I spent a long weekend in sniffly confinement but at least all that time indoors was good for my spinning! Here’s my #Spinzilla output (go #TeamSpinOff!):
That’s right, I spun 11 ounces of fiber into 1,270 yards of singles this week! That’s the most I’ve ever spun in that time frame. Nothing like a little competition for motivation! The top two skeins are remaining as singles (I’ll talk about those in a second). The three blue bobbins will be joined by another and plied into a 4-ply for Malabrigo Stockpile. And the green BFL will be chain-plied and used with the leftovers of my Glorious Gradients cowl to make a coordinating hat of some sort.
For the rainbow skeins, I took 4 oz of the Rockin’ Whorl Club rainbow Polwarth wool top and split it in half so that each 2 oz section was composed of a full mirrored color repeat (ROYGBIVIBGYOR). Then I split each section in half lengthwise and spun them end-to-end to create shorter color repeats. I tried to spin a thick singles yarn which I plan to use in a pair of colorful armwarmers. That pile of clown-barf-looking tangles is what the singles looked like fresh off the niddy noddy.
After a decent amount of abuse, the twist is much more relaxed but clearly still present (note the little kinks and curly-cues). To finish these skeins I dunked them in hot water and then in ice water thrice, agitating them a bit with my fingers as I did so. Then I snapped the skeins around my hands and then went to town thwacking them against a chair. That part was fun and really did the most to relax the twist. Jillian on the Knitty Blog has an excellent post illustrating the effects of different finishing techniques on the yarn. I ended up with one skein of 94 yards and the other 120 yards, so the spinning definitely could’ve been more consistent. Hopefully any differences won’t be too noticeable during knitting.
Did you participate in Spinzilla? What did you end up with? What’s the most you’ve ever spun in a week?
Woolen Diversions 
Wow, that’s a lot of yards in a week! I’m not even sure what my record is for ‘longest’ week in spinning. Love the green, so bright and happy!
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I looooooooooove the green and can’t wait for it to be a hat!
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So much spinning, so little time. How you did it is a mystery, but it’s beautiful none the less.
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Thanks, Lisa! It turns out that a few minutes here and there really add up!
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I am completely green with envy over your beautiful spinning. That is one talent I do not have.
Now look at the beautiful yarn you created!
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It’s crazy how addicting spinning is, it satisfies a completely different part of me than knitting!
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The rainbow yarn looks like fun, but I’m in love with that blue. Nice job!
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Thank you! I’m excited to get the blue plied up.
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I didn’t participate in Spinzilla, but seeing all your lovely yarn makes me wish I had. I’ve gotten a little stalled in my spinning. There is some white yarn I “should” be spinning, but there is a braid that I’d rather be spinning, which has lead to a no spinning stalemate.
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Oh, that’s the worst! I say ditch the ‘should’ yarn and start the ‘want’ yarn, but I’m terrible like that. 🙂
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Spinzilla was definitely the most I’ve ever spun. I ended up spinning about 20 oz of fiber. Still have some plying to do! I’ve never left anything as singles. I love your pictures of how much you got the twist to settle out!
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Wow – that’s an impressive amount of spinning!
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