Working on Blue Cloud Magic

I've been doing a little spinning this week, this one is definitely a work in progress. Originally when I bought this roving, a blend of fine wool and mohair, I planned on spinning it fine and knitting it into a shawl. Even in the dim light of the little back room where I purchased this, I could see there were dried bits of vegetation (vm) but I wasn't overly concerned, I've noticed that most of this usually falls out in the yarn making process. However, this was when I was planning a skinny yarn...lately I have been thinking of a chunky weight yarn to make a throw. So I did a test spin to see how much of the vm would come out during the spinning, plying, washing/setting the twist process. A good deal of it did come out, trust me! As I sat there in my pj's spinning, I looked like I just came in from a few hours of yard work! And even after all the processing, because I spun a chunky yarn, there is still obvious evidence of vm through out the yarn. Well that just wont do!



This is Blue Cloud Magic plied to itself. It's not quite as soft as I wanted for the throw.



My other idea was to see how I liked it plied with white angora. That wasn't what I was looking for either. Maybe knitted next to each other, but not plied together.



Here's the rest of the angora, I plied it and set the yarn, then knitted it up into a swatch to make sure I was getting enough twist in my singles to keep the angora from shedding all over, but I also wanted a soft yarn, not over spun. I'm really happy with how it came out, no shedding. Originally I had started spinning this on my drop spindle, but I transferred it to a bobbin so I could finish it on my wheel and I am happily nearly finished with one bobbin.

As for Blue Cloud Magic, I can see that this fiber, due to the extensive vm, needs to be spun fine, as I had originally intended. I have already taken the roving outside and picked out as much of the big stuff as I can. That combined with the processing should get rid of the rest. I'm sure I will feel more content with any yarn I make out of this, once it's really clean. It sure is a pretty color.

Have a great week! Blessings Friends!
Melissa