Plying yarn

Well I found a new Yahoo group called Spindlers and they are the best folks! I had an total newbie question about how to do the plying and I was delighted with how patiently several members (five) took the time to explain it for me on the list and a sixth person who wrote me privately to go into great (and wonderful) detail. Thank you guys so much!

So here it is: My very first skein!

It's hanging on the trellis right next to the Mockingbird nest. Ken, who is taller than me, tells me there are eggs in it but so far no babies so Mama Bird hasn't started attacking people yet, but she sure is squawking.

Here are a couple more pictures of the first skein.

It might be all of 10 yards and irregular as hell and bumpy and lumpy but it was made from scratch (well, okay, I didn't shear the sheep or wash the fleece or comb it out...but you understand).

Oh, the purple bit is from the fellow at Gathering of the Tribes who showed us how to spin on CD spindles. He brought some bits of roving for us to try and the lavendar bits are what I did in his class. I just used it at the beginning of this one. The lavendar is Merino and the cream colored it the Corriedale I bought. Or rather a small portion of it.

I really like how the colors work together, however and when I start to spin for a scarf project I have in mind, I think I will use the pound of merino roving I bought, split it in half and dye half of it purple and then ply it with cream.

I do want to get the yarn a little finer in the future. But I'm delighted. Just delighted.