For some reason, “A Study in Scarlet” has placed itself in my head as the right thing to call what I am doing right now. There is no Holmes-ian sleuthing, nor any grand southern mansion, nor indeed are all the colors scarlet, but there is a thread of both intense red and an analytical approach that inspires what I have been doing, so I am sticking with it!
I admit to an addiction to gorgeous dyed roving as my spinning of choice. Many people are thrilled to spin white clouds of wool or to immerse themselves in fluffy piles of soft brown or tan alpaca. I appreciate both those things, but I am drawn like a moth (*gasp*) to a flame when it comes to intensely dyed fiber. And I am probably most drawn to reds (aka scarlet). I can’t figure this out. Red isn’t my color. I look horrible in it. I almost never buy red (one exception: red leather shoes, to which I am shamefully, thoroughly addicted). Anyway, I have no idea why, but take me to a fiber stall and I gravitate away from my favorite colors and towards those deep reds, vibrant oranges, and pretty pinks.
Recently I have had two lovely experiences with some Abstract Fiber* roving. One of the things I adore about their products is the intensity of the colors they achieve. Their reds are among the deepest of any dyer I have encountered. They have great blues and greens, of course, but there is something about the depth
of red that really sings to me. Also, when they have various hues within a braid, the hues blend easily with each other – making the resultant yarn almost always pleasing.
My first effort started with their Merino/Silk blend (colorway Bonfire). This is a great fiber blend for spinning and the colors are fantastic. Check out the bobbin picture at the left to see the colors in this colorway and how it looks spun. I used my Kromski Symphony wheel for this project. Although I originally thought about creating a two-ply, the two plies threatened to create a barber pole effect (two sharply contrasting colors twisted around each other). I looked for a third ply that would enhance the colors in the braid. Using scarlet emphasized the greens and blacks. Green just clashed. But using a black single made the reds pop. I chose a single of black silk – the result was magnificent, if I do say so. Sampling with singles really was key.
This is a true 3-ply (all singles plied together). One advantage to a 3-ply is that any variations in spinning average out. Check out the red in the single – how deep and true – and how it sings in the final yarn. I have enough to make something bigge
r than just a cowl – I just need to decide whether to knit or weave it.
The second red braid (colorway SOAR) stayed more in the red/yellow part of the color 
wheel. After spinning two braids (4 oz.) each, I plied them with each other (all on my Pocket Wheel). Because the colors were closer in hue and because I had spun the two braids so they would be very similar, I could create a simple two-ply. Check out the ball of yarn above and you can see the gradient effect achieved. However, after finishing the yarn, I wasn’t very pleased with my plying job. It just did not have enough twist. Luckily I have a great little machine that applies twist – my spinning wheel. So I bit the bullet, wound the skeins into balls, ran them through the wheel again, and re-washed them. The result was much better and will be more useful – especially if I decide to knit with the result. Lesson for me: do not settle. It really wasn’t that hard to fix. And look at that RED (scarlet ;-)!
Next time: LACE
You had me at scarlet, and brought it home with Alpaca. Wow, I may just start calling you Ms. Magic Hands.