Back to Spinning

It's been a few weeks since I had the spinning wheel out - it was put away when we were tidying up ready for visitors, and then most of the craft work after that was weaving (the tartan and the Navajo throw/rug).

I found some very nice camel roving in the stash that my sister-in-law was kind enough to include with the spinning wheel I have on loan.  It's a beautiful light brown/fawn colour and very very soft.  Initially I thought it was angora, but the bag clearly has camel hair 1lb, $2.50 (I suspect it was purchased quite some time ago).  There is about half of that 1lb left, so I'll make up some 2-ply with it, and then use some white angora to make up enough for a scarf of some kind.

First of the camel

The roving spins very easily, although not with my normal Clun Forest short forward draw.  With that method it tends to 'grab' very quickly and can without much warning end up with a super thick portion with the only solution to remove it and join a new section.  I was able to spin some fairly smooth medium thin yarn, but really had to pay attention to the spinning.  By using a modified draw - drawing the drafting hand back like a long backward draw and controlling the spin with the forward hand a lot more the yarn became a little more manageable.  It was interesting to see the 'cut/shorn(?) ends looping around the drafting triangle as the yarn was twisted and drawn out.  Twisting in themselves at a slightly different rate.  Not sure what causes that, but it doesn't do any harm.

I nearly finished enough for two bobbins last night so should be able to finish this in a few nights.

In the meantime the Navajo inspired rug/throw is going very well.  I'm able to weave about an inch an hour (there are 5 shuttles, and the blue colour changes in a Fibonacci sequence on every direction change.  Anne suggested a name for it so it will now be known as the Turquoise Lightning blanket (it is the light coloured blue that inspired the name)

Progress on the blanket