Rosehip on the Spindle

Currently on the Spindle is Alpaca/Merino Top Blend from Ashford in the color way Rosehip, which I order from Gemini Fibres. It comes in 100g lots, and that is what I got. This fibre is very soft, and I'm an enjoying spinning. I'm using a top whorl wooden spindle of unknown origin. It was given to me by my mother and is the lightest of the three spindles that I own. My other two spindles are a top whorl wooden spindle made by Ashford, and a wooden Turkish spindle made by Ashford as well. Photos were taken while I was at work using my phone, so hardly professional quality, but it does keep a record for me.

Rosehip Alpaca/Merino Top from Ashford

Fibre and spindle

Close up of the spindle

My aim is to spin the yarn to as close to a fingering weight with the spindle that I have, with the aim toward using the yarn for a lace shawl. It's woolen spun, from the fold. I spun a spindle full yesterday, which I plied back on itself, and I have started knitting with it to see. I like it very much, although my spinning could be a little more consistent.  The pattern I'm using for the shawl is call Glam Shells by Maiden Brooklyn and it's available for free from Craftsy.  I tried to take a picture of what I have knitted so far, but my apartment is quite dim and didn't show the knitting or color very well. I might take it to work with me and try to snap a few photos there. So far I am enjoying the knitting, but will have to spin some more before I run out of what I have.

In the beginning...

I'm a long time knitter, and am looking to invigorate my knitting creativity by spinning my own yarn. I first learned to knit when I was 10, and knit intermittently through out my teens, but didn't really devote a lot of time and attention to it until I was in my twenties.

I would say that I'm an advanced knitter, and knit from patterns and also design my own projects from time to time. I knit everything from sweaters to socks, and the more complicated the pattern, the better.

I started spinning a few years ago, and have done it off and on since then. It's been more off than on. So now I'm picking it up again, and I'm using this blog as a place to document my progress as I learn more about spinning, and incorporate my hand spun yarn into my knitting projects.