Braveharlot Inspired Me

I was talking with my fellow handspinner and gardener Lawre (maker of the famous "Stuff for your Fluff" custom bags and needle books) this weekend while pulling weeds in our garden. I said I haven't spun much in 2008, that I just don't have anything interesting worth spinning up in my pitiful stash. This is a sign that it's been TOO LONG since I've been to a fiber festival, and we immediately ran through the dates for the upcoming shows. Lawre said her stash had more than enough to go around, and we should dig through it once we were done digging in the dirt. She pulled out bin after bin of different fibers, and it was as much a revelation to her what was in the boxes as it was to me. I found several different bags I wanted to take home and just couldn't decide which to choose. I was delighted when she said I could have it all. Here's part of what I got:

This is a blend of mohair and border leicester. Not my colors normally, but something about it just grabbed me. I started spinning this as soon as I got home while rewatching Fellowship of the Ring (which I haven't seen in years). It glides out of the hands and is really dainty as yarn. There's not a lot in the bag, not sure if I'll ply it on itself, with wooly nylon to make a gimp (bumpity) yarn, or with a solid color wool for a stripey yarn to make it stretch further. It's just fun to be spinning again.

This next one is also mohair & border leicester. I learned to spin on a mohair wool blend and didn't like it at the time, but things are quite different now. The fiber has a particular smell that is very reminiscent of when I first learned to spin (egads, 11 years ago). I think this will make a really richly colored yarn when plied on itself. I think there's enough roving for something like a vest or cropped sweater. I've always wanted to knit a vest for myself, maybe this will be it. (God only knows why - I don't wear sweater vests, but it's an odd compulsion I think I should listen to).

Here's another small batch I got, very earthy and masculine. It would definitely be enough for a hat and maybe scarf or something. Also mohair/border leicester blend. Border Leicester is not usually one of my preferred wools, a bit too coarse for my snobby tastes. But this is really nice and soft, no scratchiness at all. All the photos look like they have white/lightly dyed sections, but that's just the flash reflecting off the lustrous mohair. All of these blends came from Kid Hollow Farm, and if I'm in the market for a mohair blend I will definitely see what they have up for sale next time.

All of this fiber is outside my normal realm of spinning. I normally work with naturally colored merino and blue-faced leicester wools. Color, luster, long staple length, mohair -- it's been so long since I dealt with these adjectives, it makes me feel like a new spinner again.