spin and suds

and i'm not talking about laundry. i am howver, typing one-handed (maddening) with some twisted up shetland in my right hand, attached to my sweet new little golding spindle.

she's already got a name, and as the goldings call her, she is a real little sweetheart. after swanging around on my big old ursula (my ashford student spindle, at a fighting weight of over 2 and a half ounces, my little faye valentine is as a bumblebee next to a b-52. faye is quick and i sure need to speed up my draw/draft. i have found that yesterday and today, i was able to spin, with diligent attention, some fairly even singles on some shetland i'd brought back from a visit to alaska. playing with a little pouf of it a couple of weeks ago compelled me to order some more shetland.

i combed through etsy listings, as i'm currently lacking a local source (that i know) of shetland. i've gotten merino and BFL from LYS but it seems that finding more variety is going to necessitate trips more northerly in the state or ordering online.

i chose the sheep's company for some beautiful, naturally colored shetland wool - which i say, scared of using the terminology, but i think it might be top? roving? the fibers seem to be going more-or-less the same way, but it doesn't seem nearly as processed as the big commercial crazy dyed merino i've spun and most spinners have at least met. it's not even as "commercial" feeling as the pagewood farms BFL i've spun (8 oz in two different colors). i would expect that the texture difference between the different types of wool would probably also contribute to some of the feeling (although that merino felt like fiber that had been processed within an inch of its life - i know this feeling from my own hair after it has been abused). it's a little oily, but not really greasy and it has a faint oily/sheepy smell.

i am trying to be aware and present and to pay attention while i am spinning, slowing myself to avoid overspinning - as long as it doesn't get too overspun, this shetland really does feel pretty nice. the yarn does have some hairs sticking out and some potential itch factor, but it's not unpleasant, and it doesn't have the dish scrubber feeling of some wool yarns. i am interested in swatching it to see how the swatch would feel. ultimately, i'll be using this in a shawl, i think, on bigger needles than the yarn would call for, either in a lacy stitch or plain; think either an evelyn clark type pattern or something plain like citron, lavalette, etc. i may also look up shetland patterns and styles, maybe that would be appropriate. from my imagination now (this is not even an educated opinion) i feel like clark's patterns are a little shetland-y. or maybe the lace pattern from traveling woman? or springtime bandit (although i've made three or four of that last and don't know how soon i need to make another.)

ha. also i am drinking beer although it's hard with a spindle in hand. mighty arrow pale ale from new belgium. a comment was made earlier, to the effect of, "pale ale? pale ale? i wouldn't drink pale ale with someone else's mouth!" oh but my friend, you would if you were me. i like the cuttingness, the sharpness, the lightness and the briskness. it would be a good beer to drink in a friend's back yard in the springtime, throwing the ball for a dog. i am in no way influenced to write the above just because there's a dog on the label, or anything.

cheers.