Category Archives: Spinning

Psychedelic 70’s Bam Huey Style!

Bam Huey spinning fiber
Psychedelic 70’s in Bam Huey

Did Psychedelic 70’s blind you?!?!  I have to admit, dear club members, that the July installment of the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber Club is a wild one.  When I took on the theme for the July Spinning box  of Psychedelic 70’s I went all out, no holding back. We are talking bright pinks and oranges all the way….with just a little black to bring things together.  Don’t worry if these colors scare you, I’ll be showing you some ways to tame this wild one….well just a little bit because, really, the 70’s  could not be tamed….I know, I lived through them!

Bam Huey Cowl
Cowl in Psychedelic Bam Huey spun 3 ways

Ok, I admit, Psychedelic 70’s didn’t mellow out that much…lol. I knit up this month’s yarn samples into my Baa Baa Huey Handspun Cowl  (one of my free patterns on Rav.)

Starting off at the top, I spun up a 2 ply sport weight.  I split the fiber in half length wise spinning each half  then plying together.

Bam Huey cowl
Bam Huey Handspun in 2 ply sport weight.

The colors pretty much line up when spun, with just a bit of barber polling. When knit, the black frames the colors nicely.

Next up is another 2 ply, but this time I split it 36 times, spun it up randomly on 2 bobbins, then plied together.

Bam Huey cowl
Psychedelic 70’s 2 ply lace

As you can see, the colors pop up randomly in short spurts, giving a lively action to this cowl.  Fortunately the black shows up to once again give some framing and a little bit of order to this wild child.

Last, but not least, is the Psychedelic 70’s cable spun in a fingering weight.

Bam Huey Handspun
4 ply cable of Psychedelic 70’s in Bam Huey

I was a bit surprised on how much the black streaks diluted in this 4 ply cable.  It is a nice round yarn with plenty of cushy factor, and the most blended example of the Psychedelic 70’s colorway.  The pinks took over on this spin, but there are still plenty of shots of orange peeking through.

I haven’t forgotten the July addition of the Psychedelic 70’s to the Year Long Scarf, but did save it for last…..for good reason… This yarn sample was spun from the first dye batch, while it is wonderful in it’s own right, it was a bit darker than I wanted this colorway to be.  It is amazing how much difference one little streak of black dye can make.  Here is the Navajo 3ply chain lace yarn taking it’s place on the Year Long Scarf.

Psychedelic 70's added to the Bam Huey  Year Long Scarf
Psychedelic 70’s added to the Year Long Scarf.

If you focus in on this section of the scarf you will get a better idea of the current colorway.

Bam Huey Handspun Year long Scarf
Lighter section and lower shows current colorway best.

I do have a video that is uploading to You Tube and will add the link later…some nice close ups of the knitting, but sad to say I’m pretty bland.  The video was done just a few hours before having to leave our new home and go back to Portland to work, which always depresses me.  Someday I won’t have to go back to P-town, but for now I think I will make it a point to do all videos much earlier in our visit home when I am bubbling with excitement!

Until Next Time,

Happy Spinning,

Cheryl

1 of a Kind Sunset Bam Huey Style!

Sunset is here!

Bam Huey June Sunset
Bam Huey 1 of a kind Sunset samples

1 of a Kind Sunset is the June colorway for the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber Club.  I blended 14 different dyes creating this colorway.  I allowed the colors to bleed into the next without any control so while each batch is painted the same way, each  is unique in how it combines……thus the name, 1 of a Kind Sunset.

This month’s gradient sunset colors were spun end to end then done in a Navajo 3 ply chain and added on to the year-long scarf.

The Year Long Scarf now has 1 of a kind Sunset!
The Year Long Scarf now has 1 of a kind Sunset!

Not everyone is fond of such bold colors.  To mellow out the colors I separated the dark color fiber and spun it on one bobbin at a lace weight.  The yellows and oranges I spun up on another bobbin in a light fluffy fingering weight.  I then plied the lace around the fingering weight single.  The resulting yarn is a barber pole that knits up “tweedy”.

