# My first real sock yarn



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am so excited! I did it, I made a skein of actual 3 ply
sock weight yarn on my new wheel. :bouncy:

It has taken almost 2 weeks, but I finished it tonight! 

I used 3 oz of locks that I had dyed, a bit strangely, I admit.









Then I spent many days to make just 1 bobbin full of "as skinny as I could"..










That was tricky, first time around.
If it is not twisted enough, it just breaks. 
(you probably know that already). :grin:

So, I just kept fishing it back and joining it back and learned how NOT to 
let that happen. Draft a bit slower/treadle faster, a combination.

I ended up with 357 yards of yarn. I was aiming for 400, but STILL!
I do have enough here to make something. 

I spent most of the afternoon navajo plying it. 










It was too dark to take a proper pic. This one was under the Ott light.
But I was so excited I had to show you all.

The color is not coming through good though.










I am sure the novelty will wear off eventually.
For right now though, I am celebrating!
:happy:


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

WIHH, a big hug for you. 

My technical details are this:

I predrafted out each lock and spun them :darker green, lighter green, half a blue one. 
Over and over, that was the extent of my color control attempt, remembering which one of the 3 I was using. 

The color changes are between 40 and 60" inches. I did not try to control the colors with the plying.
A person COULD do that with this chain plying, theoretically.
I was too busy keeping it all going.  
By the time I got the whole thousand yards of singles plied, I was feeling a rhythm. 
I even LIKE the color. It is sort of tree lichen/ froggy.


The next stuff I want to spin is this:










I chose to do the more odd colored wool first, because I really love this sapphire blue, and want it to be nice. 
(aka I dont want to waste it).
It is 5 oz, so I 'should' be able to get a generous hank out of it, right?
I think I will just straight 3 ply it though, since the color is not a factor.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

What breed is this wool? looks bouncy squishy. I am getting somewhat better at the navajo the first time or 2 my body parts would get twisted up with the yarn. I an NP all the yarn for a felted rug so the felting will hide any boo boos.

I have still not been able to get that much yarn out of that amount of even 4 ounces I am actually working on a bit right now about 1 ounces scrap for the rug that if I had weighed and measureds it might come close but it was a mystery fiber I purchased as a scrap so I have no idea what is the make up of it.

Did you use your acid dyes on these it seems to have broken, I love the broken look and have actually been using food colors and vineagar to force then to break. Started doing this because a few colors acidentally broke and I really liked the outcome. The top in the laundry basket almost looks like a boken sage HUMMMMMMMMMMM dang I don't think the food colors I use makes a sage green.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Lovely yarn, but I'm looking forward to seeing that blue done up.

Angie


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

GAM - you continually amaze me!!! That is absolutely beautiful!!! 

*stupid question* - what weight is sock yarn? I got one of those wraps/inch tools so I know what weight yarn I'm spinning, and I've consistently been spinning DK weight after plying. I really really want to spin sock yarn!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

All this wool is Targhee/Suffolk. It is the same fleece, in all the pics.
Pakalana sent it to me. Its the same stuff I have been spindling with for a couple months. It is very bouncy and smooshy, with a lot of memory.
The blue is going to be about the last of it. 

PKboo, I did it with acid dyes.The way they work, the colors do not exhaust at the same rate.
All those locks took a turn through the same exact dyebath. I had mixed blue, yellow and black together. The water looked very dark green. 
I had another handful of wool that stayed in the whole time, they did come out dark green (no pic, darn it).
Also, I didn't wet the wool first and since the tips are not as greasy, they take the color quicker. It was an experiment. 
The colors didn't 'break' though. I just didn't let them set in. 

Sock weight yarn is fingering weight. I am not good a wpi testing.  
I either wrap it to tight or too loose, every time. 
It is just not a good way for me to describe fiber.
Anyone who can explain it to me,in an exact way, I would appreciate it!
I think it is because I am a tight knitter, and like to use undersized needles?


Pakalana gave me a tip for spinning this fine. 
She told me to take apart some commercial yarn and wrap the singles around a card and keep it by my wheel. It really helped!
The yarn looks a lot different 'under tension' you know? 
I kept looking at my card and trying to keep my spinning the same.

