JUST used Royal Blue. I swear.
This was really confusing & troublesome at first because I only used Royal Blue, and I used a lot of water in my dyebath in the hopes of it being a lighter & ostensibly evener colour. Fail.
However, I think I know what happened here. I use 1/4 c. vinegar for my acid. I think I accidentally put my vinegar water in my tea kettle. So when I boiled water to dissolve the dye in, I used a bunch of vinegar. Oops.
So, I soaked this roving sa'more & stirred up some black with NO vinegar. It's still in the crockpot, but I think it's going to be a delicious midnight blue, which will be perfect for Batman. Heee.
This was really confusing & troublesome at first because I only used Royal Blue, and I used a lot of water in my dyebath in the hopes of it being a lighter & ostensibly evener colour. Fail.
However, I think I know what happened here. I use 1/4 c. vinegar for my acid. I think I accidentally put my vinegar water in my tea kettle. So when I boiled water to dissolve the dye in, I used a bunch of vinegar. Oops.
So, I soaked this roving sa'more & stirred up some black with NO vinegar. It's still in the crockpot, but I think it's going to be a delicious midnight blue, which will be perfect for Batman. Heee.
Light fixture, roving dryer, you pick
So this is what the light fixture in my studio looks like right now.
Round 6, Mermaid
Trust me when I tell you that you'll never guess how I made this one.
Again, this is dark & rich in person. I swear to goodness, I'll build a light table next weekend.
Anyway, I prepped royal blue in one glass, and a wee bit of black in the other (I was going for grey). I "plied" 1.75oz of roving & tied a super loose knot at the end. I thought it might lend itself to some interesting results if I sort "layered" the roving. I started by spooning out the blue onto the roving in sections. Then, as the colour spread & there were only a few light spots, I put some grey on them. I actually ended up using a syringe for this (with no needle), which was a highly effective way to distribute colour. Or so I thought.
When this one dries, I'll be giving it to my friend MM, who happens to love these two colours. Sigh.
Again, this is dark & rich in person. I swear to goodness, I'll build a light table next weekend.
Anyway, I prepped royal blue in one glass, and a wee bit of black in the other (I was going for grey). I "plied" 1.75oz of roving & tied a super loose knot at the end. I thought it might lend itself to some interesting results if I sort "layered" the roving. I started by spooning out the blue onto the roving in sections. Then, as the colour spread & there were only a few light spots, I put some grey on them. I actually ended up using a syringe for this (with no needle), which was a highly effective way to distribute colour. Or so I thought.
When this one dries, I'll be giving it to my friend MM, who happens to love these two colours. Sigh.
Round 5, Violent Coral
This does not photograph at all how it looks. It's bright & dark, and a really orangey red, I'd even go so far as to say it's Cadmium Red Light.
I stupidly thought that I could use the hot pour method & decrease the amount of water in my dyebath. Hahahaha, I wish you could hear how ironically I'm laughing.
So I used the red-red in one glass & a mix of golden yellow & buttercup. I dissolved them & first poured the yellows on parts of the 2oz roving. Then I put just a little bit of red-red. Yeah, the red took over the whole thing. For the parts that were only lightly affected, I tried to salvage them with copper & lemon yellow. That was clearly an epic fail, but I still really like the results.
You won't believe what I did after that....
I stupidly thought that I could use the hot pour method & decrease the amount of water in my dyebath. Hahahaha, I wish you could hear how ironically I'm laughing.
So I used the red-red in one glass & a mix of golden yellow & buttercup. I dissolved them & first poured the yellows on parts of the 2oz roving. Then I put just a little bit of red-red. Yeah, the red took over the whole thing. For the parts that were only lightly affected, I tried to salvage them with copper & lemon yellow. That was clearly an epic fail, but I still really like the results.
You won't believe what I did after that....
Round 4, Golden Ochre
I'm seriously in love with this one. I think this was the first one that I put in the CROCK POT, and not the rice cooker.
I will say that the addition of a candy thermometer has been incredibly helpful in making sure that the water is hot enough. My crock pot has 2 settings "on" and "really hot, have a nice day".
With this one, I mixed up Lemon & buttercup in one glass & a wee bit of copper & brown in the other.
I prepped the fiber, and once the yellows dissolved, I put those into the dyebath. I waited a minute & repeated this, adding the copper/brown.
I've really got to make myself a lightbox, because this photo doesn't even begin to show all that's going on with this roving.
I will say that the addition of a candy thermometer has been incredibly helpful in making sure that the water is hot enough. My crock pot has 2 settings "on" and "really hot, have a nice day".
With this one, I mixed up Lemon & buttercup in one glass & a wee bit of copper & brown in the other.
I prepped the fiber, and once the yellows dissolved, I put those into the dyebath. I waited a minute & repeated this, adding the copper/brown.
I've really got to make myself a lightbox, because this photo doesn't even begin to show all that's going on with this roving.
Round 3, Leaf Green
This was an attempt at just getting a bright happy grass green. I wasn't going for emerald, so I didn't add any yellow. This is 3.125oz & I thought I added enough green to make it a rich color but not too dark. I was wrong.
I think I need to buy baby spoons or something so I have an accurate unit of measuring. My tsps won't fit in the containers sadly.
