Paws 2 SpindleOct 23

First time blending fibers!* 1 oz each Tibetan Mastiff and merino top for a 50:50 blend. I did multiple thin alternating layers on the blending board, and then re-blended with 2-3 more passes to further blend the fibers.

This is actually the first time that I've been able to use the technique of pulling back on the dowels to further draw out and align the fibers. It was so smooth, and everything stayed together! (Definitely NOT the case with husky fur, which is much shorter & slipperier.)

It's a bit of a shame to reduce top to rolags, but some test draws from the ends suggest it should still be nice to spin. I don't have blending combs/hackles, and I think the combs I have are too fine for blending of this fiber.

Also, the merino staple length is about half that of the mastiff, so I'm not sure how well combing would work for blending the two. I was surprised how well the rolags came together!

#FiberArts #HandSpun #Chiengora

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleOct 23
Our evening's background entertainment while doing fiber prep. Movie choice inspired by a friend's comments elsewhere on social media.
Show threadPaws 2 SpindleOct 23

* Oh! I forgot to include the footnote in the initial post. 🤪 Technically I've blended white wool and Siberian Husky fur while learning to use a drum carder the first time, but I'm not terribly happy with that result, so it doesn't count!

Next time I rent the drum carder, I'll bring it with me and see if a few more passes help.

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleOct 24

First test spin of the Tibetan Mastiff / merino blend!

It went OK. No worries about the yarn falling apart (I'm always comparing my spinning to the short, slick husky fur that I first learned on!) but as I feared, it's not as smooth as I'd hoped. Even though the merino top blended nicely with the fur, it often came out in little clumps that were difficult to tease apart (which I mostly left in). I suspect that the long fur fibers tend to draft out more/faster, and with the coiled rolag format, the shorter, stickier wool bunches up on itself more before getting pulled out.

I started with a worsted-style short draw, but experimented with long draw. The long draw would tease me with success initially, but then start to clump up in the fiber-managing hand again. I suspect the long draw gets more long fur out of the rolag, leaving some of the wool to build up in the hand.

The yarn is also much thinner than I was hoping for: it was hard to get an even width (without chunks) in a thicker single. The woolen long draw did seem to work for a slightly thicker strand, for as long as the technique was working, which is a frustrating tease!

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleDec 9

Finally finished the Oni (Tibetan Mastiff) x merino (50:50) blend!

I did each of the 4 rolags in an evening: 1-1.5 hours per. As I went along, I got more confident and consistent at the long draw, though the results were still much more uneven than my worsted style. (Re-watching some long-draw videos online, I seem to be well within the margin of variability for the technique.)

The singles remained quite thin. I'm not sure if this kind of fiber can be spun long-draw any thicker, with practice, or if every fiber has a thickness that it "wants" to be given the physics involved. I split them into 3 "equal" cones, and then triple-plied them, washed and let it set.

The color is clearly darker than the original slightly-variable mastiff fur: it seems that the dark espresso brown of the merino dominates...

🧵 ...

#HandSpinning #Yarn #Chiengora

Show threadPaws 2 Spindle

More photos of the yarn in various preparations for visual comparison/appreciation.

The 100% fur yarn is much fuzzier, and based on g per yd, much less dense too, which is interesting! The Oni 1 batch was drum carded and spun semi worsted. Both are 3-ply.

Oni/merino blend #3 came out at 22 wpi when wrapped around the frame for washing and setting. That seems pretty much in "fingering" territory to me.

This yarn doesn't have much squish or stretch, so I'm not sure what it would be best suited for. Weaving? I could knit a pair of socks to see how hard-wearing and insulating the fur/wool combo is.

I still need to knit a swatch from this to see how it behaves on the needles, so this experiment isn't quite done, but for now the 🧵 is!

#HandSpun #Yarn #Chiengora

Dec 9 at 10:40pmWeb
Show threadPaws 2 SpindleDec 9

OK, I lied about the end of the 🧵 !

I forgot to mention that this specific 50;50 blend seems to do a disservice to the special fur I'm using: it doesn't really showcase the color or the fuzzy texture.

I think I need to try a 2:1 or 3:1 (fur:wool) blend next to see at what point I get the benefits of wool (elasticity & grip against the slippery fur) while still letting the fur shine.

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleDec 21

Swatch time! I finally got around to knitting a swatch of the Oni 3.0/merino 50:50 blend.

The word I keep using to describe this yarn is "sturdy". It is not fluffy or soft or very elastic, but it is dense (despite being woolen drafted) and makes a nice solid fabric. I'm thinking maybe fingerless gloves where you're more interested in blocking wind than insulation.

While not soft and squishy, it is also not scratchy, but has a nice smooth feel against the skin, with a bit of a tickle from the light furry halo.

As with the 100% Oni 2.x series, this is 30sts wide, with 4x sts/row seed stitch border & divider between stockinette on 3.0 and 2.5 mm needles.

However, while the 2.x series was 2-ply and ranged 20-25 wpi, this 3.0 yarn is 3-ply, and yet also in the 20-22 wpi range. So the singles were definitely finer overall this time around.

The 2.x swatches were getting really curly, so I re-blocked them along with the 3.0 swatch for better comparison. Of the two, the slightly lighter colored one with the extra-thin tails is woolen-drafted, while the other is worsted.

#Yarn #HandSpinning #Chiengora

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleDec 21

I am still of the opinion that a 2:1 or 3:1 blend of fur:wool will be a better ratio, adding the structural benefits of wool while letting the furry characteristics and colors shine.

With the new drum carder, creating those blends is high on my list!