First Ply

My apologies if the pictures take long to load, and for the fuzziness. I had to use DD's camera on Saturday. I couldn't figure out how to change it from HQ to SQ for smaller pixel pics.

MC has been spinning with me at the LYS since last fall and as a new spinner she decided to ply various yarns and as she ran out of one type or color to keep going by adding the next. It's been fun watching the colors build. Two balls were spun and she was ready to begin plying for the first time. (She only spins during our Saturday mornings)

Yes, that is pink yarn emerging from the BFL ball. Originally she'd spun a roving that had lots of pinks, when that ran out she added on the Corriedale, Autum colorway from Crown Mountain Farms and kept building up her ball. When that ball threatened to overtake her spindle she started the next one. In the meantime I'd found a bit more of the pink color roving Razzberry (CMF) in my stash. When that was gone she used the white Blue Faced Leicester. The ball on the spindle at the back is so far made up of the Razzberry but soon things are going to get interesting as the first colors are plyed.

The white single mixing with the autumn single makes a pretty yarn. Sadly we had no scale at the YS so had to guess what the ball weighed. It looked huge in real life. Hefting it in our hands against my spindle which I knew weighed over 3.5oz MCs was decidedly heavier. I will take a scale this Saturday. MC called later that day; she'd finished plying the yarn at home. I think she's been bitten by the bug. :-)
Her goal on this first batch of yarn is a varigated, thick and thin which she plans to make into a vest. I think it'll be a smashing vest!

I spun Chocolate Bar until the yarn broke from the weight. Combined weight of spindle and yarn was 4.1 oz. Yarn alone weighed 1.5 oz. I was disappointed not to reach 1.8 oz. The next ball will be spun on a 2.4 oz Turkish instead of the 2.6 Pink Ivory. I'll use the PI for plying. I still haven't totally decided whether to do an Andean Ply for plying the first ball or wait until the next one is finished and ply the two together. I'm leaning towards plying seperately since the yarn will be for socks. What is the Hand over Hand method? I'm almost toying with a 3 ply but even at plying an hour a day it's taking a week to do one ball. Time is ticking and the birthday is coming.