New Yarn!

Since I finished spinning the red BFL singles last week, I got out the grey Polwarth singles that I finished spinning ages ago, to ply. Here's what I ended up with!

288 yards of 3 ply. While the spinning wheel portion of making this yarn is finished, it's not ready to use just yet. At this point it looks a little over plied which is typical when you ply aged singles, but once it hits water, the twist in the singles will re-activate and balance the plying twist. Also, the yarn is a heavy fingering weight to a sport weight size. When I finish the yarn, I will full it (do this with fine wools, not long wools*) by tossing it in the washing machine and letting go through a delicate cycle - keeping the wash and rinse water the same temperature. This will cause the crimp in the fibers to push against each other, making the yarn fluffier and "fatter" than it is now. Finally, while sheep's grey looks great on sheep, it's too warm of a grey for me to wear - it makes me look dead. So the yarn will have to be dyed. Since I'm going to be dyeing it anyway (haven't decided which color yet) and that involves water and washing, I'll take care of the other finishing details at the same time. Until I figure out what color I want and actually find some time to do the dyeing, it will just wait for me.

*If you attempt this with long wools, your yarn will felt. If you're not sure what wools need fulling and what wools should be left alone, check one of Judith MacKenzie McCuin's books. She has also written an article in Spin Off Magazine on fulling yarns, but I don't remember which issue. Off the top of my head, I'm not remembering enough to feel comfortable telling you much more because if I tell you wrong and you ruin your yarn, you're not going to be too happy with me.