Second Go at Fractal Spin

My first two skeins of fractal-spun yarn turned out better than I'd expected, so I moved on to Experiment #2. It is now ready to be turned into a three-ply yarn (the last bobbin needs to rest for 24 hours). It was harder to control the colours, but I have only myself to blame for that. I should have read the description of the fiber more carefully, but when you search a fiber supplier's website for "top," you expect to be shown preparations with the wool aligned lengthwise, not roving, in which the fibers are hodgepodged. Yep, it was roving, not top. I prefer spinning worsted over woollen with the exception of when I'm spinning specifically for a nålbinding project. That's where this will wind up...something to do this winter. As for whether it will be adequately fractal when it's finished, well, we'll just have to wait and see. Chalk up one more on the side of "not going to buy this again."

Un Mal Abrigo

"Malabrigo" was an unfortunate choice of name for a company producing wool for spinning, and perhaps I should have paid more attention to it. It means "bad coat" in Spanish, and although most of the wool in this braid is spinning up nicely, the dark bits are absolutely horrible. I've raised sheep, and my hands can tell the difference in the wools of various breeds. The green shades (almost white to blue-green) are Merino, but the browns and blacks are something else, and I'd be inclined to say they're the leftovers which got caught in the combs when this was processed into top. They are coarse, kinky (as opposed to the silky smooth feel of Merino), and so tangled and full of nepps that they refuse to draft. When I come to them, I have to stop spinning and pick them apart. The first three bobbins for my fractal spin did not go well, but I'll ply them anyway. The second half of the braid is progressing a little more smoothly, but I have learned an important lesson: no compres un mal abrigo.

Footnote here: people in the Tour de Fleece group I'm in are confirming that they've had similar experiences with this product. I am definitely never going to buy another Malabrigo product.

Tools Of The Trade

Day 34: Every discipline has its jargon. If you were unfamiliar with spinning and weaving, you might be able to infer which of these three objects is a warping board because the green thread is an obvious clue. However, could you say which of the other two is a niddy-noddy and which is a lazy kate? Perhaps not, although you'd stand a 50% chance of getting it right with a guess. The warping board is used to measure out the warp for a weaving project. Threads are wound over a sequence of pegs until the desired length is reached, and then the path is reversed (well, not quite exactly reversed, but we'll save that explanation for another time). A niddy-noddy (here shown in dark wood) is used in spinning to wind finished yarn off the bobbin. Niddy-noddies are usually constructed to measure a specific length per pass, i.e., a yard, a meter, etc. The ends of the device are T-shaped, and one can be turned at 90 degrees when in use. The yarn is wrapped over each end, and if you like, you can sing a little ditty to keep track of where you are: "Niddy-noddy, niddy-noddy, Two heads, one body. Here's one, t'aint one, 'Twill be one by and by" (or any of several regional variations). A lazy kate (here shown in a tensionable version, left) is also a spinner's implement, and is used to hold bobbins of single-ply yarn so that they can be plied together. The tensioning spring keeps the bobbins from running away with themselves as they build up speed. Due to a significant lack of space in my Loom Room, these three tools have to share the same hanger until called into service. The warp currently on the warping board is waiting patiently for me to empty the floor loom. It's a good idea to measure it and leave it stretched for a few days before mounting, but I always like to have a "warp in waiting" all prepped and ready to go.

Lazy Kate

Day 4: Why this device is called a "lazy Kate" is beyond the scope of my etymological knowledge. "Lazy susan" I can understand. Perhaps Susan (the iconic housewife) was too lazy to walk around the table serving her guests. "Lazy daisies" in embroidery are made simply and quickly in contrast to those worked in a proper satin stitch. Was Kate the hypothetical daughter whose household chore it was to hold her mother's spindles, turning them as the strands of single yarn was plied? I could imagine her becoming bored quite quickly. Whatever the origin of the term, it now applies to a variety of implements which serve the same purpose. Some are tensioned, others not. Some hold multiple bobbins, others only two. Daughter Kate is released from her onerous task and freed to do other things like milking the goats, churning butter, gathering eggs. Her lazy namesake has nothing better to do than to hold bobbins so that the threads flow freely as Mother sits at the wheel. Many spinning wheels now come equipped with built-in Kates, a boon for those of us who have no daughters, lazy or otherwise.