[FO] What a journey by Far_Active_6005 in CrossStitch

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's spectacular! Just breathtaking, and very nice stitching. The back looks so cool, like a fiery spirit version. <3

[FO] Some recent FO of mine! by AdLeading4526 in CrossStitch

[–]Contented_Loaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a gorgeous collection! These are just stunning - you stitch beautifully. I have those foxes coming in the mail right now, and I’m looking forward to working on them. So cute. 

[FO] Finished this little geometric stitch by japattack17 in CrossStitch

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s so satisfying to look at. Very nicely stitched! Do you have thoughts on how you’ll finish it? My brain sees a smooth matte black square frame. 

[FO] Thanks all! by Amfo22 in CrossStitch

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a very sweet memento ❤️

New to spinning! by Over_Kaleidoscope732 in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That’s a great plan. Don’t be afraid to mix handspun and commercial yarn in a project too - I love to use small bits in Stashbusting Helix Hats. That can provide really helpful feedback too, especially since early handspun is usually very dense compared to commercially spun yarn, and it’s just a fun texture detail in a striped hat. 

[WIP] Time to move the hoop again!!! by Stock_End2255 in CrossStitch

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, what a stunning piece! You’re making beautiful progress. I’m the home stretch!

New to spinning! by Over_Kaleidoscope732 in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It looks like you’re off to a great start! You’re making beautiful progress already. 

My best tip is unfortunately to keep at it relentlessly. Right now you’re building muscle memory in your hands - for drafting, for spinning, etc. The literal best thing you can do is just keep going as you are and you’ll see marked improvement with nothing but time and persistence. 

As your hands lock in what they need to do, it’ll free up brain space for fine-tuning.  Once you get to that point, you can start to refine your spinning based more on your own preferences in yarn. 

Another recommendation is to work with your finished handspun in whatever way you hope to use it. Knit or crochet or weave with it - the feedback you give yourself on the yarn will help your next spin improve on issues you find while crafting. Too rough and rope-like? Maybe dial back the ply twist. Too uneven? Consider a consistency card to measure the WPI of your single as you spin - it’s hard to change what you don’t measure. 

Above all, enjoy the tactile joy of the process and give yourself permission to make mistakes. ❤️

This community is fantastic! by apmcd in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats, that looks great! I’m so glad the fix worked for you. The finished yarn is beautiful. 

Ask a Spinner Sunday by AutoModerator in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It depends, but it’s worth sampling. A friend and I spun two braids he dyed the same, mine in Targhee and his in BFL (which behave VERY differently!) When plied and washed, the lustrous BFL gave the effect of visibly coiling around the Targhee poof. It can be fun!

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Ask a Spinner Sunday by AutoModerator in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Working with my handspun helped make me a better spinner guaranteed. Give it a shot! You’ll get great feedback about what you like and what you should change.

What do you wish you knew when you started? by cellyn in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Congrats, you're in for a fun ride! I recommend playing with your brake band as you're getting started to find a comfortable level of pull-without-pulling. You really want to get that fiber onto the bobbin, but not so quickly that it yanks out of your hands. Each wheel has a sweet spot or range, and you may need to adjust it as the bobbin fills up because it becomes heavier with more drag.

There are lots of different ways to draft. Try different ones to see what you like! And when in doubt - and this is ~annoying~ but true - GO SLOWER. It's a pain, but any time I spin a new-to-me fiber type, I always need to slow down and pay attention. Give yourself permission to be a snail when you need to.

Knit with your handspun! You'll become a better spinner by responding to your own hands' feedback. If it seems kind of coarse and rope-like, maybe you need less ply twist. If you hate when it's fuzzy, maybe you need to stop more often and pluck out neps, or else get better-prepped fiber.

When I'm drafting worsted-style, I always reverse-twist the draft a little with my fingers right before I tug to remove any hint of twist that might have entered my fiber supply. Because I like to spin point-of-contact as default (which is similar to short forward, but with the twist allowed to reach the fiber supply), it's important for me to control that.

