As the wheel turns…
I am spinning hence the name of this blog. We also have been dyeing a fair amount of roving the past month more that we have in awhile. So obviously I am not the only one spinning. I have noticed this the past couple of summers. I find it odd that we spin more in the summer. I am pretty sure it is because of Tour de Fleece and Spinzilla so obviously we need to spin-a-longs for the cooler months of the year. Who wants organize one??
The rafters are full! I have to say my favorite one though is this one.
Targhee roving in my ” I made it yo 60 bitches” colorway. These are all for a customer so they are shipping out. I was seriously inspired to dye a hank or two for me to spin into yarn. Can you imagine?? Be still my color and fiber loving heart. I hope everyone that is part of the Tour de Fleece is having fun.
I’ve had Targhee on the brain lately. Partially due to all of the fiber dyeing and partially to some research I am doing for School of Yarn and our Blue Moon Experience and there maybe even a new yarn. (hint hint) Also it has been a cool summer here it the Pacific Northwest so I am thinking of sweaters for the Fall and Winter months. All of which made me remember we were doing yarn studies so …welcome to our Targhee Worsted Appreciation Special!!!
Our Targhee Worsted is my go to sweater yarn.
And here is why… it’s is constructed with 3 lofty singles, spun a little snug. These singles are then plied together with enough of a twist to compensate for the snug spin, giving us a nice, round yarn with loft. Because of the elasticity we were talking about earlier and the durability, you can put more of a twist on the spin of Targhee. Elasticity is the key factor to how much spin and twist you can use, especially with our finer fibers. You do not want to put undue stress on the fibers or the yarn will not hold up; more importantly, it will not make a good, balanced yarn. You also do not want to put too tight a spin on the singles without compensating for it in the twist of the ply because you compact those fibers even more… and what does that do? Well, I will tell you it takes out some of that airiness and the loft. Now who wants that? I know I do not.
Our Targhee Worsted is one of my favorite yarns. It is my “If-I-were-on-a-desert- island -what-would-I-want” kind of yarn. My love for Targhee runs deep and true because it has many properties that I love.
One of those properties is that it has just the right amount of softness for me. I do not need an ultra-soft Merino. I like my fibers and yarns with a little more sub- stance and a bit of character. I am also hard on the things I wear, so I need a pretty forgiving yarn: a yarn that is either durable because of the fiber content or because of the yarn construction. Our Targhee Worsted has both.
I love a rounded yarn, especially one with a little give, because it creates such nice stitch definition. Knitting with a well-rounded yarn is such a pleasure: the yarn just slips into that stitch space like it is coming home! The definition that a round- ed yarn gives to the knitting enhances not only the the stitches in the stitch pattern but the lines of the overall design as well.
One of the reasons we are doing these yarn focuses with deep discounts it to make sure we support the yarns we love to make sure they are still accessible to us all.
We are offering a 20% discount starting today. The code you need is TGW19
As most of you know I have a thing for pretty much anything that Carol Feller designs. Her Wragby Cardigan is one I have wanted to knit for awhile now. I am a sucker for variation in textures, especially simple ones and this is certainly one of those. Can’t you see it in Targhee Worsted with it’s stunning stitch definition?
If Andrea Mowry’s Weekender is on your to-knit list then …here it is in our Targhee Worsted in our colorway Blecker. So pretty, super cozy and again with the stitch definition.
Stay tuned this week. I will post some Targhee tales and more pattern ideas. Also look at instagram for those too. Maybe I can get Karen to chime in. she has knit quite a few sweaters out of our Targhee friend.
okay…that’s a lot eh?
A blue news things:
I am sorry to say that the person we hired to be our new dyer did now work out. So…we are looking again.
We are again waiting on an expected and late sock yarn shipment.
Roving club shipped out yesterday and we will have the dyers/spinners notes to you in a few days
Karen and I are finishing Our of the Hue notes and homework so you will be getting those also.
If you are in any of our clubs and are not getting the emails with the pdfs please do let us know so we can look into it. Also please know that if you unsubscribe form our constant contact page and are in one of our clubs then we need you to resubscribe so we can get you the pdfs.
oh…Cara has pushed the date for her cast-on for the Surrate Shawl to August 1st!!
okay I think that is it for now.
I leave you with Bruce and Rachel. Rachel the hen likes to mess around with Bruce, especially her tail when she is trying to nap, as you can see.
Have a lovely weekend