Bam Huey
mellowed sunset……..

I experimented with different ribbing while knitting this sample.  The cuff end starts with a 2×2 rib, then changes to a 1×1 rib, followed by 1×3 rib and lastly a 1×7 rib.  It was very interesting to see how the handspun yarn behaved differently.  The 2×2 showed the yarn to be reasonably smooth, yet when switched to the 1×1 every little bump in the yarn showed.  the 1×3 was the smoothest, and the 1×7 made a nice smooth flat material with a little bit of interest.

The next section is a 2 ply fingering weight.  I split the fiber length wise spun and plied randomly.  The seed/moss stitch is one of my favorites to show off short stripe yarns, the bumps give it texture that breaks up the straight lines of color.

2ply random spun and plied 1 of a kind Sunset.
2ply random spun and plied 1 of a kind Sunset.

I’m still working on the lace portion that is a 2 ply gradient.  I have been using these samples to play with stitch and yarn combinations.  I’m trying to expand to writing my own lace patterns so all this experimenting is slowing down my knitting speed….the good thing is that I am learning lots!  Most important lesson so far is BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU DID!!!!!  Are you like me and tell yourself “I will remember this, it’s so simple I couldn’t forget”……..lol yeah right.  Do yourself a favor and just write it down 🙂

Bam Huey
the never ending lace!

The fun part about these sample knits is that they are turning out to be thigh high leg warmers….kinda cute, but there will never be a matching pair…should be fun to wear some day!  Once I get my legs into shape I will have to show some of these finished leg warmers off.  In a few months I will be living here full time…give me a few week of walking to the mail box and these legs will be ready to rock these colorful knits!!!

this is only 2/3rds the way down to the mail box!
this is only 2/3rds the way down to the mail box!

Hope you enjoy spinning the Bam Huey 1 of a kind Sunset!  More will be

available at  New Hue Handspuns Bam Huey Listing  soon!

Some of you may be asking “what happened to May’s Marionberry Blueberry Swirl blog?  The answer is I DON’T KNOW!  I’ve somehow lost it and all the pictures too.  The video is up but I will have to re-do the pics and blog in the next few days….

Until next time….Happy Spinning!

Cheryl

Purple Memories For April

Purple Memories is the colorway for April in the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color fiber club.  The theme for the Spinning Box for April is Memories.  We were asked to dye fiber in a colorway based on a memory.  I couldn’t single out a memory, but one thing in common was that all memories involved the color Purple.  I am a Purple Girl through and through.  From the time I could identify color, all I ever wanted was Purple!  It was never hard for people to choose things for me, as long as it was purple I would like it.  I decided to use as many shades of purple this month as I could fit on the fiber.  I split the 3 oz into 2 pieces.  One piece is gradient dyed dark purple-light and white purple-dark purple.  the second piece is layered with 4 purples.  By the way, I do give purple a wide definition….basically anything that is remotely close to any shade of purple 🙂

Dark to light to dark purple gradient
Dark to light/white purple, to dark purple gradient
Layered multiple purples 1/2 of Purple Memories
Layered multiple purples 1/2 of Purple Memories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started off with my usual spin.  I spun each roll end to end then did a  Navajo 3ply chain.  You can see in the picture that the Purple Memories yarn is thinner than last month’s.  I am intentionally using multiple thicknesses of yarn on the scarf to encourage spinners to combine their yarns, and not be afraid to use yarns of different  WPI  (wraps per inch) together in a project.

April Purple memories added on to the scarf.
April Purple memories added on to the scarf.

Besides the scarf addition this month I also spun the fiber four more ways.  First up is the 2 ply yarn.  I spun the multi purple fiber end to end, then spun the gradient end to end, and plied them together.

Purple Memories Bam Huey. Multi purple plied against purple gradient.
Purple Memories Bam Huey. Multi purple plied against purple gradient.

