Finally, A Throw!

Finally, A Throw!

So, remember that Aran throw I started way back when? Here it is! It's not yet washed/blocked, but I plan to do that this weekend.



Pattern: Cabled Throw, from Debbie Bliss Simple Living
Yarn: Cestari by Chester Farms, Natural Light Gray, 12 skeins
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo, US size 9

I believe I started this in February, and I let it languish for awhile and worked on other projects for a time. It took roughly three months, start to finish. I hit a wall so many times, and it didn't seem like I would ever finish at times. But I did. And it was worth it.

This is my first handspun baby alpaca--approximately 200 yards of 2-ply. I'm not crazy about the barber pole effect, but the finished product is extremely soft. I found alpaca more difficult to spin because it is so slippery, but other people find that quality a plus.



And, finally, here is my birthday present to myself. An Ashford Joy DT, for travelling to spinning guild meetings and further abroad. I love this wheel. I started spinning a beautifully dyed wool/mohair mix on it this weekend, and it looks gorgeous so far. I just wound a smallish skein of two unknown wools off the Schacht, and I plan to start spinning up one of my Maryland Sheep & Wool purchases soon.