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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Yarn Notes Two

This only looks like the same post from a while ago.  I have added notes for Dena now that I have knit with most of the yarns.

Creekside Spun Umpqua Alpaca Blend
70% Alpaca 30% Silk
Sport 2 ply - 200 yards - 65 grams
This definitely felt softer than the lighter blend in the hank, but not as soft as the lighter silk blend when I was winding it into a ball or knitting with it.  It was delightful to work with and I would happily knit more.  It has a slight halo and is very soft and bouncy.

Creekside Spun Umpqua Alpaca Blend
70 % Alpaca 20 % Merino 10% Silk
Fingering 2 ply - 200 yards - 76 grams
Interestingly, the darker 70/30 blend felt softer in the hank, but the lighter 70/20/10 blend feels softer in the ball.  
This is loosely spun which makes long tail cast on a little more difficult as the tail unspins as you go.  Also, this is not as consistent as some mill spun yarns are - it is just a little thick and thin, not nearly as much as the Royal Fiber Spinnery crap that I used for that big shawl that I never got paid for knitting.  This is delightfully soft to knit with but it looks like the lace will show fine when blocked even though there is a bit of a halo.

I love both these yarns - a lot, a whole lot.


 Fantasy Fibers Inc.
80% Alpaca 20% Merino
Says Sport Weight, but definitely Fingering - 300 Yards - 105 grams

This yarn felt soft and seemed to have the tiniest bit of halo on the outside of the ball but I think that must have been from handling.  I started pulling from the center of the ball and it is much more like string inside.  It looks like string and sometimes feels like string - it is possible that it has spinning grease still in the yarn though it doesn't feel like it and most spineries don't produce greasy yarn anymore.   I am wondering if it is going to bloom when I wet it - I am betting that it will.  Also, it has a bit too much twist in the plying, it twists back on itself and kinks a fair amount but probably not enough to affect the knitting.

This one did bloom when soaked, but not nearly enough to actually make it a sport weight - I would still call it a fingering weight.  I didn't soak any of the unknit yarn, so I cannot quote wpi to be sure of size, but at the very least it is a light sport.

 Snow Peak Alpacas
85% Alpaca 15% Merino
Fingering - 200 yards - 55 grams
This yarn was noticeably less soft when I was winding it into a ball.  I didn't feel the difference in the hank.
I did not use this one in the shawl so can't say much about knitting it yet.  Any ideas?

  Snow Peak Alpacas
70% Alpaca 30% Merino
DK - 200 yards - 77 grams
 This is lovely and soft and very nice to knit with - not splitty, or lumpy bumpy or thick and thin. It did have a few spots where there were extra bits, but I think that's a function of the alpaca not being over processed like the folks at Royal Alpaca do.  I do think this was the thickest DK weight I've ever used in knitting and would probably call it a worsted.

 Snow Peak Alpacas
80% Alpaca 20% Merino
Probably DK (not on label) - 200 yards - 77 grams
I think this was softer than the brown but it was just as delightful to knit.  I would happily knit with either of these yarns anytime.  And think our alpaca would be lovely made into any of these.  Again, I think this is thick enough to be a worsted.


 This is the unknown 'bulky' yarn.  I will just knit it into a small square.

Still haven't knit this one . . . but it is lovely and soft and I really like it.

Teresa

1 comment:

Dena said...

I put a comment on here but forget to hit enter.

Having knit all of these, what weight and mix shall we use to spin up our fleece. The fleece will be here in late May or early June. Well, actually the fleece is already in the back yard but the shearer will be here in late May early June.

And we will have it spun up as?????