Next up is some 2 color work. I spun the multi purple fiber into a 2 ply and spun the gradient into a 2 ply dark to light.  I started off using each color for a few rows and did a slip stitch for some visual interest.  I then switched over to using both colors at once and got some good practice in making even floats.  I didn’t follow a pattern, just did what I felt like at the time.

color work with Bam Huey Purple Memories
color work with Bam Huey Purple Memories

I’m still enjoying and experimenting with a cable yarn.  I’m pretty sure I will be making a coat with a nice thick 4 ply one of these days! I did this cable a bit thicker than last time.  I spun the multi purple into a 2 ply, spun the gradient into a 2 ply, (light to dark) then plied the two yarns together for the cable yarn.

Purple Memories in 4 ply cable.
Purple Memories in 4 ply cable.

April video is up on YouTube HERE There are some sound problems and I am still learning how to deal with the changing light…..BUT I think you might enjoy seeing a bit more of the fiber and knit samples.

Until next time, Happy Knitting and Spinning,

Cheryl

The Green Comet

March has blown by,  here at last are the spun samples of The Green Comet!!!!

Spinning Green Comet
Spinning Green Comet

 

 

Greetings Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber Club members and followers. I’ve spun this month’s  The Green Comet colorway in 5 ways. Be sure to check out the Youtube video on The Green Comet.  My video making skills still have room for improvement, but the colors in the outdoor filming this time around make it worth checking out. Bam Huey 2017 Year Of Color Fiber Club, March.

First up as usual is the spun one end to the other, then Navajo 3 ply / chain ply.  I’ve added this on to the year long scarf.  Kinda looks like a little comet 🙂

March's Green Comet added to the Year Long Scarf.
March’s Green Comet Navajo Plied added to the Year Long Scarf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve knit the 4 remaining samples into this leg/arm warmer.

2ply drk/Lt, 4ply cable, 2ply matching, 2ply random.
2ply drk/Lt, 4ply cable, 2ply matching, 2ply random.

 

 

This is a pretty bright colorway this month so I’m focusing on ways to “tone down the brightness”.

I started knitting with the dark/light 2 ply.  I folded the fiber in half and split, ending up with the darker colors spun on one bobbin and the lighter brighter colors on a second bobbin then plied them together.  This still gives you all the color, just a little mixed.  Does also make for a very barber pole yarn, and gives a tweedy look when knit up.  A simple pattern works better, a complex pattern will tend to get eaten up with all the color.

The Green Comet in 2 ply. Dark plied with light.
The Green Comet in 2 ply. Dark plied with light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a request for a cabled yarn this month.  I hope to have a new spinning video done once we finished our move that shows all these yarns being made, but for now here is a close up of the Green Comet done in a 4 ply cable.  I spun 2 matching singles, plied them together matching up the colors.  I then wound that off into a center pull ball, plied in the opposite direction the dark end with the light end. This makes for a round solid yarn, great for outerwear, or projects that may take a lot of abuse when worn.

The Green Comet in 4 ply Cable.
The Green Comet in 4 ply Cable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spinning matching singles and plying them together is another way to keep the colors matched up if you don’t care for the roundness of the chain ply.  There usually ends up with a little more gradual blending with the 2 ply than the chain plying.

The Green Comet, 2 ply, with matching singles.
The Green Comet, 2 ply, with matching singles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least the way to mix the colors up the most!  Split the fiber length wise into strips.  The more strips, the more blended the colors.  I did about 8 strips on each bobbin.  I did keep them in the same direction, if you want even more blending, mix up which end you start spinning from. Ply the 2 bobbins.

The Green Comet 2 ply random
The Green Comet 2 ply random
The Green Comet 2 ply random
The Green Comet 2 ply random

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed The Green Comet,  if you have any questions, ask away.  I’m having a grand time playing with the April Colorway.  April is my birth month, the theme is memories…..that means it’s going to be all about ME, which means there will be purple involved!!!!  Be sure to check out the March video  if you haven’t already.  Hopefully the corrections will show for you on the video, some phones it will not. if not…. at 3:45 I really mean to say CABLE ply not chain….. at 6:50 the words I am searching for are knit and garter stitch……I really need to drink more coffee before filming…lol.

