Matisse art roving does alpaca roving & more

Last spring I subscribed to an Art Roving club at Taossunflower Too.  Finally a year later I spun up the "Matisse at Notre Dame" Falkland roving as finely as I could.   I'm still working on my fine yarn spinning.  Anyway.  It turns out I had dyed an alpaca roving with approximately the same colorway.  Total serendipity, for sure.   Short story is I plied them together to get this yarn.  The alpaca softens up the Falkland nicely.  Think I will list it in the shop. I ended up with almost 400 yards.

Remember this?  I think this "Mermaid" "spinning with locks yarn" might be gorgeous in a project with the Matisse.  I have a theory that your taste prevails when you are picking color, and it will co-ordinate with what one already has. What do you think?

Retreat reprise

Fiber, fiber, fiber has been my focus since the Fancy Fibers retreat in early February. Gosh, that was a month ago. I have finished spinning the Easter Basket superwash merino roving I dyed in Mary's dye class.

It's actually a big, big bouncy skein that I think I will knit into a Trinket shawl (more on that pattern later).

Below is the finished Mermaid yarn spun from a handpainted roving and then embellished as I spun, with mohair locks, angelina and whatever ended up in my lap.

I have two huge skeins of this to play with. Now I think I need to get out in the world and see what's going on. I hear the Academy Awards are on tonight. I want to see what everyone is wearing.

This and That from the Retreat

First of all, I want this golden color for my carder. I want it in some batts I am dreaming of making. Rita wouldn't share but would let me take this photo.

Can you see how fast the bobbing is flying on Liz's wheel? She is completely amazing with her spinning and speed. Her yarns are gorgeous.


I walked over to the dying room (that sounds bad!) before breakfast yesterday to see the painted roving all dried and fluffed out. What colors. People are spinning them up now.

See these cool drying racks? They are really for sweaters. The have a vertical fan behind them to accelerate the drying process. Home Shopping network got my order. I had to have one. I'll even use it for sweaters sometimes.

I have to end with a pic of the final bobbin of the lock enhanced Mermaid roving. Now I am off this week to find a rayon thread to ply it with.