Sit and Spin 2023: Episode 6 a Spincycle Dyed in the Wool Style Yarn for the Tessellated Vest

Hello all! You know that feeling you get when a new beautiful knitting pattern is released. The one where you have to drop everything else you're working on and cast on as soon as possible.
Yeah, so on Thursday July 13th, Andrea Mowry released the Tessellated sweater and vest.
Links:
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...
And I absolutely needed to knit the vest. The problem is, I don't have any Spincycle yarn in my stash. Now you absolutely should go and buy and use their beautiful Dyed in the Wool yarn.
spincycleyarns.com/collection...
But if you, like me, do have the fiber in your stash and an empty bobbin for your wheel. Here's how I went about spinning my own inspired by yarn.
Happy Spinning!!

[@sonomaknits]

I am so glad I found you. I loved your demonstration on making rolags to the finished yarn. It is beautiful. I will be sharing your video with my spinning friends. We need to do a Rolag to SpinCycle-esk spin-a-long.

[@chris112233ish]

My first time viewing spinning very interesting.

[@Yarn_Lab]

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed!!

[@jenniferstenberg]

This is AMAZING! I’ve been scouring the internet for something exactly what you’ve done here. I just got a blending board and I’m looking for different ways to use it. I’m also wanting to learn how to make those color transitioning yarns. And the to see the finished yarn knit up to!! I love it so much! So incredibly helpful and I’m so inspired to finally use my board! I’ve been overwhelmed and intimidated but you made it so approachable and enticing. Thank you so much!

[@Yarn_Lab]

Love this comment, I'm so glad you found the video helpful, I was happy to provide a project start to finish like this (the vest is finished now too, you can see in in my Lab report episode 18). Best of luck diving into your own blending board adventures!!

[@debcigna6732]

loved this demo, beautiful color choice your vest will be gorgeous,something id like to try

[@goatsimulatorpaydayandfrie1443]

Beautiful work ❤

[@angelajholden]

I really enjoyed this!

[@Yarn_Lab]

I'm so glad!

[@lmaeser]

I'm so glad I found this video! I saw the pattern and would love to make it, but right now I can't justify spending ~$100 on the spincycle yarn (plus the other yarn I would need to buy). And I've been wanting to do a larger project with handspun. This is giving me the confidence I need as I only saw a couple handspun projects in ravelry for this pattern. I like your color choices!

[@Yarn_Lab]

Yeah! I'm so glad you found inspiration and confidence from this video/my project! I know so many hand spinners who spin beautiful skeins of yarn but aren't ready to put them to work in projects, I used to be one myself. And you are absolutely right about this being a great way to save money versus the cost of purchasing spincycle.

[@CalypsoCitlali]

I really like your color combinations 🙂

[@Yarn_Lab]

Thank you! 😊

[@silviath521]

I love your colour choices. Thank you so much for featuring how you created the handspun yarn. I have always wanted to mimic the Spincycle yarn as it is so cost prohibitive, especially with the currency exchange to Canada. I also love that you are using something that has been in your stash for some time. We all have those things and I am working on shopping my stash first.

[@Yarn_Lab]

Thanks for watching and commenting!! Doing a spin cycle style spin has been on my to do list for ages. I agree with you about the cost being a bit much (although if ever there was a yarn where a single skein can have a big impact in a project Dyed in the wool would be it!). Plus I think there's only a few shops in Canada that carry it. Digging into my over full stash has been my theme for this year, knitting and spinning wise. It's so easy for our stashes to get overlarge, it's feeling great to really be putting it to use!

[@silviath521]

@Yarn_Lab We are definitely on the same page this year. I feel like I could go ten years and not purchase yarn or fibre!!! By the way, I had Romney sheep for many years, so the fleeces...

[@gemmaf_]

Oh no, now I really want to rummage in my stash and see what I can come up with. I think I'd go for the sweater version and off the top of my head I have enough MC yarns in two colours. Not sure about the mohair type yarn. And I don't have a blending board, so I would have to use a different way of prepping yarn to spin. But first, I have to finish plying the yarn on my wheel from yesterday!!

[@Yarn_Lab]

I kind of wanted to knit the sweater version as well, I really love it and find drop shoulder constructions to be quite flattering. But I didn't have enough MC (or I might have considering the gauge I ended up knitting at). You can absolutely blend without a blending board, I used to blend and make rolags on hand cards. Also you can always just use your fingers blend fiber colours, think pulling fibre apart, recombining and repeating. I may have to do a video on that. The cost of fibre tools can be prohibitive and there is still so much you can do with just your hands!

[@gemmaf_]

@@Yarn_Lab Aw that's a shame, but I guess it can be a project for another time. I totally forgot I was even going to look for fibre. My plying took two days!! Then I got distracted swatching for a cotton/linen Rock It Tee, which also took ages, as I had to try 3 different needle sizes!!

[@rachelmitchell2144]

That was FASCINATING! Thank you. 😁💚🧶

[@Yarn_Lab]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jamiethrogmorton2540]

This was SO MUCH FUN to watch!!! You’re so clear, thank you. Good thoughts re measuring the mosaic stitch. Feel-o-vision, how cute! And your color choices are so interesting!! How much yardage can one spin out of a pound of roving?

[@micahmilne]

Re: yardage: that entirely depends on how thick you spin. If you spin lace, thousands of yards. Worsted weight? Probably less than a thousand.

[@jamiethrogmorton2540]

@@micahmilne thanks, that makes sense. I’m a newbie spinner who received a beautiful 80 ounces of leftover Spincycle fleece from when they were selling that (now I believe they use it in their 1/2 recycled base). 80 ounces! Egad. I’m starting a spinning class next month.

[@stillarobyn]

I love seeing how you ply from a center pull ball! I always end up getting twisted and tangled and have weird tension, so I definitely need to try your method of tensioning!

[@susanehlava3808]

So fascinating! Your skills are amazing. Really enjoyed watching the process, did you spin all the yarn on the wall behind you?

[@Yarn_Lab]

Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed! alas no, most of the yarn on the wall was purchased, although about 20 or so skeins are my own hand spinning. I've been tended to cast on and knit up my hand spinning right after I finish it lately!