Day 8 - Challenge
I have never spun proper low-twist singles yarn with drafting (pre-yarn roving does not count), so that is what I chose as a challenge. The only wool that I had that I wanted as singles was superwash, so that turned the challenge up a notch.
I have the Spinning Stupendous singles class from Craftsy, I went a re-watched some of the lessons to refresh my memory, and then I plunged in at the deep end.
I am not going to buy any superwash BFL again. It made my fingers itch in a bad way, and I do not like how it feels to spin. It was also very hard to control the grist with it, I expected it to be smooth and slick, but it was slick and lumpy at the same time. It is half way done and I will finish the yarn on the next challenge day, but next singles yarn will be spun out of normal wool.
The superwash singles being too fragile was the risk I decided to take after reading up on it. If they don't hold together, they don't and I have learned something, and that is fine too. If they do end up being usable, I was thinking of using them to crochet something instead of knitting with them. That way the fabric structure would support the yarn and help it stay intact.
Day 9
Back to the Craftsy class. The short backward draft it still not agreeing with me, but now it is because I don't like moving both hands and my torso to spin, not because my fingers don't know what to do. I doubt I'll ever be choosing this over short forwards draft, but I'll have it in my tool kit.
The final single of the cable is finished and it was a delight to spin fine high twist singles with BFL again. Love the fibre, love the colours, love the smell of the wool, and love the singles.