Look What I Can Do!

I have lots to tell you... I tried to post earlier, but Blogger was having issues loading my images. So first I'll just start with this past Sunday (best day ever!).

Scott and I started out Sunday morning with the intention of driving out West Virginia and Virginia for the scenery. We were maybe an hour into the drive, when Scott spotted a sign that said "Fiber Festival." No kidding. So we followed the signs, and found the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival. I swear I did not plan this. There was some great yarn, and I picked up some super soft alpaca.

There was a ton of spinning-related stuff there, and I was really mesmerized by the spinning wheels. Part of me fears spinning, because I think I'll like it more than knitting. And if I start spinning I may never knit again. Another part of me says, "What's wrong with that? Do what makes you happy!" I wound up getting a little drop spindle kit. What's the worst that can happen, right?

Ellen Anderson from Aboundingful Farm was super nice and gave me a quick lesson on the spot. Later, I divided the roving in two, and wound up each half.

LOL Pretty sad, huh? I didn't really get much better with the second half, but I did get faster. It was so fun though... I have no idea how it works, and I'm pretty sure I did it wrong somehow, but it was fun.

With both halves spun, I plied them together...

And made a pretty little hank!

Since the yarn was undyed, I thought it would be a good time to experiment with that too. I decided to dye with Kool Aid, since it's easy and doesn't require any special equipment. First I soaked the yarn in water with a splash of vinegar for about half an hour. While it was soaking, I dissolved one packet each of Black Cherry and Lemonade in a bowl full of water (enough to cover the yarn). When the yarn had soaked long enough, I squeezed out the water (gently) and put it in the other bowl with the Kool Aid. I nuked it for 2 minutes. I let it sit for a few minutes, then nuked it again. I knew it was done when the color had completely absorbed into the yarn, and the water was clear.

Then I let it cool completely (and slowly so it wouldn't felt). Later, I rinsed it well, gently squeezed the water out, and let it dry. Here's my final result!

I'm already looking into getting more roving and another spindle. I hear Golding makes pretty snazzy drop spindles. And maybe one day (if it's more than a passing phase) I'll get a spinning wheel. But I'm probably way ahead of myself.

Oh, and we did eventually see some fall scenery.