I think I need to buy baby spoons or something so I have an accurate unit of measuring. My tsps won't fit in the containers sadly.
Round 2, Peach
If you can do basic math, I bet you're wondering where Round 1 is. It's a lovely emerald green. Unfortunately I didn't SOAK the roving before I placed it in my rice cooker (yeah, you heard me) so it felted. But it is lovely. Thinking of making little felt nubs to floop into another yarn.
So moving on to Round 2. I was going for gold, you know, like the color of Batman's utility belt, or Wonder Woman's Gauntlets & crown, or the Griffindor house color? Yeah, so I used 2 different yellows and a tiny wee spot of red, a fleck really. And it turned a nasty baby food squash color. I let sit anyway, and came to check on it/dump it and smushed out a lot of the colour, and it is what I was left with. Debating whether or not to try to overdye it. Oh, I think I may have added a smidge of brown at some point too.
This is still drying, it's probably an ounce, so no biggie. Overdye with Mountain Dew Pee yellow? *shrugs*
So moving on to Round 2. I was going for gold, you know, like the color of Batman's utility belt, or Wonder Woman's Gauntlets & crown, or the Griffindor house color? Yeah, so I used 2 different yellows and a tiny wee spot of red, a fleck really. And it turned a nasty baby food squash color. I let sit anyway, and came to check on it/dump it and smushed out a lot of the colour, and it is what I was left with. Debating whether or not to try to overdye it. Oh, I think I may have added a smidge of brown at some point too.
This is still drying, it's probably an ounce, so no biggie. Overdye with Mountain Dew Pee yellow? *shrugs*
Well, this is embarrassing
So the Gocco didn't really work out. Okay, there, I said it. I haven't posted here in nearly a year because of the Gocco. I guess I was embarrassed because I researched my little internet-loving heart out for a product, thought I found it (Gocco), and in the end it didn't work for my purposes, and it didn't do what I needed it to. I'm leaving those posts up for now, though...
Moving on to happier matters...I've got a new addiction. I've done knitting, crocheting, screenprinting, painting, gel medium transfers and other assorted sundries, and while some I liked more than others, there was nothing that I was completely over the moon about. I mean, I think of all of those, I love knitting the best, but I plateaued and got bored, and tried to push myself to learn new things, but what it all came down to was that I loved playing with yarn, and was always in search of the right colours, sheen, softness and weight for my next project. Which, while fun, I've got to tell you, it was also exhausting.
So I was talking to my knitter friend from work, and we started talking about spinning in the fall of '08, and started watching youtube videos, etc. So for her birthday in December, I got her a drop spindle. She took it home with her over the xmas holidays, and it wasn't until maybe February that I decided that I was maybe brave enough to do it. So she lent me the spindle I had given her and coached me through. I was in love.
As soon as I could extract myself from work, I clawed my way in rush hour T fun to Porter Square to visit Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns. I got a drop spindle some Merino/Tussah spun it up in two days. I went back and got more, and started spinning laceweight, to slow myself down.
I got bored with those colours so I poked around Etsy & found Spindelirium. The woman who runs this shop is incredibly awesome, and amiable, and dyed up a batch of custom rovings for me to play with.
Coincidentally, this is my makeshift lazy kate.
So then I realized I wanted my own colours too & that it couldn't be that hard, so my hands are currently yellow, as I dye round #6? of roving. Yes, I bought 2 pounds of merino top.
I'll be posting more shortly to keep track of what the hell I'm doing in terms of dyeing, because there's clearly no way I'll remember.
Oh yeah, did I mention I'm getting a wheel? Yeah, I bought it last night.
Moving on to happier matters...I've got a new addiction. I've done knitting, crocheting, screenprinting, painting, gel medium transfers and other assorted sundries, and while some I liked more than others, there was nothing that I was completely over the moon about. I mean, I think of all of those, I love knitting the best, but I plateaued and got bored, and tried to push myself to learn new things, but what it all came down to was that I loved playing with yarn, and was always in search of the right colours, sheen, softness and weight for my next project. Which, while fun, I've got to tell you, it was also exhausting.
So I was talking to my knitter friend from work, and we started talking about spinning in the fall of '08, and started watching youtube videos, etc. So for her birthday in December, I got her a drop spindle. She took it home with her over the xmas holidays, and it wasn't until maybe February that I decided that I was maybe brave enough to do it. So she lent me the spindle I had given her and coached me through. I was in love.
As soon as I could extract myself from work, I clawed my way in rush hour T fun to Porter Square to visit Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns. I got a drop spindle some Merino/Tussah spun it up in two days. I went back and got more, and started spinning laceweight, to slow myself down.I got bored with those colours so I poked around Etsy & found Spindelirium. The woman who runs this shop is incredibly awesome, and amiable, and dyed up a batch of custom rovings for me to play with.
Coincidentally, this is my makeshift lazy kate.So then I realized I wanted my own colours too & that it couldn't be that hard, so my hands are currently yellow, as I dye round #6? of roving. Yes, I bought 2 pounds of merino top.
I'll be posting more shortly to keep track of what the hell I'm doing in terms of dyeing, because there's clearly no way I'll remember.
Oh yeah, did I mention I'm getting a wheel? Yeah, I bought it last night.
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