Spinning to Match Reclaimed Yarn

One of the swatches mentioned in the February 23 post has emerged as a sweater design. Unfortunately, there isn't enough of the light green yarn (reclaimed by unraveling a Goodwill sweater) to complete the project. Some dyed batts, a drum carder (for blending two shades of yellow-green), a spinning wheel, and voila, I have yarn to match the unraveled lot.

Left to right are:  unraveled yarn, matching handspun (made today), sweater sleeve, and sweater back

Two shades of dyed fleece were blended to make yarn on lower right. In upper right:  reclaimed yarn to match

Last of the Scottish Blackface

Several years ago I bought a couple of Scottish Blackface fleeces that turned out to be a bit too coarse and brittle for making clothing. They felted nicely, though. The last of the dyed locks surfaced when we cleaned the garage last month -- I've spun them up to be plyed with a few odds and ends of unravelled sweaters.

Also, the Churro sweater started earlier in the month is done. I've wearing it for morning walks. It will be a good pattern to follow for upcoming work -- the armholes and sleeve caps make a comfortable fit.

Bobbins of Scottish Blackface wool for rug-making

Finished sweater of Navajo Churro wool

Garage Cleaning

Old Goodwill sweaters (unraveled) and bags of dyed fleece have emerged from the garage. The sweater yarn needed a bit of perking up, so I spun a variety of blues, purples, and browns in order to knit some sample swatches for a new jacket. The best thing about fiber arts is experimenting with color.

At top and right are plain yarns taken from old Goodwill sweaters. In center is dyed fleece for experimental skein.

Yarn spun to brighten up the unraveled Goodwill sweaters, which are plain blue

Handspun skein and carded batts

Churro sweater

A churro fleece I'd stored several years ago began to felt "on the shelf." (Fleece can felt simply from changes in humidity combined with too-tight packiaging.) I rescued most of it and made a bulky thick-and-thin yarn (30 oz total) which will soon be a completed pullover. What a pleasure to go to one's roving stash, pick out a few colors, and invent some yarn!

The rescued churro fleece (white strands) knitted up at about 2 sts per inch

Roving to be plyed with churro singles

One skein weighing 4 5/8 oz

Partially completed elements of the sweater:  front, back, sleeve