Knittyspin: Fiber Fiesta

Knittyspin®: you like yarn. so make yarn.

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by Jillian Moreno

Because it's nice to know what other spinners think about a fiber you haven't yet tried, welcome to the brand-new Knittyspin Fiber Fiesta feature! Each type of fiber is tested by three average spinners, each with a different background and level of experience. Each spinner is provided with the same amount of fiber; everyone gets a different color. Their feedback is collected on a standardized form and summarized below.

Fiber that did not receive good feedback will not be featured in Knitty, in accordance with our review policy, so if a fiber is featured here, it means the majority of spinners liked it!

Items are rated on scale of 1-5. Retail prices are in USD.

dislike/disagree/bad

deep love/total agreement/great

Name	100% BFL
Brand	Black Bunny Fibers
Fiber content	100% blue-faced leicester
Put up	roving
Color	The Arb
Sugg. Retail Price	$22 for 8 oz

overall impression	Enjoyed it very much. I would like to spin a bunch of this for a sweater. Easy, easy spin
how does it feel? 1= pot scrubber; 5= baby’s bum
how much predrafting was needed? 1= a ton – it was basically felt; 5= none – just sat & spun	predrafted a little, but didn’t have to just stripped predrafted a ton because I spindle spun this roving and I didn’t want to fight it while fighting the spindle too
how did it spin?
how did it knit?
dye leak? 1= lots; 5=none
did the fiber behave as you expected it would? 1= not at all; 5= precisely
describe it in one word	cozy pleasure springy
how did you...
spin it	modified long draw spindle spun on Kundert spindle spun on Bosworth
ply it	2 ply moved the yarn from my spindle to toilet paper rolls and plied on my Schacht N/A -- kept as single
WPI	8 14 18
finish it	regular wash wash and thwack wash and thwack
knit it	stockinette US 9 twisted stitch US 7 stockinette US 3
what would you make with it?	sweater for me baby blanket for a mom who would actually hand wash twisted stitch sweater

Name	Ready-to-spin batt
Brand	Crosspatch Creations
Fiber content	wool (corriedale /romney cross) viscose, tussah, cut bombyx, tussah silk noil
Put up	batt
Color	Plum Loco
Sugg. Retail Price	$16.50 for 4 oz

overall impression	Initially, I was afraid of this batt. I have a couple that I’ve had for some time (like 5 years) and I figured I’d make a dog’s breakfast of it because of all the different fibers. Pleasantly surprised Looks harder than it is
how does it feel? 1= pot scrubber; 5= baby’s bum
how much predrafting was needed? 1= a ton – it was basically felt; 5= none – just sat & spun	predrafted to get the silk to spread out spread it out to loosen the fibers
how did it spin?
how did it knit?
dye leak? 1= lots; 5=none
did the fiber behave as you expected it would? 1= not at all; 5= precisely	made a much smoother yarn than I expected and it was a dream to spin I thought it would be harder to spin and the results would be more rustic. The end result was more refined, softer and cushier than I expected. Knitted up it looks a bit like Rowan Summer Tweed. I thought it would either fall apart or be completely compacted – it was neither. It was fluffy & easy to spin. The resulting yarn was far lovelier than I expected.
describe it in one word	shiny nubby
how did you...
spin it	split, attenuated spun from end worsted split the batt in half and then split each half into 3 strips; spun it over 2 bobbins, modified long draw
ply it	2 ply 2 ply 2 ply
WPI	12 14 10
finish it	quick dip in warm water, then smacked it a few times rinse and thwack soak and hang
knit it	stockinette US 6 stockinette US 7 seed US 7
what would you make with it?	It was softer than I expected, so it could be used in something close to the skin. The fabric striped a bit, but not unpleasantly so. This would make a great everyday pullover with panache. Sweater Intricate armwarmers

Name	Handblended Batt
Brand	Spritely Goods
Fiber content	merino and firestar
Put up	batt
Color	Desert Daybreak [purply],Canyon Country [goldy-brown]
Sugg. Retail Price	$5/oz

overall impression	Totally in love with this fiber. Want more. I was surprised at how many colors were in this batt. From the outside, it looked like a gorgeous tealy, blue. There were many layers (white, purple, firestar) that were hidden by the put up. A little challenging.
how does it feel? 1= pot scrubber; 5= baby’s bum
how much predrafting was needed? 1= a ton – it was basically felt; 5= none – just sat & spun
how did it spin?	it was butter had a little grabby problem
how did it knit?
dye leak? 1= lots; 5=none
did the fiber behave as you expected it would? 1= not at all; 5= precisely	Spun loftier and thicker than I expected, would keep it as a single next time Happily surprised that it wanted to be very thin. Easiest merino I’ve spun. Because of stripping, yarn was a little hairier than I expected.
describe it in one word	Yummy Addictive Luscious
how did you...
spin it	Split the batt in half and then split one of the halves in half. Spun those 2 halves with minimal drafting on one bobbin. The other half was split into eighths and spun on another bobbin. Fine with lots of twist Stripped, pulled lengths and spun from fold.
ply it	2 ply 2 ply 2 ply
WPI	9 13 18
finish it	warm water and whack warm water and hang hot water and lay flat
knit it	stockinette US 5 moss and stockinette US 8 lace US 5
what would you make with it?	This could be worn next to the skin, even with the firestar. It was not scratchy or rough at all. It would make a gorgeous sweater or a very cool lacy scarf. Lace! A fancy accessory worn close to the skin.