The Mallard Cloud

Several weeks ago, one woman on a list I am on, advertised that she was clearing out older stock for the new lot coming in. So after a few emails, we settled on the colours and the amount. The real killer is the shipping!!

I got 6 bags of fluff! It is Merino/silk and is Oh so Soft! I have only one bag of Mallard, a kind of green with specks of yellow and maybe blue. I took it out of the bag, and unrolled it… and then unfolded it. It was a large carded batt of the softest wool and silk blend! I had to spin it immediately!

I wanted a soft twist, which is very hard for me to do. I like my yarns spun quite firmly and very fine. But I did it, a small skein, and it is so soft. That is what everyone says when I show it to them.

I tore off a strip off the batt about the width of a hand. I then pulled it out into a roving to make spinning easier. Those that spin will know what I mean; those that do not should know that preparation is everything! Spend time to prepare your fibres well, and your spinning almost happens by itself.

I am spinning this very fine, but with only enough twist to hold together. I will then ply it together, and hope there is enough twist to do this right! It may be too softly spun.

I have joined a Yahoo group that is doing a shawl Knit-A-Long (KAL). The owner of the list sends us a Clue about once a week. It is part of the pattern… we don’t get to know anything more than this. So we are all knitting it, bit by bit, speculating on the outcome, anxiously awaiting the next set of chart, learning a lot along the way. I haven’t started my shawl yet, because I am still spinning the yarn! I tried a sample, but don’t think I have the right needles for it. Oh, it’s all so exciting!

The sock? No, it’s not done yet; it is on hold for now. There are just too many other things to do!