Tour de Fleece Report

Ten days into the spinning challenge and I'm still on course. My challenge is to spin at least 30 minutes a day. So far, I've done more than than 30 minutes on all but one of the days. As of yesterday, I'd logged 485 minutes of spinning time - over 8 hours! Lucky for me, we've had several rainy days when I couldn't work in the garden and could spin guilt-free! The best part of this effort is all the yarn that's flying off my wheel. So far, two projects that had been sitting neglected in my spinning basket are finished. The tan yarn is a tussah silk/camel blend, two ply, spun from the fold. It's oh-so-soft to the touch. The grey yarn is wool two ply, also spun from the fold, very cushy.


On Saturday I started spinning 4 ounces of dyed bamboo. The color name is Malachite, and it's a beauty to behold, lustrous deep teal and turquoise. Spinning it, however, is definitely a challenge. Bamboo is a grass. After harvesting, it is chopped up and blended with chemicals to make a sort of mash or slurry, and is then extruded through spinnerets into a fine spinning fiber. The fiber that I'm working with has about a 4 inch length. Once again I'm spinning from the fold, trying to keep my treadling and drafting coordinated to produce a smooth yarn.

Spinning from the fold means that I take a 4 inch section of the fiber, like the piece shown in the photo above, fold it in half over my right index finger, and draw (or draft) the fibers from the tip of my finger. The treadling action of my spinning wheel inserts twist into the fibers. My left hand controls how much of this twist is allowed into the fibers being drawn or drafted into yarn, while my right hand controls how many fibers are being drafted at any given time. In spite of all the words needed to describe it, this technique is an easy, speedy way to create a smooth, even yarn - in most cases.

The bamboo, however, is slick, doesn't naturally grab onto itself like wool does, and seems intent on shifting around on my finger until it is a messy little jumble. I have about an ounce spun now, and still must keep my eye on the drafting area and the folded fiber. Not enough twist and the yarn drifts apart. Too much twist and I'm making luxury binder twine! If the fibers get out of order, I have loops sticking out of my yarn. It's definitely a good match for a spinning challenge. So, while I may not yet be at one with the spinning of the bamboo, the yarn building up on the bobbin motivates me to keep trying.