Because it's nice to know what
other spinners think about a fiber you haven't
yet tried, welcome to the Knittyspin Fiber
Fiesta feature! Each type of fiber is tested
by up to 5 average spinners, each with a different
background and level of experience. Each spinner
is provided with the same amount of fiber,
and each spinner spins, plies, finishes and
knits each fiber as it speaks to them. Their
feedback is collected on a standardized form
and summarized below. New! Follow
one spinner's comments all through each review,
right up to the yarn they spun and swatch they
knit.
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!
Retail prices are in USD.
Our spinners this issue:
Spinner
Spinning
how long?
What do you
spin on?
What is your favorite spinning purchase from 2013?
A
About 7 years
Majacraft Rose
Answer to question: 1 pound spunky eclectic pomegranate martini and one pound of cjkoho Theresa which I spun up and plied and knit into my Rhinebeck sweater that I love.
B
12 years
Schacht Mixed Woods custom
I got a Tunis fleece that is just fantastic this past summer. It is fine and crimpy and I have been reluctant to wash or process it because it is so beautiful, but it's meant for a cardigan for me.
C
Approx. 19 years.
I started knitting when my oldest was 1
and then I wanted to make my OWN yarn.
It was a logical next step to start spinning.
Schacht Cherry Matchless,
Louet S75
I've been vending at a lot of shows and my favorite acquisitions this year have been trades I've done with other vendors. I have some wonderful storage bobbins, some gorgeous yarn from Yarn Hollow, and yummy fluff from Wonder Why Alpacas.
CK
I've been spinning for 2.5 years.
Schacht Matchless and Ladybug
Hand-painted silk top
E
I have been spinning in
my imagination for about 45 years. My secret
wish was granted about 5 years
ago
Schacht Matchless
My fave spinning purchase of 2013 is fiber from Spinners Hill and my trip to Rhinebeck with A and C.
J
Started 15 years ago, took
a big hiatus (8 years?), obsessively spinning
for the past 7 years.
Schacht Matchless, Schacht
Sidekick, Majacraft Suzie Pro
My Hansen eSpinner!
K
About 12 years.
Schacht Matchless that I
use to spin singles and my first wheel,
a Louet S51 DT, for all my plying needs.
All of the fiber I bought this year.
Atomic Blue From offbeat millinery artist to indie fiber supplier; Sayra manifests her creativity by exploring different color hues. She dyes her fibers in small batches, and favors local wool. Her quaint studio is overflowing, with baskets of colorful fibers. She's living the good life, with her family in the hills of North Idaho.
Fiber
merino locks, bombyx silk, nylon, sari silk, angelina
Color
Over the Rainbow, El Paso, Peach Tree, Echeveria
Weight
2 oz
Put
up
batt
Price
$17.50
#
of spinners
4
overall
impression
A: Great batt! Great colorway and variety of texture E: Battness J: Color explosion K: I love the mix of the fibers as well as the colors!
how does it
feel? 1: pot scrubber
5: baby's bum
how
much predrafting needed?
1: a ton
5: none
how did it
spin? 1: fought me like Moby Dick
5: aaaaaah
dye leak? 1: lots
5: none
describe it
in a phrase
A: lovely and super soft E: batty J: abundance of awesome K: spring grass
how did you
spin it?
A: Pulled chunks from the batt and spun as a chunky E: Batt spin. Roll with the punches, grin at the combinations, enjoy the ride. J: Tighten regular batt roll, attenuate into roving and spin form end -- woo-hoo! K: Tore it into strips and spun from the ends
how did you
ply it?
A: single E: 2 ply J: single K: single
WPI
A: 6 E: 6 J: 4-9 K: 10 with some puffs that are 4
how did you
finish it?
A: Soak and weighted hang dry E: Thaaaa-whack J: hot soak, snap and hang K: hot soak and some hard whacks
did
it do what you expected, or were you
surprised?
A: The yarn turned out more beautiful than I expected. I really like the colors in the batt; they made beautiful yarn. E: I am always happily surprised with batts. This one was sticky wooly. I rolled with the texture, and was pleased overall in the end. Spun "batwoolen" J: This was a great batt, lofty and easy to make into wooly thick and thin K: I was surprised at how easy it was to control as I spun it.
what
would you make with it?
A: It's so next-to-the-skin soft that I would love a cowl or scarf E: hat trim J: some part of a sweater or even a whole sweater K: It's so soft, mittens or a little neck wrap
cjkoho Designs After 5 years of getting up at o-dark-thirty to dye so the kitchen could be cleaned up for the day, Carla's husband is on board and encourages her to put on "just one more batch" before retiring for the evening.
Fiber
100% Columbia
Color
Alice, Sasha
Weight
4 oz
Put
up
top
Price
$15.00
#
of spinners
4
overall
impression
A: Lovely wool to spin and beautiful vibrant colors CK: Lovely colorway on a great base fiber. A dream to spin. E: Strong and bright K: Beautiful fiber, beautiful colorway
how does it
feel? 1: pot scrubber
5: baby's bum
how
much predrafting needed?
1: a ton
5: none
how did it
spin? 1: fought me like Moby Dick
5: aaaaaah
A: Split it a few times lengthwise and spun a thick single CK: Split it lengthwise into four and spun it worsted E: I split the roving in half and then stripped each half into small strands. I spun each up, attempting to keep the colors in order for a nice stripped yarn. I spun it woolen K: worsted and fractal. I split it in half lengthwise then split one half four more times and spun the color reversed.
how did you
ply it?
