Mixing Things up for a Sweater
words and photos by: Johanna Carter
I always admire those who are able to spin mountains of yarn for a big project, ready to knit a wonderful sweater or cardigan. It is a satisfying feeling when you finish all that work, especially if you started with washing and combing the wool or even raising your own sheep.
Mixing spinning and knitting
The typical way to work through a larger project is to spin all the singles first and ply them in a particular order so you get the yarn even throughout the whole project. I don’t have so many bobbins, but my bigger problem is that I am quite impatient and want to get on with knitting once I have an idea. And normally, my brain is full of ideas for fibre work and the limit is the time, as I am a musician and teacher. I can’t sit at the spinning wheel for a long time if I’m not on holiday, so during the school year I mostly knit, and during the holidays I can dye, spin, use my drum carder, and do lots of fibre work. The only time I was able to produce bigger quantities of yarn before I knitted them up was during the Tour de Fleece in the two years during the pandemic, when we did not go on holiday at the beginning of July.
A highly photogenic collection of naturally dyed fibres.
I like to finish knitting one big project like a sweater or cardigan before I start the next one, or at least until I can’t carry it in my bag easily anymore, so I have an excuse to begin the next one. Sometimes it is good to have a second project on the go – I call it mindless knitting, where I don’t have to look very much – which I can keep my hands busy during Zoom or other meetings, which helps me listen.
Mixing colours and fibres
Usually I dye my yarn with plants which I collect in the woods or get from garden flowers. I also use cochineal and indigo, which I buy, to get lots of different colours. I really love the greens and blues I get from dyeing with indigo. I have lots of dyed wool, and all those colours give me inspiration for further projects.
Beautiful greens and blues dyed by the author using indigo and other natural dyes.
Blending the wool on the drum carder I can get even more shades. I like to blend with fibres like silk, alpaca, or plant fibres, and I love sari silk, to get those little bits of colour in my yarn.
Fibres of different types and colours are blended on a drum carder for elegant results.
When I have an idea for the next sweater, I start carding, and then I can begin to spin. Once I have spun enough yarn – say, for one day – I cast on and start knitting, usually top down, so I don’t have to decide too much in advance about length and width.
An idea for the author’s next sweater in the gathering stages.
When I spin on my wheel, I have to sit at home, but while spinning I can read a book or talk to others during online meetings. I also like to spin on my spindles, and that works on a walk, or a museum visit. I take them on holiday as they don’t need much space, and when I spin for a lace shawl, I don’t even need much wool either. At home there are spindles all over the place; I can spin when I am waiting for the kettle to boil, when the computer is slow, when I am cooking. Like that I can make good use of a short time and the yarn still grows.
Knitting as soon as the yarn is spun helps the author complete sweater projects in a timely manner.
I can take my knitting almost everywhere, which is why I don’t want to wait to get started until I have spun all the yarn for a whole sweater. I knit at home, on the bus or train. The only thing I have to make sure of is to be one step ahead with the yarn.
I love to knit Fair Isle sweaters. My favourite method is to use only one bobbin, which I don’t even fill, because I need smaller quantities of lots of colours. Then I wind a ply ball and ply it on itself. For that I put my thumb through the ball, so I can tension the two singles with my fingers and they don’t get tangled, as long as my thumb (or a cardboard roll or a pencil) stays in the middle. I don’t have any leftovers from plying, and it is quick when I suddenly need more yarn.
Several charming sweaters dyed, spun, and knit by the author.
I have never had problems with the yarn not being consistent enough throughout a project. I just know what yarn I want and my fingers seem to remember what to do. I am sure it is good advice to have a little card tied to the spinning wheel with a bit of the singles you are aiming for, so you can check and make sure you are spinning a consistent yarn.
Mixing breeds
There are so many different breeds, but some of my favourites are Shetland, BFL, and Jämtland – a Swedish breed. After dyeing them, I often forget what I have used, so when I do a new project it often turns out that I have used different breeds and fibres just to get the right colour. For the Fair Isle knitting I want to juggle lots of colours, which is more important to me than making a sweater out of only one breed.
