Fiber Fiesta - Knittyspin: Spring+Summer 2010

by Jillian Moreno

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 2-4 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.

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.

Spirit Trail Fiberworks Rare, Endangered + Unusual Breed Spinning Fibers
Fiber	100% blue-faced Leicester	Color	Fiji Sunrise
Weight	4 oz	Put up	roving
Price	$20.00	# of spinners	4

overall impression	• Subtle colorway and workhorse wool. • Not quite as soft as I expected BFL to be – maybe that’s the superwash? I liked the yarn better than I thought I would during the spinning. • Love the subtle shift in color, perfect for a lofty single.
how does it feel?		how much predrafting needed?
how did it spin?		how did it knit?
dye leak?		describe it in one word	• squooooshy • versatile • dreamy • creamscicle
how did you spin it?	• worsted • woolen supported long draw • worsted • lofty single, flying forward draw	how did you ply it?	• 2 ply • 2 ply • 2 ply • single
how did you finish it?	• rinse and hang • soak whack and hang • hot water & agitate, rinse and hang • hot soak and hang	WPI	• 16 • 12 • 13 • 11
did it do what you expected, or were you surprised?	• Exactly – BFL lovely
what would you make with it?	• Sweater • socks, babythings, hats and mittens for kids • something close ot the skin. Cute color for something baby. • cable anything

Bohemian Knitter Chic Bohemian Knitter Chic is an independent fiber shop specializing in one-of-a-kind spinning fiber batts. Inspiration is frequently collaborative. The Knittyspin batts were inspired by photographs taken by Carrie Ouradnik at the farmers' market in Seattle, Wa. The photographs appear on the batt labels.
Fiber	merino, soy, bamboo rayon, alpaca, silk, angelina. All of the bamboo rayon is dyed by Fiberlady.	Color	Tub O Spuds Autumn Gold Market Bouquet Lovely Roots
Weight	varies	Put up	smooth batts
Price	$6.75/ounce which includes US shipping	# of spinners	4

overall impression	• like it – whole idea of collaboration and color from pic • batt was so lovely to look at but I didn’t love the end result. It may have been the way I spun it so I would like to try it again with different weights and drafting methods. • love how the color was inspired by photograph. loved the sparkle.
how does it feel?		how much predrafting needed?
how did it spin?		how did it knit?
dye leak?		describe it in one word	• yellow • funky • magical • delicious
how did you spin it?	• fold long draw – scotch tension w/ wooly winder • all over the map – tried short draw, long draw, I never did get settled in • worsted • worsted	how did you ply it?	• 2 ply - irish drive • single • 2 ply • 2 ply
how did you finish it?	• menaced – fulled • hot water rinse and hang • rinse, whack and hang	WPI	• 13 • 10 • 32 • 15
did it do what you expected, or were you surprised?	• expected the issue with bamboo – unexpected that I liked the angelina • the different textures and fiber lengths confounded me, and I kept switching up my spinning style trying to figure out how to spin it best. • it was really easy to spin. the angelina was really soft • lot of fun to spin because of the great colors, fun glitz and soft feel. turned out better than anticipated.
what would you make with it?	• accents, entrelac • just enough glitz for a dressy, lacy scarf • summer top • lacy stuff

Fiber Optic Yarns Fiber Optic Yarns is a small independent dye studio. The colors are inspired by the circus-like environment in which the owner/dyer resides with her husband, four small children and a crazy Labrador retriever. She is constantly encouraged in pursuit of the next greatest yarn, fiber or colorway by her fiber obsessed knitting/spinning friends.
Fiber	70% merino/30% seacell	Color	blue/purple
Weight	4 oz	Put up	pencil roving
Price	$20.00	# of spinners	4

overall impression	• beautiful. I love her fiber and colors • lovely to spin, soft to the touch • great subtle color range. I thought of the purple sea. • very satisfying result. I would buy and spin this again.
how does it feel?		how much predrafting needed?
how did it spin?		how did it knit?
dye leak?		describe it in one word	• grape jelly • sonic • elegant
how did you spin it?	• modified inch worm • worsted • worsted • worsted short forward	how did you ply it?	• 2 ply • single • 2 ply • 2 ply – undertwist single, overtwist in ply
how did you finish it?	• rinse and hung • rinse, whack and hang • soak, rinse, thwack, hang • gentle rinse and hang	WPI	• 20 • 40 • 18 • 16
did it do what you expected, or were you surprised?	• this fiber is as soft as a Boomba butt. Really nice.
what would you make with it?	• shawl • anything close to the skin • kid sweater or shawl • lace shawl, socks, sleeveless shell

Spirit Trail Fiberworks Rare, Endangered + Unusual Breed Spinning Fibers
Fiber	100% cultivated silk	Color	Falcon’s Eye
Weight	4 oz	Put up	sliver
Price	$38.00	# of spinners	3

overall impression	• Falcon’s Eye is a great name for this. shiny with a glint • difficult to spin but was still able to spin very fine. very luxurious • gorgeous, like a pool of light
how does it feel?		how much predrafting needed?
how did it spin?		how did it knit?
dye leak?		describe it in one word	• precious • chainmail • glowing
how did you spin it?	• medium long draw • worsted • supported long draw	how did you ply it?	• 2 ply • single • 2 ply
how did you finish it?	• soak, whack and hang • rinse and hang • soak hot and hang	WPI	• 22 • 27 • 14
did it do what you expected, or were you surprised?	• spun up great. like the blending of the colors. named adeptly. • it was so slippery my hands hurt trying to keep it under control • went against what the fiber wanted to do. it wanted to be very fine, but I wanted a thicker, loftier yarn. it took a lot of focus to keep it thick, but I love the result
what would you make with it?	• shawl • lacey things • summer top

Tactile Fiber Arts Tactile offers spinning and felting fibers and yarns hand-dyed with high quality natural dyes.Tactile strives to make our business as green and sustainable as possible. The natural dyes I use are made in small batches in areas next to where the makers live. Small scale manufacturing means the byproducts (in this case, green waste) don’t exceed the land’s capacity to reclaim it.
Fiber	50% merino/50% yak	Color	Pomegranate
Weight	2 oz	Put up	top
Price	$23.00	# of spinners	4

overall impression	• looked roughed up but spun great • a nice combination of color and fiber. elegant and earthy. feels soft and sticky, woolly. clingy. • lovely feel, lovely color, lovely to spin • magnificent color, real depth and soft as a baby bunny
how does it feel?		how much predrafting needed?
how did it spin?		how did it knit?
dye leak?		describe it in one word	• downy • lush • meh, not my favorite • feathery
how did you spin it?	• modified worsted • medium short draw • modified long draw • long draw with double drafting	how did you ply it?	• 2 ply • 2 ply • 2 ply • 2 ply
how did you finish it?	• menaced (fulled) the hell out of it • rinse and hang • rinse wack and hang • boiling water soak and hang	WPI	• 18 • 6 • 12 • 15
did it do what you expected, or were you surprised?	• tried spinning it a couple of ways, wouldn’t work from fold. spun from end with small triangle. had expected it to be easy to spin • I was spinning away thinking about the Yak. I found my spinning fingers were faintly tinted pomegranate after spinning. It spun with some push-me-pull-you cling. I had to have a few words with it now and then. it was worth it as it knit up awesome. • didn’t really predraft, but shook it to get it fluffy. spun long draw from the fold with some double drafting, a little uneven because I need practice but oh so yummy.
what would you make with it?	• really would make a beautiful sweater • socks or a wee hat • lighter-than-air shawl

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