Finishing #the100DayProject 2020

I’ve joined up with #the100DayProject this year with the goal of spinning every day. Writing down a daily log of my progress is an easy way for me to stay accountable, follow though, and plan what to spin next during this project.

If you’re just joining me:
Here’s how I prepped for the project and spent the first week.
During weeks 2 and 3 I finished the first single and started spinning the second.
Weeks 4 and 5 I embraced the slog of being in the middle of something.
Weeks 6 and 7 I finished spinning the singles and started plying.
Weeks 8 and 9 I finished my first skein of handspun and started the second.
Weeks 10 and 11 I finished the second skein and jumped into spinning the third.
Weeks 12 and 13 I worked my way though spinning the singles for yarn number 3.

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Week 14

July 6 - 7 (Days 91-92): We’re in the last few days of this epic project now. I’m not feeling particularly retrospective at the moment or like I need to tack on a big goal to finish. Keeping it simple and just spinning everyday has served me well so far so I’m going to keep going to the end.

July 8 (Day 93): Had a couple of sections where the single just kept breaking. Turned out that the fix was pre-drafting more of the fiber. Spinning is a smooth process again. And in other good news, I’ve started on the last ounce of the fiber!

July 9 (Day 94): The bulk of today’s spinning happened outside while my spinning buddy ran off some energy. There were a few breaks to procure a snack and clean up spilled bubble solution, but lots of new yarn went on the spindle. I even managed to get past the section of fiber where the roving had split into two parts. Holding those together to spin and preserve the color sequence was a pain.

July 10 (Day 95): Got a good chunk of spinning in this afternoon. Maybe I’ll finish the single this weekend.

July 11 (Day 96): Yes! I finished spinning the second single for yarn number 3! I’m giving the twist some time to rest so I can wrap the plying ball tomorrow.

July 12 (Day 97): I wrapped up the plying ball this morning and it looks good. My very rough plan was to make a 2-ply yarn and generally have the colors match up between the two plies. I was reasonably successful. There’s going to be a lot of marling, but there are big chunks where the colors line up just right. At least that’s what the grapefruit-sized plying ball showed me.

Got a start on the plying in the afternoon. The yarn is a little fuzzier than I’m used to spinning, but still really fun. I can’t help but think that this would make a good Christmas stocking or wall art.

Week 15

July 13 (Day 98): I wasn’t able to get as much plying done yesterday because holding the fiber and twisting single up above my head has definitely irritated by arm. So, today I’m switching things up and working with my other arm. It’s awkward, but I’m still plying.

The plying ball is shrinking much faster than I expected. This morning the ball was the size of a grapefruit. By lunch, the ball was smaller than a peach. I might not even have to push myself to finish plying tonight.

July 14 (Day 99): Yes! I finished plying the yarn this morning! It feels so awesome to finish this last yarn with one day left to spare. Of course, this success didn’t come without a little irritation. As I got to the last few yards on the plying ball, the singles just kept snapping under the weight of the full spindle. I joined the plies back together once, but didn’t do it when the plies snapped again. Instead, I pulled out another spindle and plied the remaining singles to make a mini-skein. Works for me.

Broke out the swift and wound the yarn into skeins. Ended up with about 300 yds between the two. I was aiming for a sport weight yarn and there are definitely sport weight sections. It’s looking a little closer to a worsted weight though which is totally good too. Won’t know for sure until after the yarn is washed and dried.

Now that I got a good look at on the swift, the colors blend together beautifully. Even when there’s a barber pole effect, the colors share a similar value so they don’t jar the eye.

July 15 (Day 100): It seems fitting to end the project with finishing the yarn. I followed my standard method washing for each skein. First step is filling my too small bathroom sink with cool water and a squirt of Eucalan (<- affiliate link) then putting the skein in the bath for 20-ish minutes. Then I squeezed out the water and rolled them up in a towel so the yarn was damp instead of soaked. Before hanging them up to dry, I snapped the skeins around my arms to help even out the twist. That’s it. Good thing too because my shoulders definitely need a break from holding stuff above my head for long stretches of time.