Recently I made a pullover for my husband using about 12 different breeds and colours, even mixing short and long draw. For me it was a breed experiment and a way to use up lots of smaller quantities of wool I had in my stash. For that sweater I used combed top without blending.
Mixing in knitting during the spinning process is a wonderful way for a spinner to avoid being overwhelmed during a sweater project.
My feeling is that some people don’t dare to start spinning for a bigger project because they get overwhelmed by the quantity they have to spin and then all the knitting there is to do, especially when you want to spin the yarn entirely on spindles. Mixing the spinning and knitting for the same project is more interesting; you get more variety and more freedom to choose what you want to do next as long as you don’t run out of yarn. It breaks the project down into smaller, less daunting parts. The only thing you might want to plan is to have enough fibre at the start, but even that is not necessary, there is always a sheep growing more wool.
DIY Community
Today we have the pleasure of visiting with Rachel Anne MacGillivray, who is here to remind us of the importance of community and how to start your own if you haven’t got a fiber community nearby.
I have a friend, Anna, who’s a lovely and talented woman and, like me, has the Fiber Fever. We recently spent a Sunday afternoon working together in her studio because I had a project I wanted to make that called for some extremely chunky corespun. The jumbo bobbin on my spinning wheel wasn’t up for the job, but Anna has a Country Spinner that she was all too happy to let me use.
She felted and I spun, and while we worked away we chatted, shared stories and happy silences, and all around enjoyed the satisfaction of being with someone who really, really gets what you do. Oh, and tea. We drank lots of that.
While I was there I got thinking about all the different people in my life who are also into fiber and the various groups I belong to, and how they all enrich my experience of making. I don’t know about you, but often, after a long week, I have the urge to hole myself up in the house and just spin or fiber all of the hours away (ok, yes, occasionally I do this and love it). But, just as important is getting out there and being with people while you make – building up and taking part in your personal fiber community.
There are the obvious benefits of course: talking, laughing, having fun, and the joy that comes with sharing. Here are some other great reasons for building your own fiber community:
- Resources: Have a question about a technique? Looking for just the right book? Odds are someone else has suggestions, tips, and lots of ideas for you. More bodies = more heads = more knowledge!
- Encouragement & inspiration: This is my favourite. ‘Nuff said.
- Support: Be it emotional, moral, learning, or even financial (lots of guilds & groups have awards/ grants), having the support of a community goes a long way.
- Sharing: Being part of a group can mean access to resources and events you wouldn’t otherwise have had by sharing things such as equipment, space, or booth fees at a sale. I belong to a fiber group that has a loom for any of us to use (in lives at one member’s house). How cool is that?
- More strengths & interests: Do you love to spin, but don’t dye? Maybe someone in your groups lives for wild carding but doesn’t spin. Support each other’s businesses, or trade fiber for fiber/casseroles/craft beer. A vibrant community is good for everyone! (I often trade handspun for knit socks, which my toes love!)
- A reason to Make and push yourself: Days get busy & sometimes it’s hard to squeeze in making, but I love that when I have a meeting coming up it motivates me to sit and spin & try new things. Sometimes that’s before my meeting and sometimes just during.
- Laughter & companionship: I know I said it at the beginning, but it’s just such a great part of the whole thing! It’s wonderful to share the thing you love with people you love, but to share the thing you love with people who love it to, and grow to love those people? Well… That’s just rosy.
Need some help finding YOUR community? Here’re some ideas to get you started:
- Local: Look for guilds in your area (try spinning, fiber arts, knitting, etc). Check out yarn shops and libraries to see if they have groups that meet. Keep your eye open for “makerspaces” or other community centers and comb your local craft sales and fairs for spinners. Don’t be afraid to ask where they hang out.
- Regional: find regional retreats, seminars, festivals, fairs, and workshops with google, facebook, and magazines. There are at least 7 annual fiber arts retreats in the Canadian Maritimes, and some have spawned smaller get-togethers for those who just can’t wait a year!
- Internet: Get involved with an online community like Ravelry, Craftsy, or Reddit (reddit.com/r/knitting has spinning) or look for groups on Facebook. Want a more localized one? Start a Facebook group for spinning in your region. Instagram is also a great resource!
