This year I only completed one project during TdF. Spinning fine, not having vacation and loads of spinning time, really took my productivity down this year. On the other hand, I did not burn myself out after one week either.
One completed bobbin of 5 colour gradient 2-ply fine worsted spun yarn. I spun the singles at 45 WPI and it plied to 22-24 WPI pre-wash. It may plump up a bit in the wash, but my experience tells me, that it won't be much.
I did prep for all five of the different yarns I planned to spin. The first stage of prep was to divide the tops by weight for all the five yarns.
Then I blended one set of the 5 gram tops for the yarn 5; Classic 3-ply. Yarn 4 did not require any further prep than making those original small nests.
After that I divided the first large set of tops for the Yarn 1; 5 colour 2-ply. Basically I divided every colour in four pieces, and one nest of both end colours into two more. Then I arranged the nests with offset the make three colours into five.
This was the yarn I chose to start with. I was aiming for a light fingering to fingering weight, so I used the 45 WPI groove on my control card to check against. I drafted with short forward draw, with sliding fingers fingers back smoothing the forming single.
On the first challenge day I prepped yarn 3; the 9 colour gradient, and I stuck to the plan for this one. Dividing the second set of the 30 gram tops was easier than I expected, and blending the batlings on my blending board was a breeze. I put on and took off the fibre three times per colour because I wanted an even blend. Then I divided each batling into two and rolled them up for storage.
On the second challenge day I prepped the fibre for yarn 2; the 7 colour gradient. I divided the fibre according to the plan, but then deviated from the plan and made nests for two ply instead of 3-ply. To make this into 2-ply I attenuated each of the two pieces of the main colour, then attenuated the additional colour into twice that length, and divided that colour into two. I added those strips to the main colour strips for combination drafting. I made the rest of the two colour nests the same way.
I finished the 5 colour gradient in week 3. The overlap of the two colours on either side of the middle colour came out much shorter than I expected, but it is a lovely gradient yarn anyway. I probably made one single slightly finer than the other, thus making it longer and pushing the overlap out of alignment.
I want to try this technique gain, and when I do, I'll manage the colour sections of each single separately to make sure that everything aligns as it is supposed to.
I ended up with a lovely 88 grams of light fingering weight and I am itching to cast on a shawlette with it. I also got inspired to spin more, but I think I'll go for DK weight next. I want something completed faster than laceweight.