Until next time, Happy Spinning,

Cheryl

Chloroplast Blast!!!

Chloroplast Blast! is the February colorway for the Bam Huey 2017 year of Color.

How about a nice close up Chloroplast Blast!
How about a nice close up Chloroplast Blast!

The Spinning Box theme for this month is Fruit Orchard.  I always try to think a little outside the box when following a theme.  I figured many of the contributions would be bright and juicy colors.  I thought about what fruits would make a good color combination…….I thought and thought and thought……  but nothing came to mind that I had not done already.  Finally it struck me, what is in EVERY fruit orchard?!?!?! Leaves!  Yes those every-shade-of-green-under-the-sun leaves.  Those beautiful leaves do so much of the work to produce those juicy fruits I figured they deserved the spotlight this month.

Knit samples of Chloroplast Blast!
Knit samples of Chloroplast Blast!

I used 5 greens in a streak dying method, meaning that all color is painted on with the grain of the fiber.  This is done mostly random with a little control….you know me, I can’t give up ALL control 🙂  The colors are then bled into one another to create even more shades of green.  When the Bam Huey Fiber is spun across the top, one end to the other it creates a blended color. The well blended multi single can then be plied with bright colors to tone them down, or match one of the many shades of green with a solid green which will result in a slightly tweedy look once knit up.

Bam Huey Hat with random spun Chloroplast Blast in Sport and DK weight yarn.
Bam Huey Hat with random spun Chloroplast Blast in Sport and DK weight yarn.

The hat was knit with a DK weight for the ribbing and the body of the hat with a light sport weight.  When spinning the yarn used for the body, I picked out the darker shades of green and spun them on one bobbin then spun the lighter shades on another bobbin and plied them together.  The ribbing yarn I tried to spin larger sections of a color at a time rather than blending them while spinning.  If you look close at the picture you can see some color difference, but not a whole lot.

This light weight Bam Huey Hat is only 1 1/2 oz!
This light weight Bam Huey Hat is only 1 1/2 oz!

I found the best way to show the different colors in Chloroplast Blast! was to spin the fiber one end to the other and Navajo ply.  Here is the continuation of the Bam Huey 2017 Year if Color Scarf using the Navajo 3 ply.

Chloroplast Blast! added to the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Scarf.
Chloroplast Blast! added to the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Scarf.

On of my favorite yarns to make is a 2 ply consisting of 1 ply  very thin and colorful, and the other muted and fluffy. I forgot to take pictures of the yarn before knitting, but here are the tail ends which shows what I mean.

Thick and Thin plied
Thick and Thin plied

I also love knitting little purses in one piece on straight needles.  I think what I do is some type of double knitting but have never looked it up to check.  On this little purse I used the Chloroplast Blast with a thin ply of Burning Bush on one side and the other is the Chloroplast Blast with a thin ply of Calm Waters.

Chloroplast Blast! plied with lace Burning Bush
Chloroplast Blast! plied with lace Burning Bush
Chloroplast Blast! plied with Calm Waters
Chloroplast Blast! plied with Calm Waters

 

 

 

 

 

Side view
Side view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve done a video again this month, you can check it out here on youtube.

Hope you enjoy spinning the Chloroplast Blast.  It will be listed in the shop Tuesday 2/28/17 for those of you who missed out on the Club!

Until next time, Happy Spinning and Knitting,

Cheryl

 

January BamHuey Year of Color Fiber Club

January....Forever in Blue Jeans.
January…. My Haute Couture will be ……..Forever in Blue Jeans.

January Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber Club shipments have been sent out.  All January members should have their fiber in hand by now, unless you are in an area with weather issues delaying delivery.

