Time and spinning

Spinning in public is very, very interesting, I have not yet screamed at a person who says "that's a dying art"  living, breathing, spinning person right in front of you.

Sometimes this remark is made to 3 or 4 spinners, members of Guild

But another question is quite valid and interesting, "how long does it take"  and I can not answer with a amount of time, except that I can 2/3 fill a Louet bobbin with a fine yarn during a football game.

If I measure out a small amount, 25 g each of the 3 fibres I am working on for Kadigan, spin them and ply, without stopping for instant replays I might learn something.

with apoligies to Robynn, Kadigan 2

I have just finished this commissioned piece, lovely yarn but fine, lovely man but big.

It's a relief to have done. Now I get to work seriously on Kadigan

I want to blog a lot about this work, this pattern because I know I will get a lot of questions and compliments as soon as I wear it.  And I want to track the alterations I make, something which I am terrible about,  make notes about knitting with a handspun and maybe take notes about how long something takes.

First thing is an apology to Robynn  one of the great things about this pattern is how changes are encouraged but I am not sure this many changes are what she had in mind.

the yarn is my handspun, heavier than the yarn she recommends and more uneven. Certainly not getting gauge

Unwashed gauge square, the stockinette is a good firm thickness, excellent for shoulders and sleeves.  first sample of garter is thicker than I want for the body of the sweater which needs to flow and drape. Used Addi clicks Olive Wood my favorite needles 4.5 mm. and changed in the sample above the white row to a 5.5 mm metal.

Measuring the changes in gauge washed and unwashed is an excellent idea, thanks Robynn  but since I wash yarn in the skein before knitting it didn't make a difference.  Commercial yarn would bloom and change more.

this is Romney, washed and dyed but not processed, I combed it with my hackle

It makes the yarn fuzzy and uneven

This is the fiber for one of the plies, BFL from aandb fiberworks where I work one day a week, for softness and shine

My gauge is 14 st to 4 inches, the pattern calls for 21 st.  So I am just going to do the smallest size instead of a large.  But I am making a huge change, I am going to start the yoke at the middle of the back with a tentative cast so it will easier ( think) to get both sides the same.  So it's 60 st for the cast on.

It's Sunday and I'm off to spin and watch football.