Ep 139: Cotton Spinning, Camel Spinning, and Tunisian Crochet

Another fun episode recorded with live visitors. We have big spinning plans and a finished Tunisian crochet project. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com. Join the community on Ravelry to participate in the conversation.

Marsha's Projects:

I am continuing to knit on Summer Fjord by Trin-Annelie using Quince & Co Sparrow in three colors.

I finished a camel, merino and silk braid from Huckleberry Knits for our Summer Spin-A-Long.

I also started another spinning project with Huckleberry Knits 40/40/20 Targhee, bamboo and silk and Sauked in Farm 50/50 alpaca/Babydoll Southdown Wool. It will be a 3-ply yarn when I'm finished.

Kelly's Projects

I finished the Paving Mitts by Ellen Silva (twinsetellen). This is a fun, fast, Tunisian crochet pattern for mitts with a thumb gusset. Two thumbs up!

I'm back to work on the Mariannes Cardigan by Trine Bertelsen. The faux seam is working to hide the alternation of skeins better than when I didn't have the faux seam.

I started a pair of socks in handspun (Falkland in a colorway called Tomato and Mink.) I spun the yarn in a long color repeat fashion. Just end to end from one end of the roving to the other. It was chain-plied to preserve the colors and there is a nice color division between the rust and the gray. The stripes are very large.

I re-started and finished spinning a tricolor cotton roving. I spun about 4 oz. and I already had some from previous spinning. Plus I found another skein as I was preparing to record. It's about 2 oz. I have a total of about 8 oz and 1600 yards that I plan to weave into fabric.

I am planning more cotton spinning since I have such a large (and old!) cotton stash. A good portion of my cotton stash is Sally Fox Foxfibre. Sally Fox is a very interesting woman and you can hear an interview with her on the Weave Podcast Episode 52 or a two-part interview with her on Yarn Stories episode 201 and episode 202. Definitely worth a listen if you are interested in fiber and recent fiber history. Sally's current farm is growing test crops of cotton, organic wheat for flour, and merino sheep. Check out her Vreseis website to purchase any of her products, including yarn, roving, and fabric.

Finishing Cotton Yarn

I finished my cotton yarn by bringing it to a full boil and then turning it down to simmer for about 30 minutes. I had Borax in the water to make the solution more basic. Baking soda and washing soda are other alternatives. A basic pH can intensify the color of the natural cotton. The Ask the Bellwether blog has an informative post on finishing cotton handspun. Schacht Spindle company also has an informative post on spinning cotton and includes some information about finishing the yarn by boiling.

Bellepoint Rescue Farm--Wool Available

A listener shared that Bellepoint Rescue Farm in Ohio has fleece that they would like to get rid of. The owners are willing to give it away if the receiver will pay for the shipping. They have a Facebook page where you can contact them for more information. Or contact me and I will put you in touch. Free fleece can be a lot of work, but it can also be a great fiber adventure. I made lots of very usable yarn from some free fleece from meat sheep that a farmer once gave me because he wante to get rid of it.

Patron Appreciation!

All patrons active as of the beginning of June get a Ravelry download pattern of their choice up to a $7 value. Contact Kelly through Ravelry, Patreon or email.

Summer Spin-In

The Summer Spin-In started on US Memorial Day (May 25) and will continue until US Labor Day (September 7). Join in the chat thread and show off your finished projects in the FO
threads. We will have a thread for finished spinning projects and we'll also include a thread for finished projects made with handspun. So non-spinners can be included, too!