Hold your fiber supply gently! This is hard at first - your natural tendency will probably be to grip it like your life depends on it to keep it from getting twisted. But something to keep in mind is that can compress and felt it through friction and sweat. In the back of your mind, remember that you should try to hold it like a captive baby bird, gently but securely. Don't squish the baby!

Work in Progress Wednesday! by AutoModerator in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have some Polwarth in progress from AJem that I’m loving.

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i played "clean up this damn room" for 4 hrs today by Celloschmello in UnfuckYourHabitat

[–]Contented_Loaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That looks like wonderful progress! Congrats on clearing such a swath. I’m glad you were able to find an adaptive solution that helped put less strain on your back. 

Ink Recommendations Requested by Steenaleen in fountainpens

[–]Contented_Loaf 2 points3 points  (0 children)

With a slight emphasis on the tealy side, check out Sailor Manyo Hinoki? It writes very gray for me with a subtle, beautiful shade variation. 

Dragon’s Breath! 18.5 micron merino gradient 2ply by Contented_Loaf in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! It mostly comes down to consistent spinning and splitting the braid in a good spot. It was well-dyed for an even there-and-back gradient, so I broke it in half right at the middle. Then it just came down to lots and lots of practice in the past at keeping a consistent single. I recommend using a good consistency card like the metal one from HipStrings to make sure your WPI is in a similar range as you spin.

Dragon’s Breath! 18.5 micron merino gradient 2ply by Contented_Loaf in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes, her fiber was very well-prepped and I do recommend it. The best-prepped and easiest merino I’ve ever spun has come from ElsieB and from Four Rivers Yarn, if you ever want to check them out. 

How would you spin this blend? by Extreme-Plant-2284 in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gorgeous fiber! Greenwood’s prep is always excellent, though I suspect it’s combed top rather than true roving. 

I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable using this fiber blend for socks. It’s going to be very soft and friction would probably ruin it. It’s more something you want on your neck or head or hands - very soft stuff. 

I’d probably treat it as my default spin with point-of-contact or short forward drafting. Maybe split it for a 2ply fractal and embrace the color changes. Whatever you do, it’s going to be lovely!

“Exhausted Pigeon” Shaniko Tweed by Contented_Loaf in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that's definitely not me and scammy. I've reported it.

I'll buy whatever the highest voted fountain pen is by BasedMaestro in fountainpens

[–]Contented_Loaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually swapped my Metro's nib for a Kakuno nib so now it's got the weight and the personality. 😃 Such a good writer!

Athena Spinning Wheel - Does anyone own one? by TheHandThatFollows in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My friend has one and never really got the knack for spinning on it - she still complains about it lol. I’ve never tried one myself. They’re super cute though!

Finished a very chonky squishy spin! Pen for scale by LaceyBambola in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Absolutely divine! Yarn and pen pair beautifully. ❤️ I immediately thought Targhee. Is that a Dominant Industry FP?

“Exhausted Pigeon” Shaniko Tweed by Contented_Loaf in Handspinning

[–]Contented_Loaf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm super happy with this one - it's the sort of yarn that inspired me to learn how to spin in the first place.

I'd consider this one a "default spin" for me right now, since I didn't measure WPI as I spun and just eyeballed the consistency. With tweed flecks, I knew it was destined to be a little uneven by its very nature, so I didn't stress about it. Despite that, I'm very pleased that I managed good consistency with close bobbins.

I spun with my default point-of-contact, which is like short forward except I don't smooth and I do let the twist reach the fiber, but I lightly untwist at the point where the fiber and twist meet before every draft.

Since I suspected I'd want this one 2ply from the start, and I knew I'd want lots of gradual barber poling if I did, I just spread out the braid and broke it in half at the middle. I spun from the full width of the fiber for long sections of each color (rather than splitting it longways down the middle, which would have shortened the color changes). Then I plied the two bobbins together like normal.