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Fibery Goodness Module Seven Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Seven Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

As promised, here is my Module Seven Yarn photos.  I spun these several weeks ago and just managed to get some photos taken this week.  Also of note, is that I spun Module Six in the morning and Module Seven in the evening.  Two totally different and unique yarns which required two widely different styles of spinning and plying techniques.  Make sure you see Mod 6 yarns as well.

Mod 7-7

 

Mod 7-2

I used the same 15.5 Micron Merino commercially prepared combed top in white.  I spun one ply a bit finer than usual with a bit more twist and evenness than usual.  I spun the other ply with throwing it at the wheel.  I spun slubs, thin bits, thick bits….anything I could to make the texture wild and crazy.  I plyed the thick slubby wild single spirally around the thin even tightly controlled one to get a lovely slub flame spiral yarn.  This is super soft and a very comforting sort of yarn but still has strength due to the tight controlled spun single.

Mod 7-6

This completes the spinning portion of my course with seven stunning yarns all created from the same 15.5 micron Merino commercial prepared combed top in white.

My focus in this course was creating the seven yarns using the same prep and wool in the same white color while creating 7 obviously unique and different textured yarns due to the ply structure and spinning technique only.  It was a challenge that I set for myself and I think I achieved it.

 

Mod 7-3

Now for the preparation that will be Module 8 and constructing a final project that will use some of all seven yarns in the final item.  Stay tuned because I have a fantastic final project planned.  It will involve circular weaving, rigid heddle weaving, wet felting, free form crochet and a lot of creativity.

 

Fibery Goodness Module Six Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Six Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

I have had my Module Six yarn spun now for several weeks but hadn’t taken any photographs of it.  I know….I was slow.  It is a 2+ ply hand spun yarn of the 15.5 Micron Merino.  Natural white with a 3rd ply if you want to call it that which is a silk thread with garnet seed pearls strung on it.

Mod 6-3

I have spun some beaded spirals in the course but was having troubles with the merino shrinking and fulling a bit in the setting process with the silk thread staying the same.  The end result was that the thread hung loose with the beads on it and would get caught and break…. losing beads.  This made the yarn super fragile.  I wanted to make my usual go to yarn that is a medium weight 2 ply, mostly evenish.

Mod 6-1

I decided to spin the 2 singles a little bit finer and try for a much more even yarn with a tad bit more twist in the final plying to give it more strength than usual.  I trapped the silk thread with the garnet seed beads on it in between the two merino plys to give it some added strength.  I was going for a 2+ ply that was 2 plys for strength and softness, and 1 ply for bling and character.

Mod 6-2

I do not usually spin fine or even like this so this was rather outside my comfort zone.  Probably not even in the room where my box was….that is was soooo far out my box.  I am over the moon pleased with this yarn.  I really like it.  I spun the Mod 6 yarn in the morning and the Mod 7 yarn in the evening.  They are two very different-night and day yarns even though spun from the same white 15.5 micron merino wool.  Look for Mod 7 yarn coming soon.

Mod 6-4
Squeee….WoolWench blogged about Alba Ranch

Squeee….WoolWench blogged about Alba Ranch

Posted on by Melisa

Squee….yahoo!  WoolWench aka Suzy, blogs at various locations.  This time she was on the Fibery Goodness Blog and she did a posting about the various Fiber Sponsors for the Journey to the Golden Fleece Award online spinning course that both WoolWench (Suzy) and Spin Artiste (Arlene) have created and are currently teaching.  Alba Ranch was just added as one of the Fiber Sponsors and the discount code for course participants is in the members only forum.  Course participants get a 15% discount!!  AND  WoolWench blogged about ALBA RANCH.  Yayness!

Module 1 yarn panel woven and free form crochet

I love what she said about Alba Ranch as well as her feelings about one of my hands down favorite fibers to spin which is the 15.5 micron merino.  I consider this THE luxury fiber to spin as well, very classic, very luxury.  I have been selling this fiber for a while but never allowed myself the opportunity to spin it until I started this course.  Part way through Module One, I decided that ALL my modules would be created from this one special fiber left in its classic white color.  So my personal challenge has been all about using the same fiber, prepared as a commercial combed top, in its natural white and getting 7 very different yarns all down to the spinning and plying techniques.  Whew this has been a challenge. With them all being the same color and fiber, the only way to make them different is really to spin completely different yarns.  Some of these various structures have been super fun and the fiber has worked well with them.

Mod 5 panel woven and free form crochet

A few were more of a challenge and the resulting yarn has been great but I might choose a different fiber in the future for that specific yarn style.  It has been a serious learning challenge that I had no idea what I was getting into when I came up with this crazy brilliant plan.  HA!!

If you want to read the blog posting and see all the wonderful sponsors for the Journey to the Golden Fleece award go here to read all about us.

I am off out into the woods to sort out all the goats, dogs and cats along with various plants and trees.  a “ranch goddess” work is NEVER done.

Fibery Goodness Module Five Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Five Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

I have finished Module Five yarn, set the twist, photographed it and wove a circle weaving with it.  This module was supposed to focus on mastery.  Specifically mastering a spinning technique spun previously, showing several variations in small yardage skeins.  I did not find the module enjoyable because I personally hate doing small yardages, samples and other assorted test your technique stuff that many people do.  I personally find it annoying and a waste of time as I tend to want to just get on with a project and spin or weave.

Mod 5 yarn close up

Since I have been focusing a lot on Spiral techniques in this course, I decided to spin 4 variations of a spiral yarn.  In order to really show off the technique, I still followed my previous outline which was using the same commercial prepared combed top preparation of 15.5 Micron Merino wool in white.

All the photos have the basic spiral, extreme spiral, beaded spiral and super coil core spun style spiral in that order from left to right.

Module 5 yarn

 

I spun a basic spiral, a extreme spiral holding one ply with tighter tension to create more spiraling, a beaded spiral with a silk thread and freshwater pearls, and a super coil almost core spun version of a spiral.

Module 5 yarn

 

 

 

 

 

I accidentally did the super coil core spun sort in a different module but this time wanted to do it on purpose and see if I could over come the original design problem of so much twist that the yarn was coarse feeling and darker in color.  When I spun this super coil core spun sort of version this time, I did keep the softness and loftiness of the merino fiber as well as the white color and I just loved it.

I am finding that with each module I have a large amount of yarn spun up that I don’t use in the final project weaving.  I think that I will be weaving some circular and square wall hangings as I have had requests for more baby room wall art, as well as some scarves and maybe shawls.  You will find those on my shop on Etsy.com so keep an eye out for Alba Ranch’s shop and some new projects.