Alpaca Handspun

I finally finished spinning the alpaca fibre that was on my spindle. For the second half of the roving, I tried my new spindle. It was awesome. What a difference a well balance, sturdy spindle makes. I can get thinner, more uniform yarn and faster too! Also, there is less tendency to overspin.

I decided to leave it single ply. So, here it is, approx 345 meters. It felted slightly during the soak, which says something for our weather, I guess, as I was using normal tap water.
After finishing this, I could not stop spinning and and tried some of the new roving that came with the spindle. It drafts and spins so smoothly, it is really fun.

At Random

I have had a serious case of castonitis over the last week and have started several projects. Currently, I have six active WIP's on my needles/hook. So, of necessity, the progress is slow and I have no recent photos of these WIPs to share.

Cooking is not my forte. I tend to stick to the dishes I know and cook them over and over again. (have not had any complaints from my family yet :)). So, it is a huge deal when I try something new. Last week, I got to cook a pot chicken roast or Murghe Musallam (urdu for whole chicken). It turned out ok and I was excited enough to take a pic.

I had a wonderful surprise today. I got a package from a Canadian friend at forum sporum (ravelry).

She sent me a drop spindle kit with a gorgeous wooden spindle and lovely rovings in two awesome colors. Now, I am itching to try out my new spindle :)

Spin Some More

Taking a small break from my knitting, I tried some spinning on my drop spindle. The roving is alpaca fibre my friend sent me last month. it is so soft and easy to spin. The yarn is coming out quite thin.
This is not a very clear pic but will have to do for now.

My First Handspun

It took me a while (about ten days to be exact) but I have finally spun my first yarn. It was fun and enjoyable. Considreing the homemade spindle that I used and it being my first proper attempt, I am quite pleased with the results. And the flattering color also helps. This was the roving:

My single was a bit overspun but when I plied the yarn, it lost its extra spin. I suppose spinning with a wheel must be a lot faster. Also the spindle can hold only a limited amount of yarn. The final numbers.... 200 yards of 2-ply handspun.

I have limited spinning vocabulary so I hope I got all the terms right.

Thank You, Ulla

Look what I got in mail today from my penpal Ulla from north of Sweden. Reading my exploit about spinning cotton, she has sent me BFL roving in such nice colorway. Also look at the pretty drawstring bag the roving was in. Also in the package were her usual letter as well as a Birthday card for me. (I have my birthday on 30th June). Thank you so much, Ulla.

I have already started spinning with this roving and after the cotton experience, I am finding it a breeze. Loving the process, only my husband seemed a little grumpy at first but thankfully there is a Pakistan-India cricket match to keep him amused. I will post pictures when I am done with the spinning.