A Sunshine Handspun Yarn Story

Hi, Knitters,
This past week an accomplishment happened, albeit minor in many ways. I finished spinning the best yarn I have spun to date. I don't know what happened but the last two yarns I spun have all of a sudden seemed hugely improved somehow. It makes me excited to see this sudden improvement when it has been such a gradual learning process. Really, I don't know that anyone else could even see the improvement but I feel and see it in the yarn. There is something better going on in there. I have been spinning for a little under two years now so hopefully things will continue on an uphill climb in the technique area. Spinning is such a good thing.

With that being said, I am excited to share my latest yarn creation with you.

Here is the information:
Roving: Sunshine Yarns, 100% superwash merino, 8 oz., Desert Cactus
Yarn: 596 yards total of a sport weight (Remember, this is only a guess until I start knitting and I enjoy that.)
3-ply: 564 yards
Navajo ply: 32 yards (I Navajo plied the uneven remaining singles left on two of the bobbins.)

 This is the roving directly out of the bag.

 The pre-drafted roving wound into gigantic fluffy balls are anxiously awaiting the wheel. I divided and weighed it into three-parts at 2 5/8 oz. for each section. The division worked out perfectly to get 3 very even bobbins of singles.

 I purposely tried to spin pretty thin because I knew it was going to be a 3-ply yarn in the end and I didn't want it to be too thick.

 Three beautiful, full bobbins of singles are rested and waiting to be plied. That biggest bobbin there in the front was deceiving, it was the first to run out when plying.

 I was completely enraptured once I began plying. 

 One plied bobbin done. The plied singles filled two bobbins.

The colors are wonderfully subtle and complex. From farther away it looks gray. Up close you can see bursts of orange, purple, green, and charcoal mixed in. 

 The finished yarn is lofty and light as air.

I have decided that I am going to knit a modified Quaker Ridge Shawlette right along with the knitalong group. I think this yarn is going to make a beautiful shawl. We start the knitalong tomorrow, September 9th. You can join in anytime on the thread, all are welcome, but today is the last day to sign up to be eligible for the giveaway drawings I am lining up.

The turn out has been spectacular. We have hundreds knitting along and joining in. Thank you! We are going to have so much fun. I have even gotten some wholesale yarn store pattern sales through the Ravelry approved local yarn stores program which is great.

Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong thread

And we're off!

best, susie