The colorway each month is based on the colorway I develop for my monthly contribution to The Spinning Box.  Each month has a theme and January’s is Haute Couture.   High Fashion isn’t something I give a whole lot of thought to, so this theme required a bit of research for me.  I started with looking at the hot colors for the coming year.  A blue/grey caught my eye. I’m a country girl  and my first thoughts when it comes to blue/grey is faded blue jeans.  Blue Jeans are always in fashion, and about as high fashion as I ever get, thus what better name for January’s colorway than “Forever in Blue Jeans”.

Forever in Blue Jeans hanging to dry
Forever in Blue Jeans hanging to dry

I wanted to use a stripe and bleeding dye method for January and this blue/grey color works great for this method.  I broke it down into 2 color groups, blue and grey.  I chose 3 blues and 3 greys and did alternating stripes.  Each color is then bled into the next creating shades of blue/grey.  To see the color repeats on your fiber, unroll the fiber and fold into thirds length wise.  This is demonstrated on the video this month.

I spun Forever in Blue Jeans 4 different ways using 1 oz for each sample. First off I spun from one end to the other, spinning across the top.  I then Navajo Plied  the single.

Navajo plied Bam Huey, Forever in Blue Jeans.
Navajo plied Bam Huey, Forever in Blue Jeans.

The 3ply/chain of the Navajo makes a round yarn.  I did this in a high twist lace of about 18 wpi.  In the knit sample you can see how this ply keeps the colors together.

Navajo Plied, January, Forever in Blue Jeans
Navajo Plied, January, Forever in Blue Jeans

My second oz of fiber I split the top length wise, spun each half on a separate bobbin then plied together.  The colors are mostly kept together, with some barber-polling at the color changes.  The knit sample shows the gradual color change of this fingering weight yarn on the top half of the Boot Toppers.  The bottom half is done with the 3rd spinning sample.

Boot Toppers, top half 2 ply gradient, bottom half 2 ply light against dark.
Boot Toppers, top half 2 ply gradient, bottom half 2 ply light against dark.
2 ply, spun gradient
2 ply, spun gradient
January 2ply, light plied with dark.
January 2ply, light plied with dark.

 

 

 

 

 

The 3rd oz of fiber I split in half, width wise giving me a light half and a dark half.  Spun each half on it’s own bobbin, then plied together.  This is a very barber poll yarn that when knit up gives a tweedy look.

The 4th and final way I spun up the January Forever in Blue Jeans was to strip the fiber length wise as fine as possible.

January Forever in Blue Jeans, multi striped
January Forever in Blue Jeans, multi striped

I ended up with 72 strips from the 1 oz of fiber, spun half on one bobbin and the other half on another bobbin then plied together.  The resulting yarn has some areas where the colors match up and others where they barber poll. This is a 2 ply lace of about 22 wpi

2ply lace, approx 22 wpi. fiber striped into 72 pieces spun 2 singles then plied. random matching and barberpolling of color.
2ply lace, approx 22 wpi. fiber striped into 72 pieces spun 2 singles then plied. random matching and barber-polling of color.

knit up you get a combination of short burst of color, and muted blends.

2ply lace multi strips cowl.
2ply lace multi strips cowl.

There are as many ways to spin a fiber as there are spinners in the world.  I hope that these four samples you give you some inspiration for spinning your January Bam Huey Fiber.  Please feel free to share other ideas for spinning and pictures too!

The Forever in Blue Jeans colorway will be available to all at New Hue Handspuns  by the end of the week.

Until next time,

Happy spinning,

Cheryl

What do you get with A Year of Color?

The Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber Club is about to begin!

Dreaming, Planning, Waiting for the Color Explosion of Bam Huey.
Dreaming, Planning, Waiting for the Color Explosion of Bam Huey.

I’ve extended the sales dates by special request until the end of the year.  Midnight New Years’ Eve is the absolute end of the sale prices.  This gives a chance for those of you who receive cash gifts for the holidays to get in on the huge discount on Bam Huey fiber!  Starting January 1st 2017 you can still buy into the club, but it is at full price except for a small discount on the One Month at a Time listing.

