[FiB]

Well I did ply last night! Pretty rubbish looking result, but I learnt a lot and it is knitting up ok (into what, I have no idea! I'm calling it a sample! ).  I'm happy to have it off my bobbins to clear them to see how fat I go without the jumbo flier. Fat singles is next project :-).  I do wish I could justify a drum carder though......

[SallyintNorth]

Well done FiB!   

If you're knitting it already, I assume you haven't washed it to 'set the twist'?

It's amazing the difference a wash and beat-up can make - the yarn rounds and blooms, any unevennesses become less so.  Just wash, rinse, spin (by hand, in a salad spinner or in a spin-dryer, or roll up in a towel and squeeze - not wring! - to remove as much excess water as possible) and thwack the skein a few times, then hang up to dry.

On the justifying drum carder... are you spinning from tops or starting with fleece?  Is the drum carder for carding or for blending?  (If the latter, would a blending board do?  They don't cost a huge amount to make.)

[Anke]

If you wash after plying it helps to put a weight on the skeins as they dry, I usually tie a cup or something else from the kitchen onto the hank.

As for the drum carder - I did ask for financial contributions from everybody for my birthday present a couple of years ago... wouldn't be without it now.

[Bionic]

I do wish I could justify a drum carder though......

One for the christmas present list I think

[SallyintNorth]

I'm of the school that doesn't believe you should weight your drying hanks - the purpose of washing and drying is to shake the twist and let it settle naturally; if you stretch it by weighting it as it dries, then the finished yarn will shrink when wet, potentially messing up your finished object.  But, as with many things spinning-related, there are other points of view!  lol

[SallyintNorth]

I should also add that it's usual to wash yarn that is intended for knitting, but not to wash yarn intended for weaving.  In the latter case, being woven stabilises the yarn and its twist, and any fulling required is generally preferably done of the finished object/fabric, rather than of the yarn.

I'm a very beginning weaver, so I've heaps more to learn about all this

[Lesley Silvester]

I wouldn't be without my drum carder either. I never could get on with hand carders so it was the only option. When my hands/shoulders are bad I have to get my OH to turn the handle for me but usually I manage.


My grandson (aged 12) wanted to know how it worked last time they stayed so I showed him and let him (supervised) card a batt. When I got up the next day there was another batt beautifully carded waiting for me. I've spun it up and I will make him a hat for Christmas. 

[FiB]

Oh I didn't know about washing after spinning ( I am pretty impatient and only skim read etc!) . All spinning is from own hand sheered sheep :-). I have a mad goal of socks from my own sheep .... It's a steep learning curve. I can cast on, knit purl, just about reduce or increase.... But then the patterns turn into double Dutch.  The wool has been washed and part scoured. But will wash next yarn, many thanks for all tips :-)

[Fleecewife]

Why not start with a beanie hat.  It's not so ambitious as socks (turning the heel is daunting at first and you need to work on four or five double point needles), although they're good fun to knit.  A beanie introduces you to decreasing, and can be knitted on two ordinary needles, or a set of 5 if you prefer.  More use than a scarf but a nice small project.
Most knitting is just combinations of knit and purl, so you're nearly there. 

[SallyintNorth]

Good idea to make a hat first.

If and when you want to try a sock, you can make perfectly acceptable socks as a tube by knitting a spiral rib as follows.  (The pattern may look complicated, but all you are doing is a knit 4, purl 4 rib, and shunting it over by one stitch every 5th round - ever so simple, promise.)

I use 2.5mm needles for socks, and find that 56 stitches is about right for my foot. Do check before you knit too much of the sock!

Row 1 : *k4 p4 * repeat between ** until end of row
Repeat row 1 three times

Row 5 : p1, *k4 p4*, repeat between ** until 3 stitches from end, k3
Repeat row 5 three times

Row 9 : p2, *k4 p4*, repeat between ** until 2 stitches from end, k2
Repeat row 9 three times

Row 13 : p3, *k4 p4*, repeat between ** until 1 stitch from end, k1
Repeat row 13 three times

Row 17 : *p4 k4* repeat between ** until end
Repeat row 17 three times

Row 21 : k1, *p4 k4*, repeat between ** until 3 stitches from end, p3
Repeat row 21 three times

Row 25 : k2, *p4 k4*, repeat between ** until 2 stitches from end, p2
Repeat row 25 three times

Row 29 : k3, *p4 k4*, repeat between ** until 1 stitch from end, p1
Repeat row 29 three times

Repeat rows 1 to 32 to desired length of sock less 2 inches, then shape toe.

Toe:

Put stitch markers at beginning and midpoint of round, and midway between those, so that you have 4 equal segments.

Row 1: *k1, decrease by knitting two stitches together, knit to next marker, slip marker*, repeat ** to end of round
Row 2: knit all round

Repeat rows 1 & 2 until 8 stitches remain.  Break yarn, leaving about 8".  Using a tapestry needle, run the yarn through all remaining stitches, remove knitting needles, pull yarn snug and tie off.  Sew in the end.


Although there's no shaped heel, the spiral rib gives a comfortable fit around any heel and ankle.  And the styling means you can wear it any way - there's no top or bottom of foot - so that any wear is shared around the whole circumference.

[Bionic]

Oh I didn't know about washing after spinning ( I am pretty impatient and only skim read etc!) . All spinning is from own hand sheered sheep :-). I have a mad goal of socks from my own sheep .... It's a steep learning curve. I can cast on, knit purl, just about reduce or increase.... But then the patterns turn into double Dutch.  The wool has been washed and part scoured. But will wash next yarn, many thanks for all tips :-)

Fi, you sound just like me. I can never wait to do things properly. However, I have managed to get myself into the swing of washing yarn after spinning and it definitely makes a difference. Happy knitting

[Lesley Silvester]

I've not done any spinning for a couple of weeks and I'm dying to get back to it. I've been busy needle felting Christmas decorations for my daughter to sell on her craft stall. Not much longer and I can get going again. 

[Fleecewife]

I've been knitting a jumper for my littlest grandson, and I'm so fed up with it.  Like you MGM I just want to get back to my wheels.  This has been the most difficult jumper I've knitted since the pink fluffy, lacy one I worked on when I was about 14.  That pattern was way beyond me, then once I'd nearly finished it, the dog chewed it up, irretrievably 
This one for my grandson is not a complicated pattern, so I'm not sure what the problem is.  Maybe it's because I'm working from a written pattern which I don't usually do (modifying it for circular knitting as I go)  or maybe it's just because the needles are so small I find them fiddly.  I've never ripped back knitting so many times as I have this one.  Once I unknit the current bit, I just have to cast off the shoulders, sew it up and knit the neck, then I'll be finished     

[Lesley Silvester]

When my daughter and family stayed recently. my grandson, aged 12, wanted to know how the drum carder worked. I showed him and let him try it out. He managed to make a lovely batt.
 The next morning when I went downstairs, I found he'd done another one for me. It spun up beautifully so I'm going to make him a hat with it.


We're going to visit them next month. Maybe I should take a fleece and the carder with me. 

[Greenerlife]

Thank you so much for that tubular sock pattern Sally!  Going to give that a whirl with my newly spun fleece - I may have to adjust the stitches because my yarn is a bit...erm...thick.