This weeks spinning and dyeing

This weeks spinning project was to spin and set the seacell half of last weeks dyeing..

It ended up about DK weight (thick and thin, here and there). I split the roving in half lengthwise to make 2 singles, the seacell gave them a beautiful sheen. I plied them together with more twist than I would normally and I've ended up with quite long runs of colour giving me quite a subtle barber pole effect overall, which I like. The seacell has made the whole skein pearlescent like the inside of a seashell which is an interesting finish when you consider that it comes from seaweed.

I had time to dye 2 more 100g pieces of roving this week. One falkland and one a merino and tencel mix. I had them both in the same pot using much the same techniques as last week because it went so well.

I started by going for an aqua and pink bath with the idea of big patches of black in it. I haven't yet been brave enough to try the black dye because I think when you add black to something it really mutes it down, or goes too dark. I exhausted the dye bath and added some patches of dark grey.

Well, it did mute it down, but there are pops of the original pink and aqua in there though it is subtle. I think they look like storms. Especially where the tencel has refused the dye in the merino blend - it looks like little forks of lightning.

There's always the fear that you have managed to felt yourself some impressively dyed sausages but they have both fluffed up very well and should draft fine. I'm really looking forward to spinning one of them in the week to come and i am impressed with the changes in the colour. I am feeling like I get more enjoyment from my spinning wheel now that I am dyeing my own wool, it's more involved somehow.

I am completely out of undyed fluff now, other than about 50g of some oatmeal BFL, so I have duly ordered more, along with some superwash sock yarn so that I can try that out too!