 

So, what do you get with a Year of Color???? Each month I will be developing a new colorway in my Bam Huey line, (60% Merino 40% Bamboo).   The colorway will come from  my monthly contribution to The Spinning Box.  On each Shop  listing  you can find a basic description of color and style of dyeing for the year.  Your fiber ships by the 10th of the month.  Each month I will spin samples of the colorway in several ways. About the 15th I will post pictures and details of how it was spun.  I will also knit samples as time allows to show you how differently each  yarn knits up.

This club isn’t about exclusive colorways, it is about giving you the best possible price on Bam Huey Fiber.  The only catch to getting the best price, is purchasing it here at New Hue Handspuns before the end of the year!

Here is an outline of a month’s posting using my latest colorway……

First off, a picture of the new colorway, this one I developed for The Spinning Box’s December box,  BollyWood.

BollyWood Colorway in Bam Huey
BollyWood Colorway in Bam Huey

This is where I would tell you the story of how I developed the colorway……..

then show the BollyWood spun 4 different ways…..

BollyWood spun 4 ways
BollyWood spun 4 ways

This is where I would explain how I used the fiber for 4 different results….

 

I’d probably throw in another drool worthy yarn picture  just for the heck of it….

BollyWood Spun 4 ways
BollyWood Spun 4 ways

Then I would show pictures of the samples knit up…….well hopefully mostly knit up as time allows….

Bam Huey in BollyWood Knit up!
Bam Huey in BollyWood Knit up!

Last but not least this is where I will tell how I knit each sample up and sometimes I will even have a free pattern to add 🙂

Come join me for Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color for a month or two, or take on the whole year, it promises to be an explosion in color!

Until next time,

Happy Spinning and Yarning,

Cheryl

Cheryl Needs a Studio!

I need a studio, well it’s more like a shed, but I will turn it into my studio.  As many of you know we are in the middle of a year long move into our New House.  One of the last things I have to have before we can complete the move is a studio for New Hue Handspuns. The house is simply too small to run my business in.  I’ve found a great solution.  It is a Hickory Shed.  There is dealer in Baker City that will deliver and set up a 10 x 20 pre-built shed with 2 windows, and door with window for just under $5,000.  The snow is falling and it will be spring before I can have the shed delivered.  Now I need to spend the next few months earning  $5,000.  The Hickory Shed company does have a nice rent to own program, but our life plan is to stay out of debt.  We have been debt free for 2 years and I would like to keep it that way!

Many discussions have surfaced regarding fair pay for artists. Most of these discussions end with “artists need to charge for their time and talent to make a living wage” and “but no one will pay that much for it”.  Today I have decided to take on the challenge of charging a fair price for my work.  I have been working on a knit shawl design for about 5 months.  I’ve written the pattern, test knit it, and will publish it on Ravelry soon.  This shawl is the result of that 5 months of work.

Going To The Gorge Shawl
Going To The Gorge Shawl

What better place to have a photo shoot for the Going to the Gorge than in the gorge!  We manage to sneak in a trip to The Gorge just before a real big snow/ice storm hits.  It was cold and windy so we had to be quick.  Here are a few more pictures.

Flying in the Gorge
Flying in the Gorge
wrapped up against the wind......
wrapped up against the wind……
Here comes the snow!
Here comes the snow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shawl has over 225 hours of work in to it.  It started out as ecru Bam Huey fiber that I spun for Spinzilla 2016.  About 16 hours/1,600 yard of 2 ply yarn from the Spinzilla yarn went into this project.

2nd Place Spinzilla 2016
2nd Place Spinzilla 2016

Designing and knitting the pattern took the majority of time.  It is impossible to count the design hours, because I’m thinking and working on the pattern all day long while I do other work along with the actual hours of writing the pattern.  Knitting time was well over 100 hours.  200 rows of any where from 400 to 588 stitches per row.

Going to the Gorge ala natural....
Going to the Gorge ala natural….

Hand painting the shawl was the final step…….12 hours of bending over this table and painting…….my back still hasn’t forgiven me for this…lol.

Hand painting done, waiting to go into the steamer
Hand painting done, waiting to go into the steamer

I used this picture to show the cramped and crowded basement space I’m working in…………now you know why I need a studio!!!!

