I spun up this merino yarn last winter.
It was easy spinning while my friend S was here to visit from Canberra--something that didn't require too much concentration. The variety of colours kept me interested. Then came the challenge of plying. The different colours are close enough that they would have been ok just as a two-ply yarn, but I decided to emphasise the colour variation by Navaho plying it. Then I wound the skein, washed it and put it aside. Somehow it never quite made it into a box, so last week I found it in the mass of stuff on my big table. Did I put it away? No, I thought I might have to do something with it. Now it's found its way onto my needles: a simple garter stitch to let the yarn do the talking. I'm enjoying watching the colours appear in turn: blending and contrasting. Meanwhile I'm hoping the weather will take its inspiration from my yarn and give me a bit of warmth and contrast. We've had several days of grey drizzle. I'm ready for a change.
It was easy spinning while my friend S was here to visit from Canberra--something that didn't require too much concentration. The variety of colours kept me interested. Then came the challenge of plying. The different colours are close enough that they would have been ok just as a two-ply yarn, but I decided to emphasise the colour variation by Navaho plying it. Then I wound the skein, washed it and put it aside. Somehow it never quite made it into a box, so last week I found it in the mass of stuff on my big table. Did I put it away? No, I thought I might have to do something with it. Now it's found its way onto my needles: a simple garter stitch to let the yarn do the talking. I'm enjoying watching the colours appear in turn: blending and contrasting. Meanwhile I'm hoping the weather will take its inspiration from my yarn and give me a bit of warmth and contrast. We've had several days of grey drizzle. I'm ready for a change. 
I've spun my way through all this delicious fibre and it's ready to ply. I'm not enough of a purist to ply it all on my drop spindle. The first attraction of drop spindling for me is portability and plying vast lengths of tightly spun lace-weight yarn from two little bobbins in not portable. I'll use the wheel for plying and set myself up with a new batch of fibre for my drop spindle. Hmmm, what to choose? I'll ponder that over a cup of coffee while I gloat over my beautiful bobbins. Or maybe I'll just gloat for now and choose later.
Raspberry merino tops blended with sari silk waste--"throwster's waste"--on my hand carders. I selected pink and orange tones and got this warm mix. Just as well since yesterday was also the first day this year that I've kept my heater on all day. I appreciated having some warmth in my hands. 
I'm happy with the combination of pale blue, green and silver foil--it speaks to me of spring which, given the wintry weather that has set in here, is a welcome thought. Incidentally the camera has picked up more red tones in the background wood. It's exactly the same piece of table as yesterday's post and natural light. I really must learn more about how the colour balance works in my camera. It's on the long list of things I want to learn.
But I'm preparing for a Jewellery Making class at one of the local Neighbourhood Houses and I want to have a variety of examples to show the students. Going deliberately out of my comfort zone was fun. Plus when Harmony Day comes up again next year and we're all scratching around for something orange to wear, I'll have this choker in my collection.
My friend M came over with her beading bits and pieces and I pulled out some of my collection. Between us we covered a fair bit of space. Just as well I'd managed to clear off some of the table earlier. I put together these amethyst and silver earings for M. I also got to make a couple of chokers as demos for the beading class that's coming up in the next week. At least I think it's coming up. The date has been set, but I'm not sure if there are enough students for the class to go ahead. I'll have to check on that tomorrow.
