Friday, February 11, 2011

Fiber Arts Friday: Need More Yarn

I had been working on my quasi-commission project for a few weeks when I ran out of yarn at about 75% complete.  :-(

I used the hand-spun Aspen I wrote about a few weeks ago.


When I wound it on my niddy-noddy, the yardage came out shorter than I expected, but I told myself that I had mis-counted.  Of course, that wasn't true.  My counting skills are just fine.

I spun the yarn a little thicker than I had intended and I suppose the alpaca/silk blend weighs more than the merino/bamboo blend I used on an earlier version of this project.

Does anyone know of a table that compares fibers and weights?  I think that could be helpful when planning future projects.

Anyway, I knew for sure that I would run out a couple of weeks ago.  So I called my supplier and asked for just 4 more ounces.

My supplier had just placed an order with her supplier.  So it would be a couple of weeks before she has the roving. Then she had to dye it.  It just arrived yesterday, so now I have to spin it.  It's a long and complicated supply chain.  Ok, it isn't that long nor that complicated, but this is a dramatic story.  ;-)

The new roving is of the same colorway, but a different lot, which means the color may not match exactly.  I'm hopeful that I will be able to overcome that issue when the time comes.

So here's a little teaser... the alpaca/silk known as Aspen knit up.


Make your Friday great by visiting Wisdom Begins in Wonder and the rest of the Fiber Arts Friday Folks.

17 comments:

Dutch Hollow said...

that is quite the story. Good luck on matching the colors.

oak haven alpacas said...

beautiful yarn!!

Cara

Melissa Plank said...

That knit up so beautifully! Love it, can't wait to see the whole project!

Unknown said...

That yarn is so beautiful, and it has such an interesting texture.

AllyB said...

Ooh, aah, that is a beautiful yarn. Sorry you're getting a challenge on the yarn length. Will you listen to yourself next time you count that yardage? Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Kathryn Ray said...

HaHa @AllyB. Let's hope so. :-)

Vivian said...

Your knitted swatch is so pretty! and I share your dislike about automated bathrooms. Whatever they say, they are not saving anything nor keeping it cleaner.

Ellen said...

Absolutely beautiful yarn!
So in awe of your talent.
Happy Fiber Arts Friday!
Ellen M of the Times Union

Kristi aka Fiber Fool said...

There is often enough variation in handspun that a different lot is not immediately obvious. Hopefully that'll be the case. Otherwise I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work.

WonderWhyGal said...

Gorgeous handspun! I'm not sure what to tell you about calculating yardage. I never seem to get it right so I just go with the flow and know that the yarn will fit another project. Yeah, a lot of help, eh?

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Alpaca Farmgirl said...

Kathryn, that kind of stuff always happens to me! But I must have way too low of a frustration tolerance because that's the kind of thing that makes me want to chuck it all for the dyeing and the less "math" involved fiber pursuits. (I know there's a little math there too, but you know what I mean.)

Good luck with it. It looks gorgeous beyond belief! Well worth it! You are a real artist, luv. :)

fiberdance said...

The yarn is just lovely-I admire people who can do all that "calculating" when they spin and knit--I don't think the left half of my brain works at all, so I just wing it!

Kathryn Ray said...

@Kristi - the initial indications are positive, but I have much more spinning to do.

@AlpacaFarmGirl and @FiberDance - you girls crack me up.

Thank you everyone for your very nice comments. :-)

Inspiration Fibers said...

Wow! Great spinning, and the colors are gorgeous. What a hectic story--will you be relieved when the project is finished or are you still enjoying it?
I'm no help with the calculations. I plan and plan and plan before I get started, everything is in order. Then as I dye/card/spin/knit, I change everything on the fly.
I call that being "artsy." Not at all "flighty."

Kathryn Ray said...

@InspirationFibers - Definately Artsy. :-)

I'm in the midst of spinning the second lot now.

Unknown said...

I love how it's working up... but the frustration of running out is totally understandable too. Hope it all works out!f

The Critter Ranch said...

Hmmm fibers are different (weights)(micron ) (hollow core V’s sold core) denser than another but I find the sheep wools & mohair’s to be denser than the Llama, Alpaca, Silks & Bamboos....
your Knitting is Lovely
It will all work out fine