This week, I've been spinning my favorite type of yarn: smooth, fine lace-weight. Though it undoubtedly takes longer to spin fine yarn, I love how meditative and calming it feels to see the bobbin fill, every so slowly, with a continuous length of gleaming thread. Kitten-soft Soysilk - a biodegradable fiber made from the byproducts of the tofu industry - lends itself to this type of spinning with minimal effort, especially when spun over the fold, my favorite technique for spinning lace with slippery plant-based yarns. I'm planning on writing (and maybe even filming) a tutorial on this wonderful technique sometime soon, but until then, check out this great YouTube video on how to spin over the fold.
The particular Soysilk I'm working with came from TwistedByLynne on Etsy. I purchased a listing for 4 1/2 ounces of her hand-dyed fiber in the "Desert Sands" colorway. It's even more beautiful in person! And I'm so appreciative of how the fiber arrived looking so fluffy and airy, and not at all felted or compacted. (As a fledgling dyer, I would love to know her secrets!)
I've been spinning this fiber on my Kromski Sonata, using the fastest ratio on my lace flyer. Over the past few months, nursing a knee injury, I spun mostly in short, 10-minute sessions every few days, and finally finished up the first bobbin of singles. The spun fiber positively glows, radiating a subtle warmth.
Now that my knee is feeling a little better, I started spinning the second half of the fiber, and I've been clipping along rather nicely. I'm thoroughly enjoying the process, and can't wait to see how the finished yarn turns out.
What have you been creating this week? I'd love to hear about it in the comments. Thanks so much for reading, and hope you're having a great day!
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