Fluffy Yarn

While progress continues nearly imperceptibly on my hat and skirt, I did a bit of spinning to share.

We were having a party, and I wanted to be prepared in case someone asked for a spinning demonstration (I find it fascinating, of course everyone else would too).

But I wasn't really in a spinning mood, and I didn't want to start a big project. I needed some fiber to play with that I didn't care if it went to "waste" - meaning I didn't pay attention and it wasn't very usable. I didn't feel like planning anything out either.

So I looked through my fiber stash. Unfortunately (?) nearly everything is really nice, and I wouldn't want to waste it on the spinning equivalent of doodling (spinoodling?). There was one thing though...

I had some white ramboullet roving. Ramboullet is like merino, but a bit courser - it is a fine, bouncy fiber. Historical note - all merino sheep were once the exclusive property of the king of Spain, with a penalty of death to give one to anyone else. The first ones to be owned by anyone else were a gift to the King of France, and his shepherds bred the ramboullet from the Spanish merino.

So, I ended up with some rambouillet. There are two problems with it that make it excellent for spinoodling. First, it is white. Without dyeing, there is only so much white wool that I can use. Second, for some reason, the roving came in two types. Most was in a long, bouncy tube. But a bit of it was in a big, square, compacted, possibly felted mat. Heck, I am not even sure that the mat is rambouillet - all I know is that it was in the bag labeled rambouillet.

Nice rambouillet roving

Matted ramboullet roving

Working with the mat was a challenge. Everything had to be pulled apart and stretched before spinning, and even then, it was inconsistent. I attempted to do a true woolen yarn for this, but I don't know how well I succeeded with my longdraw (the point was to spin without paying much attention, after all).

A single of the yarn

But it actually inspired me. I had decided, while looking at my beach skirt, that what it really needed was some "sea foam" at the edges. This puffy, inconsistent yarn that I was creating seemed to fit the bill great. 

I had thought at first that I would just use the singles for my edging, but it turned out too thin and tightly spun for that, so I made a nice, round three-ply.

Singles on the bobbins. Yes, one bobbin was spun on one wheel, two on the other. Consistency was not the goal on this one.

The three-ply yarn (I didn't make much) waiting on the niddy-noddy, with a quarter to show thickness. 

Well, the yarn is stretching, and we will see how it turns out once it is finished with a soak. It does seem to be nice and fluffy, and should make great "foam". It also came out surprisingly even, given what the singles looked like. I guess plying does forgive a multitude of sins.