Month: September 2014

Handspun Adventures 9/7/2014 Shanghai Scrapbox

Posted in fiber, Finished objects, Handspun, Mohair, Namaste Farms, rare sheep breeds, silk, Spinning, Teeswater locks, Wool, Wool locks, YarnLeave a comment

I love the insanely rich reds of Shanghai.... This yarn was a ton of fun to make, new things tried, and even more awesome... I conquered! This yarn is soft and the color makes my eyes turn into cartoon hearts when I look at it :)
I love the insanely rich reds of Shanghai…. This yarn was a ton of fun to make, new things tried, and even more awesome… I conquered! This yarn is soft and the color makes my eyes turn into cartoon hearts when I look at it 🙂
I bought this treasure, the Shanghai scrapbox, from

http://www.namastefarms.com.
It came with such insanely bright colors, it was impossible to photograph, the eye candy reds would blow out no matter how I seemed to set my camera.

 

Very hard to photograph these colors. Pictures of this don't give justice to the experience in real life, it's beautifully intense...
Very hard to photograph these colors. Pictures of this don’t give justice to the experience in real life, it’s beautifully intense…
Even in low light settings it seemed to glow. Shanghai came in the most amazing reds, so bright, so deep, I couldn’t resist spinning it next, in spite of the other scrapboxes, in queue. Reds, bright pumpkin oranges, burnt oranges, blacks, and some few locks that were such a deep dark purple it looked black but in the sun a slight purple hue could be seen.
The locks were incredibly long and full of luster. The curl structure was beautifully intact for tail spinning. There was teeswater, some individual locks dyed in several colors on one lock, going from light to dark. The silkiest mohair that begged to be softly spun in poofs. There was a healthy serving of orange and yellow wool nepps. It also came with a couple ounces of a brilliant red silk/merino top. This top was so soft and gorgeous.

This scrapbox was dyed a work of art. I've never seen a red quite like this, and I'm in love with it. All the other colors in this package just magnify and perfectly compliment the depth of saturation in this fiber
This scrapbox was dyed a work of art. I’ve never seen a red quite like this, and I’m in love with it. All the other colors in this package just magnify and perfectly compliment the depth of saturation in this fiber
I tried several new techniques with this yarn with the help of livestreams Natalie taught. I added my wool nepps then, using the top, spun a very shear web over the nepps, securing them from flying off. This allowed me to hold several nepps onto the single and yet they weren’t covered so the colors could be seen. I loved the interest this added to the single in between the long locks that hung.
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I used just a few of the longer fibers to secure shorter staple curls, like an invisible ply, I loved this new to me technique and found it to be a brilliant way to avoid the need for a second ply, as I wanted to keep this yarn a single. I did my first ever thick n thin, using this top and was successful. IMG_2837.JPG

There was so much fiber it filled my jumbo bobbin and I had a ton of fiber still left over. I’ve decided to start saving bits leftover for a future “kitchensink” skein.

My shanghai single came off the bobbin pretty well balanced pre soak, and I only had a slight half twist at the bottom. After a shock in some hot and cold water to help stabilize and slightly, very slightly, felt those fibers, I have no doubt my skein will hang straight and balanced. Which would be another first for me, a balanced spun single.
These scrapboxes along with the tutorials on livestream really are incredible. Not only opening my toolbox of techniques, but I can proudly and confidently say, I’m becoming a better spinner with bad ass looking yarn! It’s always easier when the fiber is amazing.

I’m really proud of how Shanghai came out.

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