Guess I'm not a big girl, or . . .

So I sat down and spun up the silk Roberta gave me.  It was only 1 oz. but I took my time and tried to do it right.  Especially since I decided to be a "big" girl and use the wheel, not the drop.  There are a few places the twist is not a tight as it should be, the few thin spots, but all in all - not a bad job.  I debated whether to 2 ply  or chain ply (Navajo ply is not PC mind you) it.  I decided to chain ply from the bobbin.

I should have put it in a ball first.

So there I was, DVD in the machine and I'm happily plying away when, snap!  my thread breaks.  I carefully stop the wheel, lay the chain out over the hooks so I can come back and pick up where I left off, and looked at my bobbin.  I can't find the end.  I know what color to look for (it was in the reds) but I can't find it.  I remembered someone told me how using scotch tape can "lift" the end of the silk.  It didn't work.  I have carefully followed many threads around and around but I don't know it I'm going in the right direction.

And still no end in sight.

Next step - just break it somewhere and try to wind it into a ball.  And it was looking so pretty too.

Happy New Year - I'm going to go play with my loom for a while.

It's just worm spit!!

One of my favorite fiber is silk.  Silk in any form: top, sliver, cap.  Dyed, or natural.  I love the way it spins, the luster, the feel.  But I usually spin it on a drop.  With a drop I have more control and I'm always afraid that if the thread breaks and gets sucked up on the bobbin and Ican't find the end, then what do I do?  OK there are some tricks you can use to try and find the end, but what if they don't work?  Nevertheless, I decided it was time to move up to "big girl" status and use the wheel.  So in went "Casino Royale" (with Daniel Craig - heart be still) and I sat down and relaxed.

The silk I decided to play with is 100% Bombyx Combed Top that Roberta brought me back when she was at SOAR.  She got it from Royale Hare and the color is Pacific Garnet - HEY!!  Royale Hare - Casino Royale.  And January is my birth month - the stone is Garnet!!!  This silk was meant for me to have!!!

The pictures don't show the vibrant colors from dark red to purple to teal blue.  Now, what to do with it when I'm finished.

Another skein Roberta got me was a wool / silk blend from Lambspun.com.  It is 95% Merino and 5% silk.  The color is called Bonsai Pine (I love greens).

I'm also a bit of a magpie and the skein was loosely wrapped in gold and green eyelash yarn.  I love it!! and of course I had to save the sparkly yarn - for some other project down the road.  I'm thinking of some kind of designer yarn for this batch.  Maybe find a dark green silk to ply in it.  Guess I'll have to experiment (oh hurt me.  Make me play with colors, textures and fibers!) By the way - I spun this while watching Lord of the Rings - Return of the King.