Angie, I am savoring that blue. It lives in a basket on the hall table.


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

I like that GAM! The colors seem muted, but earthy. That Sapphire is still just stunning. I have some Shetland/Montedale that I spun up that is doing the same thing. It lives in a basket in the den. 

Oh boy. My dh has brought my wheel back from sick leave. Getting the house in order today, but maybe tonight I need to get some time in on the wheel. I need to make some time somewhere! 

Glad that tip helped you! You really should be pleased with yourself, your yarns are beautiful.


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

oh so nice. i guess i have a loooong way to go until i can get close to this. 
i assume spinning from the lock is more difficult then from roving?


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

Wow, amazing!


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## PollySC (Jan 17, 2006)

Beautiful, your yarn is just beautiful. I'm stuck on Navajo plying myself -- the color variations are fun, the yarn is strong and forgiving when it has to be pulled out and re-worked, and the fabric is smooth like a cabled yarn.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

PollySC, I havent knit any of the navajo plied stuff yet. 
I really like the way the cabled yarn behaves. Yes, it "behaves". 
Seems like the more plies there are, the better it balances. 

Of course, it could be that I am still over/under twisting the singles to various degrees..


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

GAM that is gorgeous you did a fantastic job. Now we get to see what you're going to make with it 

I love that blue too! Can't wait to see that one spun up and made into something really wonderful.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Beautiful! That fiber looks so fluffy soft.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

GAM, thanks so much for that card tip! I will definitely do that. It seems like I am spinning all the same, and I really want to be able to do different things. That's a great idea, so you have a visual reference right there :rock:

GAM are you having trouble actually measuring your yarn using the wpi, or knitting something that you have measured the wpi and getting the gauge right? 

I broke down and bought a "gadget" that has helped me a lot! http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/wpi_tool.htm
It's expensive for the size, but it works wonderfully (instead of my fingers trying to hold the yarn in place), and it comes with a handy chart that I always have close by.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

My problem is that I absolutely cannot get a feel for how tight to wrap the yarn. 
I do it too loose or too tight. I can do okay with things that dont have much give or halo,like cotton, but my wpi numbers are meaningless with fuzzy wool yarn. 

I know, that should be simple. It has proven to be otherwise. 
That tool is a dunzle object in my hands.


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

GAM, you are a TRUE inspiration!!! Beautiful yarn!!


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

gone-a-milkin said:


> My problem is that I absolutely cannot get a feel for how tight to wrap the yarn.
> I do it too loose or too tight. I can do okay with things that dont have much give or halo,like cotton, but my wpi numbers are meaningless with fuzzy wool yarn.


Well this just puts a whole new spin on things (pun intended haha). I never really thought about wrapping it too loose or too tight - yikes! My measurements might be completely off too :shrug:

Maybe you could try wrapping commercial yarn with a known weight to see if you get the same thing??? Wrap it tight, wrap it loose, see what weight it is for both, and compare to the label (running to get my commercial yarn and nifty tool...)


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Here is a piece by Abby Franquemont about abusing the yarn http://abbysyarns.com/2007/06/orange-sherbet but has a couple of pictures and a tiny bit of instruction about wrapping the yarn. She was responding to a thread on raverly about setting twist. I wish there was someway to flag a person on raverly so I can watch all her posts, I have seen 2 or 3 and they have really helped even if I did not know I needed help until I read the post. There are 2 different pictures with wrapping the yarn check out the one closer to the bottom She doesn't really wrap rather slides her ruler through the skein.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

luvzmybabz said:


> I wish there was someway to flag a person on raverly so I can watch all her posts


All you have to do is 'friend' her on ravelry. Then you will be able to track her posts.  She doesn't even have to friend you back, for it to work.
(though everyone I have friended HAS returned the favor. )

There are tabs for friends activites, friends blogs, their stashes. 
You can customize your settings to show everything they post, everytime they update project details, when they update their blogs, etc.
Let me know if you need help.


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