A: single CK: cable ply E: 2 ply with a tight twist K: 2 ply
WPI
A: 8 CK: 7.5 E: 12 K: 12
how did you
finish it?
A: soak and weighted hang to dry CK: warm soak and a whack E: tha-hwak and soak K: hot soak and hang
did
it do what you expected, or were you
surprised?
A: I loved working with this wool and the colors. I spun it as a single to keep the colors bright. CK: I love this colorway and the cable ply brought out all of the colors as little flecks. E: The strips worked out well. I like the transition between colors in the dye process. The colors look great plied. K: The color blended differently that I expected; the red came out the strongest.
what
would you make with it?
A: A nice versatile wool. It would make great accessories or even a sweater. CK: All of the things E: Mittens K: It would make a great colorful sweater
Frabjous Fibers Frabjous Fibers specialty blends are hand dyed with professional textile dyes to create brilliant, long-lasting colors. We handle the top with care to ensure it is lofty and easily drafted. It's easier and more enjoyable to work with quality fiber; consequently, it yields a better result!
Fiber
100% Teeswater
Color
Cabbage Rose, Spring Haze
Weight
4 oz
Put
up
top
Price
$18.50
#
of spinners
4
overall
impression
B: Not as lustrous as I expected, but silkier than I thought it would be C: Gorgeous colors -- had a hard time deciding which one to choose. CK: Shine and lovely halo in lovely colors K: I loved this gentle colorway and how neatly it blended.
how does it
feel? 1: pot scrubber
5: baby's bum
how
much predrafting needed?
1: a ton
5: none
how did it
spin? 1: fought me like Moby Dick
5: aaaaaah
dye leak? 1: lots
5: none
describe it
in a phrase
B: longwool joy C: lustrous, delightful to spin CK: shiny halo K: spring garden
how did you
spin it?
B: I spun it two ways. Both short forward draw worsted. One as a thicker single, and one as thinner 2-ply. C: worsted CK: short forward draw, worsted K: worsted draft and fractal color split
how did you
ply it?
B: 2 ply, balanced C: 2 ply CK: 2 ply K: 2 ply
WPI
B: single, 18; 2 ply, 20 C: 14 CK: 9 K: 10
how did you
finish it?
B: single, soaked then thwacked; the 2-ply soaked and snapped. C: rinse and hang CK: warm soak and whack to bring up the halo K: hot soak and hang
did
it do what you expected, or were you
surprised?
B: It did exactly what I expected C: It was a fiesta of new fibers for me. I knew that Teeswater was different from anything I'd spun before, but I was really pleased with how beautiful it was in yarn form. There's a luster and despite its softness, I'm pretty sure it will wear like iron. CK: It was lovely K: This was my first Teeswater. I was pleasantly surprised by how fuzzy it got!
what
would you make with it?
B: lace fingerless mitts that go to my elbows C: next time I will spin a 3-ply or cabled yarn and use it for socks. CK: outerwear, a coat! K: it's perfect for outerwear since it's so fuzzy
Fiber Curio and Sundries Fiber Curio and Sundries specialize in supporting our local shepherds and their flocks. All of the fleeces represent some of the best shepherds and sheep breeds. We have our fiber processed at a small mill in Kindred, ND, continuing on with our belief to support local businesses.
Fiber
50% CVM, 40% Shetland, 10% silk
Color
natural
Weight
2 oz
Put
up
roving
Price
$8.00
#
of spinners
4
overall
impression
B: I want to snuggle with it C: I was intrigued by the fiber. I don't think I've spun CVM before and wanted to try it. CK: An interesting combination of fibers very well prepared K: Excellentness.
how does it
feel? 1: pot scrubber
5: baby's bum
how
much predrafting needed?
1: a ton
5: none
how did it
spin? 1: fought me like Moby Dick
5: aaaaaah
dye leak? 1: lots
5: none
n/a
describe it
in a phrase
B: frolicking kittens C: lusciousness on a bobbin CK: K: Clean, soft, naturale, excellentness. Cloud puffiness.
how did you
spin it?
B: supported longdraw, woolen C: I tried to spin it worsted first (my favorite) -- it politely declined. I spun it with a modified long draw and it cooperated beautifully. CK: supported long draw K: As close to long draw as I can go... with this fiber I was very successful. It was a pleasure and I would like more
how did you
ply it?
B: 2 ply balanced C: 2 ply CK: 2 ply K: 2 ply
WPI
B: 18 C: 10 CK: 20 K: 9
how did you
finish it?
B: soaked and snapped C: rinse and hang CK: warm soak and whack K: I was able to give this skein a wee thwack and then a nice soak
did
it do what you expected, or were you
surprised?
B: surprised -- the yarn weighs almost nothing. It's great blend. Not a blend I would have thought of putting together. C: I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful it was once it was spun. The preparation was fabulous and once I figured out it wanted to be spun woolen, it was a dreamy spin. It's gorgeous and sproingy like woolen spinning is supposed to be. CK: I tried spinning this in three different weights, but it spun best fairly fine. I tried plying it several ways 2-, 3- and 4-ply all were wonderful K: I was pleased with the outcome. A puffy lovely spun wool.
what
would you make with it?
B: camisole C: it would make a lovely lacy shawl or a baby blanket CK: I would make anything and everything with it K: a cowl, or a sweater.
