Knitting the Scarf

Now that my handspun is dry and wound into center-pull balls, I am going to start knitting.
I want a substantial scarf, but I also want it to be long enough to wrap around my neck a couple of times. So, I measure the yarns' wpi. The GreenBlueViolet came out a little bit thinner than the Arctic Ice, but I'm not worried about that. I settled on 24 stitches per row, on a size 6 needle.

With the Darker yarn end (Violet in this case), cast on 16 stitches.
Work a K1P1 rib for two rows ( *[K1, P1], repeat from * to end.)
DO NOT CUT YARN.
Attach most contrasty end of second yarn and work two rows K1P1 rib. (both my ends were the darkest teal, so I just picked one and started knitting.


*Start working with first color again, but pull it from UNDER the second color. Work 2 rows.
Pick up second yarn from under first yarn, making sure to pull it from UNDER the first. Work 2 rows.
REPEAT from * until almost out of yarn, end with 2 rows the darker yarn, cast off in rib.



 

The knittings is finished! I tucked the ends in, and this project is complete.

 



Time To Ply

The weather was nice, so I spun outside for awhile. That is the Green Blue Violet in the works. The bobbin with the Arctic Ice is on a bobbin in front, see?

While I was still spinning singles, I somehow lost the end of my single in the bobbin. After hours of trying to find it, I gave up, broke a strand that was (I think) near the lost end, and kept spinning. I never found it. Even while plying. Weird.

 

Now that I have all my singles spun, it is time to ply. To keep my colors as solid as possible, I decided to use a chain ply (sometimes referred to as Navajo ply).

I put my full bobbin on a lazy kate, and started with a loop. I am plying with an "S" twist. Then as, the spin comes into the yarn, I pull a new loop through the old one, before it is spun closed. I use a short draw, pinching with my left pointer finger and thumb, while pulling the loop through with my right. I really like the way the yarn looks, but I know it will get fluffier after I set the spin.

Arctic Ice

Green Blue Violet

After plying, I skeined the yarn up and tied it in several places. The yarn gets a bath, and then I snapped it and laid it out to dry.

 

 

I repeated this for the second skein. Once the skeins are dry, I can wind them into balls and start knitting!

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Spinning the singles

My fiber is prepared and ready to spin:

Next I need to decide what weight yarn I want, and whether to spin a single to knit, or singles to ply. If I'm plying, I will be N-plying (or chain plying) to keep the colors solid. I practiced on some undyed wool, and made this little card to remember what I was doing. The card is nothing special, ant piece of cardboard will do. I think this one is a label off of a piece of clothing. I wound the single around a few times, then let the singles ply themselves by holding three lengths together so they wound around each other. This will be my reference while I am spinning.

Just a quick clean and oiling for my wheel and I'll be ready. I have two wheels. I have a Louet S15, a gift from my mother. I believe she bought it in the early 1990s, and it has since been discontinued. I don't know why, it spins beautifully. I also have a RoadBug, a Christmas gift from my husband. It took me a little while to get used to this little wheel (going from a ST to a DT, and it is about a foot shorter than my Louet) but once I did, WOW. She spins like a dream, and I love that she has a spot for all her tools (oil and orifice hook) and the double treadle is wonderful.

Here's her picture, with my first day's spinning on it (I started with the hank of Arctic Ice. Love it!)

More spinning to do, but now I need to figure out what to make for dinner... ;)