Sunday, December 12, 2004

The beginning of the ugly sweater

The spinning group I belong to "Twisted Sisters", has a pattern going around that they call the "ugly sweater", but actually it isn't very ugly at all (the original version pictured it made up in a horrible color with a gaudy picture on the front). Most of the group members have now made a copy or two of this rolled hem, easy, quick sweater, and we are all supposed to wear them to our party this Friday. I have only been a member 6 months and just got the pattern in November. I don't have any scrap yarn to use up, so I've decided to spin up some icky, ugly fiber I've had in the basement that needs to be used up. It definitely won't be done this month, probably not until the summer, but at least I'm starting!

I purchased rambouillet fiber this summer via mail order, and dyed it a few different colors with some cushing's and some gaywool dyes. I'm carding the yellow and lavender in with the red to make a kind of lumpy, funky yarn. It's definitely going to be bumpy because I think the entire red fleece is second cuts and noils, what you see has already been through the picker. It's full of VM and generally is very disappointing...my first adventure in buying fleece sight unseen from unknown shepherds. In the future, I will buy fleece only at the wool and sheep shows so I can see and touch it. Sigh. But the yarn seems to be coming out ok, and the batts that I've made so far on my carder look like they're ok too...of course, I'm full of VM after I sit and spin a bit. lol.

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