Here is my challenge to you……. Help me get this shawl sold for a living wage, which in turn will help me purchase a studio!  Now I would be the first to say, “Sorry, I would love to help, but there is no way I can afford that,”  and that is true for so many of us.  I’m just asking that you pass the word along, you never know who knows someone, who knows someone,  who would love to own a one of a kind work of art, and have the means to support and invest in an artist’s lively hood.

The price………$4,288  where to see the details and purchase here at New Hue Handspuns

Now it is time for me to focus on the Bam Huey 2017 Year of Color Fiber club.  12 months of new colorways….check out the details HERE at New Hue Handspuns

Until next time,

Happy Spinning and Yarn-ing,

Cheryl

Newhouse spinzilla champ

SPINZILLA Prepping

SPINZILLA sign up has begun!  I am on Team Knot Another Hat again this year. I’ve almost finished planning out my SPINZILLA project, and I have a special yarn package I am working to put together.  Next posting will be about the SPINZILLA  spun yarn special. Recently I’ve  had several requests for speed spinning  pointers so today I will cover spinning while I finish marinading on my SPINZILLA Spun Special.

I’ve often compared spinning to bike riding.  You can take a quite meandering bike ride through the valley, or you can start from the top of Pikes Peak and pedal down hill at top speed.  Stopping to smell the flowers is nice, but I am more of a “Wind in my hair” flying downhill type of spinner.  I’m really not the competitive type. I’ve never entered my yarn or knitting  in any type of judging or competition. BUT speed  is what I love, and SPINZILLA is one competition I simply can NOT pass up.  2013 I was awarded Grand Champion Individual Spinner, 2014 I placed 2nd, 2015………we will have to wait and see, but I tell you, I am aiming for that top spot!!! The following is a collection of things I’ve learned about speed from the past 2 SPINZILLA’S  and 20 plus years of spinning.

Newhouse spinzilla champ
Spinzilla Grand Champion 2013

There are 4 major areas that will determine your production during SPINZILLA week.  Fiber, Method, Time, and Environment.

FIBER

New Hue Handspuns
Bam Huey spinning fiber in Ancient Roses

Pick the best fiber you can!  Every spinner has a favorite fiber that “spins like butter”. GET THAT FIBER!!!  If it is a new to you fiber, do a test spin before SPINZILLA, make sure it is your “butter fiber”.  If your fiber needs any prep, do that ahead of time.  Prep more fiber than you can possibly spin.  Last year I made a mistake in designing a yarn that required each hank of fiber to be split into 16 strips.  I prepped up the first day’s spinning fiber prior to the start. Sadly I did not consider how much time splitting fiber  was going to take away from spinning.  I lost hours over this last year.  Needless to say, this year there will be no splitting of fiber!!!!  I’ve decided to use a mixture of Bam Huey and Baby Camel Down.

METHOD

How you spin is a major factor in how much you can produce. You don’t have to be genius to know that if your spinning style causes pain, your body is going to give out.  If you are going to be putting in long hours spinning, you need to be comfortable.  Take these next few weeks to figure out what chair or chairs work best for you. Learn to relax your hands. Much of spinners hand pain is caused by a death grip on the fiber. Find your way to RELAX!  Repetitive motion does a number on the body too. Don’t forget to do hand stretches at least each time you change a bobbin. Experiment with the way you spin.  I’ve developed my own style of spinning that uses the least motion for the most production.  Over the next few days try making some of your movements, longer or shorter, moving your hand placement, etc.  Find what feels good to you, DON’T worry about anyone’s rules about how a particular type of spinning must be done, do what works for you.  My style takes a little from several types of spinning, and has best been described as a  very short supported long draw.

TIME

SPINZILLA-ing, DO NOT DISTURB!
SPINZILLA-ing, DO NOT DISTURB!