Now we’re in the after. It took a few more days than I expected, but the yarn is finally dry. Every skein has absolutely exceeded my expectations. They’re plump and soft and wonderful. I’m not sure how much the yardage shrunk since setting the twist, but the weight definitely changed. The third yarn had the most dramatic transformation of the bunch. It seemed limp and fuzzy when it came off the spindle. A bath helped it perk up to a balanced and plump worsted weight yarn that I really want to knit. Not sure into what but I’ll come up with something.

Which bring up the question of what am I going to do with the rest of this lovely new handspun. No clue. The light blue superwash will probably become something for my spinning buddy. A new hat and mitts for winter will probably be a thing come September. As for the rest, I’m not sure. Gifts? Maybe. Something fun and off the wall? Also a possibility. Until I figure it out, I’m perfectly happy keeping them on a shelf where I can see them and give them a little pat from time to time.

Now the numbers and the TL:DR. 100 days of daily spinning turned 13 oz of fiber into 3 skeins totaling an estimated 1,053 yards (963 m). I didn’t spin the purple yarn during this project but I did take this opportunity to to wind it up. So it gets to be a buddy skein. I also put together this quick video that covers 99 days of spinning (would have been 100 days, but I accidentally deleted one). Here’s the last 3+ months in action:

What’s next? I’m trying to work that out. My shoulders need a break from spindle spinning. I do miss having something easy and accessible to reach for during the day that isn’t my phone so that might be the deciding factor. Maybe 100 days of sock knitting will be the next thing. Or I could tackle a few other short projects that last a month. Still thinking but I have no shortage of fiber and projects to choose from.

Thank you for following #the100DayProject along with me! I started with the goals of getting back to my spinning, making yarn, and showing the kiddo how yarn is made. The past 100 Days accomplished all those things and I’m happy I followed through. Pretty sure I’ll do another 100 Day project again next year. Or sooner.

*This post contains an affiliate link which means, if you decide to buy through that link, I’ll get a small commission. Thanks!

#the100DayProject Weeks 8 and 9

I’ve joined up with #the100DayProject this year with the goal of spinning every day. Writing down a daily log of my progress is an easy way for me to stay accountable, follow though, and plan what to spin next during this project.

If you’re just joining me:
Here’s how I prepped for the project and spent the first week.
During weeks 2 and 3 I finished the first single and started spinning the second.
Weeks 4 and 5 I embraced the slog of being in the middle of something.
Weeks 6 and 7 I finished spinning the singles and started plying.

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Week 8

May 26 (Day 50): Today was the day, the yarn came off the spindle! Looks good too.

I set up my swift and put the spindle in a big bowl to roll around in while I skeined the yarn. Didn’t work as well as I wanted it too though. One, the bowl wasn’t heavy so it fell over a lot and spindle made a break for freedom under the table. Two, my spinning buddy requisitioned the bowl to fill up with rubber salad. Oh well. I ended up pulling off lengths of yarn and winding it onto the swift one section at a time. Finicky? Yes, but doable. I’ll rig up a more reliable solution for next time.

Now for the details. I skeined the yarn at a circumference of 72” and got 247 wraps. So, I have a very rough estimate of 494 yards, that’s about 452 m. It ranges in diameter from a fingering weight to sport to worsted. I’m sure that measurements will change after washing, but it’ll be enough to make my spinning buddy something cute to wear this winter.

May 27 (Day 51): While I had my swift set up, I skeined up yarn I had sitting on the bobbin from 2018! The yarn snapped in the middle so I ended up with 2 skeins totaling about 224 yards of worsted/aran weight yarn. We’ll see how it changes after soaking the twist. My spinning buddy really loved this yarn. I’m probably going to set it aside to make something fun for her. A new hat and mitts?

