Hand

Day 59: If you hang around spinners often enough, you will hear the term "hand" being batted about. This refers to the textural feel of a fiber as well as the ease with which it is manipulated into yarn. There are a number of considerations which enter into "hand," including crimp, fineness (measured in microns) and type of critter from which the fiber was harvested. Currently, I am spinning an alpaca/Romney blend which has the best hand of any wool I've ever spun. The fibers are long (4" or more!), silky and almost without crimp. Purchased as roving at a local bazaar and meticulously processed by the seller, this blend develops into a yarn of uniform diameter effortlessly, slipping through my fingers like silk as it winds onto the bobbin. Now I wish I'd bought more than a pound!