Clear your calendar!!! Plain and simple, you MUST set aside time for spinning.  We all have different things that claim out time, some can be ignored for the week, but some have to be dealt with.  Pets and family must be fed and cared for, cleaning can usually slide for a week.  Be sure to let the family/friends know a head of time that October 5-11 you will be busy.  Assign as many must be done tasks to others. If you have a job outside the home or work from home, take as much time off as you can.  Prep up meals for quick fixing, stock up on your favorite snacks and drinks.  If you have kids, take these next few weeks to teach them a new task/chore that frees up more of your time and makes them more independent. This could be anything from fixing their own meals to laundry.

ENVIRONMENT

spinning
spin with everything within reach!

I highly recommend setting up one or two spots to spin.  I like one spot in front of the TV and the other in a quiet corner.  Spinning outside is refreshing too if the weather co-operates.   Be sure to have a side table within reach to hold your needed spinning tools, snacks, and beverages.  I know not everyone has the luxury of space just for spinning, but do as much as you can to have a spot where everything can be left out and ready to go.  That way if you have 5 minutes to wait while dinner cooks, the kids are getting ready for school, or any other event that leaves you twiddling your thumbs for a few minutes, you can sit right down and spin while you wait!  Line up lots of things that entertain you.  I love to do movie marathons or season upon season of tv shows.  Books on tape are a favorite of many, music is helpful too, and sometimes complete silence while I spin is wonderful.  Find something that keeps you in your seat, awake and energized!

Planning ahead is the best road for a successful Spinzilla.  SPINZILLA  is my Olympics and I plan to put every ounce of effort I have into spinning. For others this is a chance to focus on improving  their spinning, while others take this as an opportunity to learn to spin.  What ever your level of spinning, SPINZILLA is for you!  There are still spaces available on teams, come join in the fun and support spinning.

Until next time, Happy Spinning!

Cheryl <^..^>

The Rock has Moved!

Rock has been the word for the weekend.  If you have been checking up on me on facebook, you will see that I have had a 4 day long weekend to myself and I have spent most of that hauling rock!  There was also lots of trimming, digging, hauling of junk, and rock stacking going on too.  If I am doing my math right, I move about 600 pounds of rocks.  I didn’t spend a penny this weekend, just used what was in the yard.  I did have a few giggly moments while I was hauling rocks…… I kept thinking “some people actually pay for rocks…and here I am trying use up a bunch of rocks that are taking up space!!!”  If you missed the facebook pictures here is the beginning and the end.

Newhouse before
The BEFORE picture with junk, rocks, tree trimmings, and overgrown bushes.
The New View of the Rock wall from my hide a way chair.
The New View of the Rock wall from my hide a way chair.

My Goal this long weekend, besides doing something with rocks, was to also get some work done on the website…..let’s just say that it hasn’t happened as much as I would like, but the good news is that I have been getting some knitting done.

I’ve had the Bam Huey Calm Waters for quite a few years and I have never been able to spin it up and knit with it.  The colorway always sells out at fiber shows now matter how much I manage to dye up.  This year I decided I would spin it up at Black Sheep Gathering, and no matter how much anyone begged I was not going to sell them the yarn.  This time the yarn was for ME to knit up!!!!  I love to ply a striped single with a semi-solid and I knew I had to do this with the Calm Waters.  I plied it with Bam Huey High Tide. The sun is way too hot and bright on my new rock wall to get a real good picture of the 6 shades of teal/green/blue, but I couldn’t resist trying.  Later on I will get a really nice picture of my new shawl once it is further along.

Newhouse Calm Waters Shawl
Calm Waters/High Tide new shawl in progress on the new rock wall

The rest of the afternoon I will hopefully be snapping pictures of yarn and listing them on the New Hue Handspuns Web Store.  Would you believe I have over 150 skeins of yarn that are finished and NOT listed in the store!!!!!!!!!  If I ever find a Genie in a bottle I’m going to wish for a Web store manager who would take care of all the mundane busy work of selling and promoting, and leave me to my creating!

I guess I had better get to the busy work of running a business…..Until next time,

Happy Spinning and Knitting!

Cheryl <^..^>