Spinning idea's needed

Hi all, I have a bag of very soft black Alpaca, and would like to blend it.....but what with? I am thinking plying for socks, and think maybe I'd go for the tussa silk, but not sure if this mix is gonna be hardwearing enough...any idea's.. here are the options available to me from my stash of fleece.

Black Bunny Grey Bunny White Bunny or Dorset Horn - creamy white Pol Dorset - creamy white Dartmouth - white, bit hairy though..lol or Tussa silk tops -cream

Idea's welcome please...cheers....cher

Reply to
spinninglilac
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I bought silk and wool (Merino) sock yarn at Stitches. Haven't had a chance to knit it up yet, but it feels wonderfully soft. DA

Reply to
DA

Cher, I'd have to agree with DA here, that silk would be a really nice mixture with your merino. JM2C, Noreen

Reply to
Noreen's Knit*che

ooooh I bet it does too. thnx Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

Thnx Noreen.....errr I haven't got merino.....lol Cheers....Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

OK, with your alpaca then, LOL! I've actually spun some silk-alpaca blend, and it is very light, lofty, and warm and cool at the same time, if that makes sense (??) Hugs, Noreen

Reply to
Noreen's Knit*che

Silk is very strong for its size, some silk garments are hundreds of years old. With the alpaca it would give you a visual grey.

The only angora rabbit yarn I ever used shed like crazy, but I think it was pure angora. Would the alpaca hold it in the yarn?

Whatever is softest. Why make a soft yarn into a harsher one, if you have a chance not to?

=Tamar

Reply to
Richard Eney

Thanx Noreen, guess it will pay me to make a few sample skeins and see what I like the best... I'd like to blend the alpaca with the black or grey bunny fur, as this will be lovely and soft, just wondering if it will hold up on a loom under such tension for a scarf I must do a sample and see but wanted to know what you all thought.

Cheers.....Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

Thanx for these views Tamar, I was wondering about the Bunny Fur and whether it would hold especially as I want to weave the yarn singles when done...maybe I should try lightly misting the fur an alpaca with baby oil and water, this should hold the shedding and stick it together a bit...what do you think. I use one part baby oil to three parts water in a spray bottle..this works well to keep down static.

Reply to
spinninglilac

I got a bit of a mixed up posting,

I would sample a bit first, if you have enought fiber to do so. Blend the fibers and knit a sample. Alpaca though lovely soft is also a very heavy yarn. So if you want to knit socks I would spin it very fine and four ply it. For knitting socks, angora rabbit is not very practical. The bunny fibres are a short staple and very fly away. They do not hold well together that is why anything made from an angora blend is always very fluffy to the point of shedding. Silk and alpaca would make a very strong fiber. Good for socks. I would do a very throughrough blend, even to the point of weighing the fibers you are blending, and spin a fine thread and again four ply. I certainly would spin and knit just with the alpaca and see how that works out as well. Maybe it does not need a blend at all.

Let us know what you end up doing and how it came out in the end

Happy spinning and knitting.

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

Cher I certainly would not go with working with singles in a warp. You will also have a hell of a job washing the baby oil out again, and with it all the angora fibers as well. Sample and see what happens.

The first part of this thread got to me a bit messy and I thought that you wanted to knit socks....LOL

Angora rabbit hair does not have any barbs on it at all and is very slippery. It usually will work it's way out of a web, spin or woven. In other words it is a shedder. I think more so than Chasmere.

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

Thanks Els, wondered why you hadn't replied before. I've spun loads of bunny plyed it with itself and other fibre's but of course for knitting only. Also used singles in crochet. Never thought of it not having any hooks or barbs, I presumed all hair the same as human hair would have little tiles and hooks of some kind or another. Blending then is best for Bunny??

Cheers...Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

I answered the first note Els, I really wanted to weave a scarf using the angora, Have decided to hackle some five inch staple Pol Dorset which is white and very soft. Then I've combed through the black Angora, and finally put them both to the drum carder, putting on a thin layer of white, then adding bits of alpaca direct onto the drum it'self in short rows rather than putting it onto the feeder tray, as it will tangle around the feed roller, and turned this to flatten and then another thin row of the white pol. When the batt is done I've taken it off torn it in three length wise and using a third at a time, spread this across the feed tray and wound it on til all three strips were done, and repeated the whole process several times until I have a grey mix then finally split the batt into two and then put on a pre carded white layer thinly added one of the two split batts by spreading again, and then another thin white layer, then taken it off and rolled it across the short ends so that it is sort of half worsted, and pulled it into a long roving, this gives me the softness of the alpaca with a lovely mottled grey appearance, and the added white has given me some characterist white parts. I like to have a warp that is fancy and put a plain weft over it. I've spun it harder for the warp, and have it on the niddy at the moment. I water misted the yarn on the niddy and left it over night to sett the twist. Usually I'd wash my singles. I never ply warps unless for thicker wool rugs etc. I'll tabby weave a sample and wash it and let you know what it comes out like. LOL

As to the Bunny fur, have tons of the stuff in little tubs from a friends combings of her 4 bunnies, I have black, white, fawn and grey. Not sure what to do with these yet, four ply them as you say. I also have greyish creamish Gotland curls and some kid mohair curls in various shades. Not sure if the Bunny would card with some of the shorter curls of the mohair. I'll sample as you suggest and see. Cheers...Cher.

"Els van Dam" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@dial72.entirety.ca...

Reply to
spinninglilac

Yes Cher, that is correct, also when you use it so it also get way to warm to wear, at least that is what I have been told, never worn it myself, I have no personal expereance.

Have a nice weekend

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

It sounds like lots of fun to sample it Cher. Lovely colours to play with. I would try different fibers to blend it with and see how it comes out.

Have fun

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

I'll try some on the carders later, haven't used them in ages, I either hackle or drum...lol

cheers...Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

I know, I know, I should sample, and I rarely do, and you are gonna be there after me with a big stick if I don't..lol Ok will try it all out, secure it and wash it and see whata happens.

hugs.....Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

Big sticks are better used for spinning with rolling it off your thigh and spinning off the tip of the big stick....LOL

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

Of course, that is exactly what I meant Els...lol

Cheers...Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

Mmmn changed my mind about the socks may look to weaving the alpaca with some soft white pol dorset see what that comes out like, I want the odd blend of white but not a barber pole look...have to play around I guess.

Cheers Cher

Reply to
spinninglilac

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