People have commented over time about my constant use of merino wool, and inquire if I’ve ever used anything else. In all honesty, I have, and I keep coming back to merino. I know how it works, and it’s a familiar fiber. I’ve also worked with BFL, my other favorite fiber. A couple of months ago, when the Schacht Matchless wheel was new, I spun up a bobbin of BFL as a learning experiment.
It’s been sitting there for a while now, waiting for a companion bobbin to be plied with. I decided I wanted to find a different wool to ply it with, and that began my search. Since I’m not too familiar with the various sheep breeds, I didn’t really want to invest in purchasing wholesale quantities to experiment. Instead, I decided to look into other dyer’s wares and see what they had.
I found Gnomespun Yarn had this beautiful and mellow-colored Sandpiper colored Wensleydale which should work with the natural BFL. Plus, the colors reminded me of Dusty’s fur colors.
A little prep on the fibers before spinning made the spinning go a lot smoother. It’s a dense fiber and has an interesting weight to it, it’s heavier than merino wool.
Since the four ounces didn’t quite fill the bobbin, it was perfect to pair it with the BFL.
Now comes the fun part. Since the two bobbins are wool, one BFL and the other Wensleydale, the are different in minor ways, such as fiber density, etc. I knew this going in, and was curious to see how they would respond together…
…once the yarn was spun, I gave it a good soaking/washing, just as I do with ALL my handspun yarn. And, check this out, I got a nice, natural boucle yarn out of the deal! The BFL shrunk ever-so-slightly and pulled the Wensleydale into little spirals.
And, I think it’ll have to be paired with some other handspun that I’ve got in an angora/lamb’s wool blend. It could work…
Yarn Details-
Color: Fawn
Fiber Source: Sandpiper Wensleydale from Gnomespun Yarn
Fiber Content: 50% Wensleydale/ 50% BFL Wools
Spun on: Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel
Yardage: 391 yards
Finished Weight: 5.5 oz
WPI: 18 wpi
Ply: 2
kitkatknit
Very interesting way to boucle. (easier than when I learned it in my Celia Quinn class).
Jun 15, 2009 @ 12:39 am
Manise
Ah the possibilities! Cool looking skein!
Jun 15, 2009 @ 6:08 am
Benita
What a nice bonus – boucle without the hassle.
Something Judith MacKenzie-McCuin mentioned in a recent workshop was pairing different fibers into one yarn, then dyeing it – like silk and merino or silk and cashmere (one ply of each plied together). The each take up dye differently, and you get very interesting yarn to use. Now you’ve mentioned pairing yarns in a different way altogether. Hmmm… I need to get the spinning wheel out again and play.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 6:27 am
textillian
Very interesting way to get a boucle without a change in spinning technique.
If you used it as warp, do you think it would stretch out to be a flat yarn again, only to go back to this state with the woven piece fulled?
Jun 15, 2009 @ 6:32 am
skimpysmom
i like it, i like it.very cool yarn,i bet that would give a woven piece an interesting look.i’ve got some merino and oooodles of BFL.
i have to try this.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 6:45 am
Ginger
So if you work this up will it become Dusty’s blanket?
Jun 15, 2009 @ 7:50 am
Roxie
What fun! And that Wensleydale has such a lovely luster.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 7:55 am
Divine Bird Jenny
Yay, Gnomespun makes such lovely fiber. I’m spinning some of his gold Wensleydale right now. What a neat effect with the two fibers–why didn’t I think of that??
Jun 15, 2009 @ 8:17 am
Dan/Brewergnome
Very pretty effect! Love the effect, the only way I’ll ever spin a boucle is like this, using a fiber with more give and more shrink paired with one with less give and less shrink. Don’t you just love that longwool shine?
Jun 15, 2009 @ 9:40 am
SaltCitySpinner
Very nice boucle! I’d hesitate to pair it with much angora though for fear the halo would obscure those lovely loops. Someday you should play with some mohair – much fun for spinning a boucle.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:01 am
LaurieM
Great results! Looks like fun.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:53 am
Lucia
Fookin brrrilliant! Yarn serendipity is a wonderful thing.
Jun 15, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
jackie
Very nice! What was the Wensleydale like as a fiber? Soft? Long staple or short? easy to spin?
Jun 15, 2009 @ 4:38 pm
lisa
Wicked! (as in wicked nice!)
Jun 15, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
minnie
i’m not a big fan of wensleydale. i was gifted a braid of it as a bridal shower gift (gotta love spinners and knitters for friends, lol. my “shower” was a yarn exchange at the LYS, where i got first pick, lol!). I didn’t predraft, as that is my normal habit, and it was a bear to spin. if i ever spin it again,i will be predrafting.
that said, your yarn is lovely!
Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:23 pm
JessaLu
Very cool! (and very pretty!)
Jun 16, 2009 @ 9:02 am
Cheryl
Wow! That’s so cool! I love how it turned out! I wonder if that would happen every time those two fibers were plied??
Jun 23, 2009 @ 10:31 am