Spinning by the Woodstove
Ah, it’s that time of year. Christmas is over, and I really enjoy slowing down (though, in all honesty: Idefinitelyhaven’t)…this means setting aside time to spin yarn, too, instead of just knitting it.
There are those days when the snow rushes down in thick clusters full of snowflakes, and the only thin line separating you from the outside world is your drafty windowpanes. The woodstove roars as you stock it with wood, and despite the wind and snow, there is a silence. These days make me crave something simple, something that is going to comfort. Something local, and something most certainly natural.
I got my hands on a sampler pack of wool from Friends in Fiber (http://www.etsy.com/shop/FriendsinFiber), run by Jan and Peg. They’re so sweet and I had actually drooled over some of their top over a year ago at a NH sheep and wool festival. The sampler pack is great for me as a spinner for many reasons:
I get bored spinning the same fiber for a while- the sampler had 5 different kinds of fiber in it! It was so fun, so I spun them to get about 162 yards of sportweight single-ply. I spun them from darkest to lightest, too, so it’s a nice little self-colorblocking skein. Here are some pictures:
You can tell this fiber just loves being near quilts!
I skeined it up on the Ashford Noddy:
And wah lah!
Click through to friends in fiber’s website, leave a comment telling me which of their colors or fibers you’d like to try most, and I’ll enter you to win this skein!!! 
xoxo Until later
MMMM, so pretty! I love the salmon. Looks like spring!
I pick Catrina! I love the combo of the summer and fall.
Ooh the rainbow gradient. Loove!!
The turquoise is incredible! Thanks for introducing me to another great Etsy shop, Alicia!
I love the rainbow gradient BFL/ silk roving! If I ever get skilled enough to spin on my spindle evenly I just might have to buy some of it!! Who doesn’t want to touch a rainbow.
… How can I pick just one?!? LOL
Ugh, if I could spin, I’d be mad at you for sending me there. Guess it’s a good thing I haven’t quite picked that up yet… (But that Elegant Eggplant just jumped right at me!)
The Fibery Jewels colorway is beautiful.
o-la I love Chianti Gradient
The Night Vision is gorgeous. Makes me want to learn to spin.
I love the Turquoise Angora Rabbit. so fluffy and springy!
It’s all beautiful but I think I like the Chianti Gradient fiber the best.
I fell in love with their Gold colourway! It’s stunning.
what lovely spinning i have fell in love with BFL/Silk Combed Top 4 Oz. “Heat Wave Gradient” just stunning
good luck everyone *hugs*
Elegant Eggplant is my favorite. And I laove what you did with the sampler pack!
Oh my goodness…too hard to pick just one!! I love teal and wine as my top two choices
What a lovely idea, thank you. I love the “Mauve Boudoir Gradient”, it’s beautiful. Fingers, eyes and legs crossed!
I love the elegant pewter! I’m awed by you spinners….. What an incredible process!
Oh My, I did not have to look far down the page to find my favorite, Elegant Eggplant! I loves me some blues and greens and purples!
OH MY “FIBERY” GOODNESS!!!! There are so many of their fibers I would LOVE to try, BUT there was something simply fantastic about the Alpaca/Merino/Silk/Bamboo Smooth Blended Batt in the “ELVIRA” colorway. Oh, and by the way, I absolutely am going to HAVE TO go buy an Angora rabbit!!! Thank You for the fabulous giveaway!
What a lovely handspun yarn! I love 420 Yds. Handspun White Angora from “Snezhinka”
“Fernwood” is my favorite! Thanks for taking the time to share this shop, and your spinning, and their fiber with us
i love the super wash BFL mauve Boudoir gradient the color is beautiful, and for me as i am sure as is true for many right now money is very tight so i am unable to purchase much right now but win or lose i will be shopping on this site in the future as the colors are beautiful
thank you for the link
Riverstone is my fave!
So many gorgeous colours (love the purple/greens best!) but since I don’t spin I’d love to get my hands on some of that llama handspun!
H’mm, I think both the teal and the pewter are gorgeous…right now I think I’d go with the pewter as my favorite!
Love so many of them, but Mauve Boudoir Gradient is standing out right now.
wow, that is a gorgeous spin and thank you, you sent us to a gorgeous shop with colours almost impossible to choose between but my favourite has to be the sea grotto gradient.
I think that I wiuld probably want one of the natural mix types, like what you picked.
I just found your blog via Kelly at CCO. Your spinning is beautiful, as are your designs! I started paging through Friends in Fiber and found Tabitha. Oh, I want some yarn made from her! http://www.etsy.com/listing/102921429/handplucked-chocolate-angora-rabbit?