At the beginning on this project, I picked out 2 bumps of hand dyed fiber. The one I saved for later was dark and muted. Pretty, but not what I’m in the mood to spin now. So, I went digging through the stash and found a fun speckle dyed bump of from Hummingbird Moon. Spinning her fiber always seems like magic which is just what I want right now. There’s no discernible repeat, so I split the length of fiber in half for a 2-ply yarn. Then I split each piece into thirds along it’s length because that’s the fiber wanted to do. I’m still very much at the beginning of this new spin, but the fiber is a pleasure to work with.

May 28 (Day 52): The new fiber I’m working with is definitely taking some adjustment. The color is wonderful, the feel silky, and the wool superwash. I haven’t spun much superwash wool and it’s taking some adjustment. The fibers just don’t hold onto each other like a non-superwash wool does which means my spindle is dropping way more. I need way, way more twist.

Hmm. I was attempting to spin this fiber into a fingering or sport weight yarn, but a worsted weight might be a more achievable goal with this fiber and spindle combo. Maybe I can try spinning a fingering weight superwash on my wheel later.

May 29 (Day 53): It was long day and I didn’t get to my spindle until after my spinning buddy had gone to bed. I spent several aggravating minutes with a single that kept falling apart every time I tried to wind more yarn onto the spindle. I’d fix the break, spin more yarn, try to wind it up, and it would break all over again. After the fifth time everything fell apart, I called it quits for the night.

May 30 (Day 54): Had better luck spinning this morning than I did last night. I’m sure some of it had to do with getting a few hours of sleep, but here’s what else I switched up. One, I’m very definitely making sure that I’m twisting the spindle counter-clockwise. A week’s worth of plying clockwise was apparently enough to reset my fingers and now I need to do it again. Two, I’m aiming to make a thicker yarn than my default. The goal is a worsted weight 2-ply and I’m seeing some success already. Three, I’m spinning shorter lengths before winding the single onto the spindle. By keeping things short I can catch the spindle before it starts slowing down or hitting the ground.

May 31 (Day 55): I seem to finally be finding my groove with this fiber. The yarn turtle is growing and the spindle is dropping much less.

June 1 (Day 56): Finished spinning the first section of fiber today which means I am a third of the way finished with this first single. Feels like this spin might be moving a little faster than the first.

Week 9

June 2 (Day 57): Managed to spin a decent bit this morning and a little in the afternoon. My spinning buddy still thinks it’s really fun to poke the spindle and make it stop moving. Silly kiddo.

June 3 (Day 58): Got in a lot of spinning time this morning which was great. I finished spinning the second section of fiber and joined the third and last piece needed for this ply!

June 4 (Day 59): I wasn’t planning on finishing the first single today, but I did! This yarn is definitely on the lumpy and bumpy side of things and that’s okay. I don’t have much experience spinning superwash fiber so I’m just happy to have figured out enough to make something that holds together.

The color of this yarn is wonderful. There’s some barber-polling in spots, but the speckles and flecks of color have generally combined into a flowing spectrum. The wound up turtle on the spindle reminds me so much of a watercolor.

It is taking all my self control not to pop the spindle apart right now and get started on the next single. Having to put the spindle in the freezer again to take it apart definitely slowed me down a little.

June 5 (Day 60): Started the second ply today! The first order of business was tying a new leader with a long tail. The long tail is important because it’s easier to keep out of the way while wrapping the spindle and easier to grab when searching for the hidden end of the single.

June 6 (Day 61): I’m more used to spinning superwash wool now than I was a week ago, so my fingers are trying to spin a fine yarn which is not the plan for this handspun. Making myself spin this single for a worsted weight 2-ply.

June 7 (Day 62): Only got a little bit of spinning done this morning before getting out of the house. All my afternoon plans went out the window when I hurt my back bending over to pick up a toy. I’m too young for this.

June 8 (Day 63): Spinning continues today so long as I’m standing or sitting up straight. Slouching is a no go. With that in mind, I’ve made decent progress. The first piece of fiber for the second ply is spun and the second joined. It’s looking good.

