Musings on the art of knitting, spinning, enjoying a cup of tea and noticing the way nature inspires design. (Life in Portland, Oregon)
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Shrinkage of the Fiber
Fiber on the left, before water. Fiber on the right, after water. Silk merino blend. I never measured before and this time I just did it for the heck of it! I guess that's where the "bloom" comes from...
And you can manipulate the yarn further with how you treat it during/after washing, too. I'm presuming with the pulling up and blooming, you didn't dry it under any tension? If you'd tied a weight at the bottom of the skein - like a can of food, for a quick 'n dirty method - you would've gotten a thinner, longer and somewhat smoother finished yarn. Just like blocking lace vs. a sweater. That can also set the twist more permanently. Spinner's choice on which way to go. ;)
Depending on the fiber, there are a lot of differing finishing treatments. You should hear some of the stuff they recommend for 100% silk! Doing a couple of things fluffs it up, a couple others makes it smooth and slinky... Amazing.
2 comments:
what beautiful yarn - looks like you are really getting the hang of it.
I'm glad you like it.
See you in September..
Oh yeah, really gorgeous yarn; congrats!
And you can manipulate the yarn further with how you treat it during/after washing, too. I'm presuming with the pulling up and blooming, you didn't dry it under any tension? If you'd tied a weight at the bottom of the skein - like a can of food, for a quick 'n dirty method - you would've gotten a thinner, longer and somewhat smoother finished yarn. Just like blocking lace vs. a sweater. That can also set the twist more permanently. Spinner's choice on which way to go. ;)
Depending on the fiber, there are a lot of differing finishing treatments. You should hear some of the stuff they recommend for 100% silk! Doing a couple of things fluffs it up, a couple others makes it smooth and slinky... Amazing.
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