Knittyspin: Fiber Fiesta

<click for more!


	This issue of Knitty is printer friendly. To print, simply click the option you wish from the buttons on the right: print all text, images, charts and schematics OR print all text, charts and schematics and just the first pattern image, to save paper and ink.

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. Their feedback is collected on a standardized form and summarized below. To help understand each spinner's feedback, we've given each a letter label [A, B, C, D], so you can follow their comments down the page.

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	BFL
Brand	Briar Rose
Fiber content	100% blue-faced leicester
Put up	roving
Color	Briar Rose colorways are one-of-a-kind
Sugg. Retail Price	$15 for 3 oz

overall impression	Shiny and soft. It’s so pretty. Look at that crimp!
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?
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	A: I was surprised and delighted by the subtle striping B: I wasn’t happy with how my knitting looked. I need to put more twist in my ply. C: n/a D: n/a
describe it in one word	A: lustrous B: earthy C: luscious D: Mary Poppins (practically perfect in every way)
how did you...
spin it	A: just as it came on my wheel B: low twist worsted with predrafting before spinning C: as close to worsted as I could get D: semi worsted; I wanted it smooth and shiny
ply it	A: single B: 2 ply C: 2 ply D: chain ply
WPI	A: 13 B: 7 C: 14 D: 10
finish it	A: wet and whack B: wet C: rinse and whack D: hot water soak
what would you make with it?	A: Next to skin something. I’ve already started Branching Out B: Floppy (in a good way) ribbed pullover C: Anything. I love the subtlety of the color changes, definitely a next-to-skin fiber. D: I’ve already made a hooded scarf, am working on a hat for my husband, but I dream about a next-to-skin sweater for me

Name	BFL
Brand	Gale's Art
Fiber content	100% blue-faced leicester
Put up	roving
Color	4 spinners reviewed a single colorway dyed onto two different colored BFL bases. The colorway is Iris dyed onto white BFL and black BFL
Sugg. Retail Price	$14 for 4 oz

overall impression	color is beautiful love that it’s different yet the same on light versus dark BFL
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?
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	C: had trouble getting a smooth, even yarn
describe it in one word	A: dark = Fall, light= joyous B: alittleshiny C: soft D: cushy color
how did you...
spin it	A: dark= sectioned lengthwise to diameter of pencil roving, spun in lofty single to preserve color pattern. Light= split in half and broke each half into two, rearranged so when spun then plied no colors would be doubled B: low twist worsted single C: split in 1/3 and 2/3, spin 1/3 into thin even yarn and spun 2/3 into thick and thin yarn D: woolen, fluffy
ply it	A: dark=single; light: 2 ply B: single C: fed thick and thin yarn into wheel while holding thin yarn perpendicular to the thick/thin yarn. Let thin yarn wind around the thick spots more than the thin spots. D: low twist 2-ply, but mixed up light and dark. I did light with light, dark with dark, light with dark, spun light-dark then plied it matching then opposite. It was fun.
WPI	A: dark = 15; light: 8 B: 7 C: 9 D: 10
finish it	A: dark= soaked it & whacked it; light=nothing B: dip in the sink C: menaced to firm up thick spots, then whacked it D: hot water soak
what would you make with it?	A: Beautiful scarf B: Next-to-skin striped sweater like Rosedale United C: Anything next to the skin D: cozy, fluffy, cowl – the colors are lovely

Name	Romney
Brand	Elemental Affects
Fiber content	100% Romney
Put up	roving
Color	see the Elemental Affects website. 20-25 colors available at a time, but once a color is gone, it’s gone.
Sugg. Retail Price	$8.50 for 2oz
Notes	Elemental Affects works with local ranchers for their Romney fleeces, and dyes everything by hand. Solid colors are further dry blended by a mill and drafted into roving, the results are layers of beautiful color.

overall impression	Not so soft, but look at all those colors!
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?
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	A: it was easier to knit than I thought B: it was easier to spin woolen than worsted, but you can get great overtwisted-on-purpose singles with worsted spin.
describe it in one word	A: Shiny B: Springy color layers
how did you...
spin it	A: semi worsted B: woolen
ply it	A: 2 ply B: 2 ply lots of twist
WPI	A: 12 B: 6
finish it	A: rinse and whack B: hot water
what would you make with it?	A: outerwear -- it’s a little scratchy B: a highly textured cardigan. It’s not so scratchy I would wear it as a scarf or hat.

Name	Yak
Brand	Bijou Basin Ranch
Fiber content	100% yak
Put up	roving
Color	natural
Sugg. Retail Price	$30 for 1oz
Notes	Roving from a family-run yak ranch. All of the yak fiber is from animals that are raised on the ranch. Roving is available in brown or white, and yak down clouds are available too.

overall impression	As soft as cashmere. OMG look how short the fiber 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
how did it spin?
how did it knit?
did the fiber behave as you expected it would? 1= not at all; 5= precisely	A: the staple is short; I was intimidated before I started. It was tricky to get an even yarn B: I was overconfident and tried to rush. The fiber told me just how wrong I was in many ways. Once I slowed down it was all good and fluffy.
describe it in one word	A: decadent B: droolworthy
how did you...
spin it	A: longish draw a la Judith McKenzie McCuin B: woolen with extra twist to keep it from drifting apart
ply it	A: threw it at the wheel, underplied B: 2 ply, a little overplied
WPI	A: 20 B: 18
finish it	A: menaced it, whacked it B: hot/cold shock, rubbed it, fulled it.
what would you make with it?	A: the softest lace scarf B: a camisole to wear all winter