Handspun all the time

I finished another one of these Sockhead Slouch hats. This one is made from my handspun Montadale, and I think the hat shows it off well. I did not plan to have the colors look any specific way – I just spun the fiber as it came. Some of it is barberpole and some more solid, but I like it. This type of hat is REALLY easy for portable/work knitting – just around and around on a 16” circular needle. You do rib for a while and then stockinette for a while and then decrease briefly and you’re done. I do not yet know who this hat is for. Is it sparking joy for you?

In other spinning  news, I have finished the light grey Muesli. I had 21 one-ounce batts, and I spun one per day until I was done. It never seemed overwhelming and I always enjoyed it. By not doing more than that, I eliminated the possibility of straining my hands. Here are the singles:

I finished the last batt a few days after Thanksgiving break, and then it took me 4-5 more days to ply it. I ended up with 1032 yards of yarn. It only weighed about 20 ounces after washing, though – I noticed that I had to wash more times and the water was cloudy, so my guess is that there was more grease that was ready to come out.

I haven’t really tried to figure out the weight of the yarn (weight like DK, worsted, etc.). Here’s a shot with a penny:

And finally, I knit a swatch. With luck, I’ll get my Humulus sweater on the needles before our Christmas road trip so I can work on it then. But starting a sweater involves a lot of thinking and calculating. Wish me luck!