Let's get spinning

I've realised since the spinspiration blog was started I don't write much on here about spinning and don't want it to be missing from here really as it's something I love and is part of this blog too. So as well as doing the monthly get together over their for woolly Wednesdays I still want to share spinning stuff here too.

Cotswold singles ready to ply

So this week I have finally finished spinning the Cotswold wool and have plied it as a two ply yarn. It's a little bumpy in places because of the way it spun - don't know if that was me, the preparation, the drafting - who knows? I like it though, and when I wash it I may try and full this yarn a little to hide the bumps and bring out the halo that the fibre has.

 Plying the Cotswold as a 2 ply yarn

 Plied - what a full bobbin!

Icelandic Brown/Black skeined

I have also skeined and steamed the remaining Icelandic yarns. These are all spun as singles and I have steamed them with my Karcher steam cleaner (works brilliantly by the way!). I now have 2 shades of grey, mid-brown, dark brown/black and creamy white - 100g of each.

 ... and the Brown, and the White

I had already steam set the greys previously. I would like to make a bag with it I think, will have to browse some patterns. Should be enough for something else too but what I don't know. Any suggestions? It's not the softest of yarns, but not too bad. Here they are all in a row ...

 Icelandic range of natural colours

This week is National Spinning Week here in the UK. I don't know the origins of it, and having asked about it on Ravelry today it appears it's not that well publicised. A pity really as it is a great way to spread the good word on the crafts of spinning, weaving and dyeing. Something to ponder.


I shall be at King Johns House in Romsey on Thursday with some friends from the Guild. The last time I was there was with many of the same friends on a spinning workshop, and there was much fun and laughter from a few of us who will again be together on Thursday! We'll be the laughing trio in a corner somewhere unless we get separated! It's a lovely place, beautiful old buildings, housing a museum and heritage centre, a Tudor tea room and a lovely garden some of which has some dyeing plants that would have been in the garden in the Victorian era and probably before.

Empty bobbins, well nearly

So today and tomorrow I have and will be emptying the bobbins to have a fresh wheel for Thursday. Just need to decide what fibre to take with me to spin on the day. I think I'm going to take the Louet, but may take the Wee Peggy instead. Oh decisions, decisions.