Don’t be afraid to start your own group; you may be surprised to see where it goes and who you meet.
Further Resources:
Handweavers Guild of America, Inc local guilds directory
Have some other suggestions or ideas for finding community? I’d love for you to share them in the comments!
In love with all things Textiley, Rachel Ann MacGillivray teaches spinning & other things at the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design in Fredericton, Canada. A farm kid, spinning and wool are in her bones (well, not literally in her bones, that would be just a bit too wobbly). Oh yeah, and she loves drinking tea. Like, a lot.
Where Did My Mojo Go?
Lucinda Williams by Yee Haw Industries
In the words of Lucinda Williams,
” I think I lost it
Let me know if you come across it
Let me know if I let it fall
Along a back road somewhere…”
My spinning, knitting and fiber mojo has left the building. I think about doing things, I make plans to do things, I get things out and even fiddle with them, I pack things to do on my trips but I am not feeling it at all. The only fiber work that gets done is for deadlines, for paycheck work.
I’m not worried, just bummed. I’ve been here before and I know it usually means something is going to break out of my brain soon and I ‘ll know my next creative direction. I’ve watched other people do the same thing. It’s that tick, tick, tick, upward ride on a roller coaster before that first big drop.
My problem is, I am not a patient person. I want to know what’s next. Even as a process person and knowing this is part of my creative process, it’s hard to sink into it. But that’s what I have to do. Here’s what I do when I drop my mojo along a back road somewhere.
Don’t stop. I never stop trying, I don’t give up. For one I still have work to do which means I’m always spinning, knitting, weaving, fibering and writing and talking about it.
Dream. I’m a daydreamer and I like to dream outside. I watch bugs and wonder. I stare at horizons and fly. I float by on clouds or ride leaf down a stream.
Look and listen. I read, I watch, I listen. Books, movies, magazines, tv, videos, exhibits, music, plays, podcasts, I mainline input pretty randomly until my brain relaxes, then I start getting interested in specific things, wanting to revisit something I saw or heard or seeking out something new.
Follow my nose. I follow anything that interests me, anything. I research and try anything that causes the tiniest spark of curiosity in me. This is great fun and how I make connections to things that I’d never thought about putting together.
I get things out. I walk, dance, sing, cook, sweat, talk, laugh, play whenever the mood strikes me and sometimes when it doesn’t. Walking especially unhooks my brain.
Write it all down. I love to write. The physical act of writing soothes me, not to mention all of the pens and paper I have to play with. I keep track of every idea no matter how weird or stale, I have to get it out of my head before new things can pop in.
Stop fighting. Inside my head it sounds like this, “Now!”, “No, not yet”, “Now”, “No”, “Now?” “Nope”. On and on, until I stop fighting it and just give in to the ride.
What do you do to find your mojo?
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What’s inside the Bouclé issue?
The Autumn 2016 “Bouclé” issue is busy making its way to various destinations around the world. Whether you’re a subscriber waiting for your copy to arrive, or you’ve been thinking of subscribing and you’d like a preview before you buy, today’s post is here to give you a sneak peek inside the issue!
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The word bouclé is French for “buckled,” which makes sense because a bouclé yarn is bent back on itself, creating loops of yarn along the strand. This technique takes time to create and even more to master, but we think it’s a worthwhile endeavor! This textured yarn can be light, airy, big and bulky – all at the same time! Dig into this issue and brush up on your bouclé making skills with us!
Great Articles!
We’ve rounded up the a talented group of spinners and asked them to share their insights and experiments with us, and as always we’ve got a tip jar full of helpful hints from our readers, new information on the spinning SCENE, and how to keep your spinning body happy by Carson Demers! Take a look at what you’ll get:
- Basic Boucle, by Jacey Boggs Faulkner – Jacey’s introduction to this loopy, fun technique.
- Boucle by Breed, by Michelle Boyd – Michelle experimented with 5 different breeds of wool to create a bouclé yarn from each and explain how the characteristics of the wool affected the outcome.
- Binder and Core, by Amanda Hartrich – Choosing the main fiber for a bouclé yarn is just the beginning – in this article, Amanda explores the options with mixing and matching 4 different types of materials as binders and cores for bouclé.
