Yarn Everywhere!

Last weekend I buckled down and spun up the rest of the Abby’s Yarns Tiramisu batts I bought from the Spunky Eclectic booth at MAS&W. Because I only had about 75g of fiber, I didn’t want to lose any to my inability to spin exactly the same yardage on multiple bobbins. I decided to spin both batts into one singles, and then Navajo ply it. Navajo plying (aka chain plying) is great because it’s used to turn a single strand into a 3-ply yarn. It’s really useful if you want to preserve the color shifts in your singles, or if (like me) you want to use every bit of your fiber without worrying about dividing it exactly onto three bobbins. The downside of Navajo plying is that it’s a little less durable than a traditional 3-ply. This is because every time the single is “chained,” it creates a weak spot in the yarn where, instead of being three twisted plies, it’s one ply next to two interlocking loops. I’m planning to turn this yarn into something soft and cozy, so durability isn’t a big concern for me.

This was my first serious foray into Navajo playing, and it shows. The plying twist is pretty uneven. But it was a lot less tedious than regular plying, so that’s something. Practice practice practice.

What you see above is 211 yards and 75 grams. I’d say it’s a DK weight (really need to start measuring WPI etc.)

These batts were about 1/3 merino, 1/3 alpaca, and 1/3 silk. Consequently, the yarn is silkily smooth, soft, and warm. I don’t know if there’s enough for a proper scarf, but I’m thinking maybe cowl? I’m not sure.

There’s been knitting progress as well, but nothing particularly exciting. By next weekend I may have something new to show!