Yarn Along The Rockies 2019

Yarn Along The Rockies was the third week of August, and I happily joined in. I only visited the closest 3 of the 13 shops, but I still enjoyed myself. One of those shops, FingerPlay, was brand new to me and I’ve been meaning to get down there for months. It’s a cute shop with a great vibe, and frequent knit afternoons/open studios. I’m looking forward to stopping in again soon since it’s been so long since I’ve had a regular knitting group to visit. I also made it to Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins which remains one of my favorite yarn and spinning shops. Maverick Fiber Arts was my other stop and had a nice selection of different yarns and notions.

The stash did get a little larger, but not by much. I have no shortage of sock yarn or spinning fiber, but everything I bought came home with intention. Both sock yarns, Cascade Heritage Wave and Regia Pairfect, made me excited to knit socks for myself again. That’s an exciting feeling after finding it lacking for so long. The fiber, 8 oz of Frabjous Fibers and 4 oz of Hummingbird Moon, will eventually be handspun gifts or play a part in a Nightshift shawl. My plans are still a little murky on that front. I also came home with a pair of sock blockers for the Bearded One’s socks. The blockers are a little shorter than I would like but will still do the job.

While I only visited a fraction of shops on the tour, I enjoyed myself. I got to visit different places, see new yarns, and go on a little adventure. Also picked up a nice project bag which is cool too. I’m glad I didn’t skip the yarn crawl this year, and I’m looking forward to next year.

A Day At The Estes Park Wool Market 2019

Last weekend I packed up the family and plenty of snacks to drive up to the Estes Park Wool Market. It’s a fun local wool festival that I enjoy visiting every year with a neat marketplace, classes, demos, and animals. Then when we’ve had our fill of the festival, we can head over to Rocky Mountain National Park which is always worth a visit. Since we had to skip the festival in 2018 (new baby + no sleep = so tired), I was really looking forward to going this year. Plus, it would be the Mini’s first fiber festival! How could we not go?

I wasn’t about to let precious knitting time go to waste and brought my Curve of a Boat shawl with me for the drive. The pattern was great for letting me knit and watch the scenery at the same time.

We started in the marketplace. Mini didn’t mind being pushed around in the stroller too much, but she definitely wanted to be carried around for a better view of all the yarn and excitement. Thankfully, she let me follow my usual festival shopping routine which looks like this.

1. Go in with a list. I like to make a list of all the projects I’m shopping for and what materials I need. If the festival is going to be super crowded or huge, I check out the vendor list before hand and write down which ones I want to visit as well.

2. Next I take a full circuit of the market place to see which ones catch my eye or might have something I want. Unless I see the absolute perfect yarn/fiber, I write down the vendor and their location so I can come back later. Admittedly, this is way easier to do at smaller festivals where backtracking isn’t so much of a hassle.

3. Once I know which vendors I want to visit, I get down to shopping and trying not to get overwhelmed by all the pretty yarn. Knowing where I want to go helps me get exactly what I want for a project and not settle when the perfect thing might be in the next booth. And when I see a sample project that I like, I take a photo of the info so I can look it up later.

My shopping list was pretty short this year. I only had two things on my list: a large, single skein gradient to knit Wingspan by Kyle Vey and fiber from Hummingbird Moon. I couldn’t find the colors I wanted for Wingspan but I did buy two very fun fiber bumps from Hummingbird Moon. The colors she dyes always spin up magically, and I can’t wait to see how these transform.

After finishing up in the marketplace, we took Mini on a walk to see all the animals. There were sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, and rabbits. I’m pretty sure she liked seeing all these new and interesting animals, but was much more interested in getting lunch.

We left the festival and grabbed burgers before spending the rest of the day wandering around downtown Estes park. I picked up a few souvenirs and just the right amount of chocolate drizzled caramel corn. It was a nice surprise to come across the Estes Park Area Weaver’s Guild during our walk. Their space was filled with huge floor looms and a giant walking wheel. The wheel and been repaired and restored, and my fingers were itching to give it a spin. Maybe it’s finally time to get back to my own spinning wheel.

All in all, it as a good trip and a nice family adventure. We all had fun and I’m sure we’ll be back next year for the festival. We didn’t make it to Rocky Mountain National Park this time, but now we have a reason to go back to Estes Park again soon.