Friday, August 19, 2011

FF: 3-plies, as far as the eye can see

The second experiment in my exploration of selling handspun yarn came in the form of two Spunky Eclectic tops I'd been eyeing for a while, and was inspired by my friend Caro, the Queen of the Three Ply.

SE Panda and SW merino

Fiber: on the left, SE Panda (60% superwash merino/30% bamboo/10% nylon) in "Blue Moon", on the right, SE superwash merino in "Emerald Isle", both purchased on my first visit to Amy's bricks and mortar store in August of 2009.

Spun/plied: 15:1/12:1 and 15:1/15:1 respectively, both spun worsted, with a short forward draw. I prepped each top by splitting it into three equal lengths, and then stripping each piece into 6 sections. I spun each length on to one bobbin and then 3-plied.

Stats: 241 yds and 144 yds respectively (might have to double check that second measurement). Approximately DK weight on both.

SE Panda
SE Panda

Now for the experiment part. I spun up the Panda willy nilly, and loved every minute of it. The finished yarn is smooth and drapey and I desparately want more so I can make a tank top out of this stuff. The bamboo gives it a lovely shine.

When I pulled out the other superwash merino, I decided to keep track of how long it took me to spin it up.

SE superwash merino
SE superwash merino

Not counting prep time, it took me four hours to spin the yarn. I finished it by soaking in warm wat, spinning out the extra water in the washing machine and hanging to dry. So, this skein (if actually 144 yds) works out at £55 (including cost of fiber), which is £0.38/yd. Which falls into the range I've found. So now I've just got to see what the cost is for a 2 ply, and I should have my bases covered. Although if I spun woolen, it might end up being a bit faster...

2 comments:

Caro said...

Both gorgeous - I keep scrolling up and down to decide which I like better, and failing.

Caro Qot3P - and honoured ;-)

porpoise said...

Thanks Caro! I finally had to put them away because I kept fondling them so much. I am loving the way these more tonal handdyed colorways look in three ply.