Offended Fiber: Woolen Prep for Bouclé, by Jillian Moreno – What happens when you deviate from the standards? Jillian finds out in her exploration of building a bouclé using woolen-spun wool instead of worsted-spun mohair.- The Convoluted History of Bouclé Yarn, by Patsy Zawistoski – How are telephone wire and horsehair connected to bouclé yarn? Find out in this article!
- 2-Step Bouclé, by Melissa Yoder Ricks – Traditional bouclé is a 3-step process, and it involves the use of mohair. Melissa has found a way to modify the traditional technique and create a 2-step bouclé using other types of yarn & fiber; and now she’s teaching it to the rest of us!
- Spin It! Pseudo Bouclé, by Amy Tyler – There’s more than one way to spin a bouclé, and in this article Amy puts a cable-plied twist on the topic.
- Spin It! Differential Shrinkage Bouclé, by Maggie Casey – Differential shrinkage happens when some fibers shrink more than others when washed; it’s an especially large problem if you’re going to knit, crochet, or weave with two different fibers as it can warp the finished fabric of your piece. Abby has found a way to work around this problem, and she’s sharing it with us in her piece.
- Spin It! Cloud Bouclé, by Sylvia French – Sylvia explains her technique for using mohair clouds to create a light and airy corespun bouclé.
- Which Longwool?, by Beth Smith – Maybe you want to try spinning a bouclé but you’re fresh out of mohair (or it just isn’t your favorite fiber). So which wool should you choose? A Longwool breed is a natural choice, and in this article Beth gives us some options to consider.
Spin It! Silk Bouclé, by Coleen Nimetz – Silk is often used as a core or binder for bouclé, but it might surprise you to learn that it makes a pretty interesting wrapper, too.- Spin It! Hemp Bouclé, by Kara Perpelitz – Inspired by a soap bag she purchased in a farm shop, Kara set out to spin a hemp bouclé yarn to create exfoliating texture for this handy accessory.
- Spin It! Loopy Horsehair, by Maja Siska – After receiving a gift of horse tails, Maja decided to embark on two brand-new-to-her concepts: spinning horsehair and spinning bouclé.
- Spin-D’Lay (Spindle Bouclé), by Amelia Garripoli – Yes, you can spin bouclé on a spindle. You can also climb Mt. Everest – but is it really worth it? Amelia offers an alternative that’s more fun to spin and still provides that loopy structure.
- Spin It! True Spindle Bouclé, by Tracy Hudson – Still wanna try spinning a traditional bouclé on a spindle? OK, we’ve got you covered for that, too!
- You Can Weave with That!, by Amy King – You can absolutely weave with bouclé – Amy’s got two different examples to show you!
Fantastic Projects
In every issue of PLY, you’ll find a handful of projects for knitting, weaving, crocheting and more – along with instructions for how to best spin the yarns you’ll use in those projects. Here are the projects from the Autumn issue:
Sieve Cowl, by Brittany Wilson – This cowl is business in the back and a party up front – perfect for wearing with a jacket to keep you warm without a lot of bunching at the back of your neck.- Traveling Hood, by Jolene Mosley – You’re ready to go anywhere with this two-color, two-texture project.
- Hemp Bouclé Soap Bag, by Kara Perpelitz – Exfoliate your skin and practice your spinning skills with this easily-giftable project.
- Woven Bouclé Blanket, by Sara Lamb – A simple design showcases stunning yarns and optimal warmth.
- Faux Astrakhan Winter Hat, by Patsy Zawistowski – Weave up a bouclé fabric and use it to sew into a warm winter hat.
Everything Else!
We know that bouclé is a tricky technique to master, so in Tip Jar we’re rounding up the best tips from our readers to help you spin with success. Scene is full of things on the spinning scene that you’ll want to know about including new books from Beth and Jillian, fiber festivals and fantastical retreats, and a brand-new magazine for men. And don’t forget to check out our Independent Spinner page to find all the details on the products featured in this issue!
If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that right here on our website! And be sure to pick up a copy of this issue if you don’t already have one (or it isn’t on its way to you)!
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