Ambivalent no more

 Early in the pandemic-time, in late March and April, I participated in a Sheepspot challenge called #groomyourstash. Here is the official description: 

"Participants in our #groomyourstash challenge learned how to get their stashes organized, documented, and stored safely. They also learned about combining fibers and colorways to make larger projects and use up odds and ends, as well as how you can use fiber prep tools to get compacted fiber in shape for soothing spinning."

This challenge hit during a time when revisiting and organizing my fiber stash was a welcome diversion from obsessing about the COVID news. I did it. Early in the week, we sorted our fiber into 3 piles: love it, ambivalent, and let it go. I can't recall, but I might not have put anything in the "let it go" pile. However, I put a few things in the "ambivalent" box with a note to revisit them on October 1. I also put a reminder on my calendar.

Sometime in early October, the calendar reminder popped up. I fetched the box from its spot and looked at the fiber again. And surprise! I spun some of it. 

The first fiber I spun was this Corriedale top, dyed in a colorway called "Amethyst." I bought this at a yarn shop in Austin with Steven many years ago. 

At some point, I decided to use it for thrums in a mitten, and I ripped up a bunch of it for that purpose. But the project didn't work out and I stuffed everything in a bag and put it away. When I revisited it, I realized that it wasn't an "all or nothing" situation - I could spin the nice part of the braid and toss the bits. The fiber was a bit compacted, but I was able to pre-draft it. I didn't quite get the satisfaction of throwing away the bits, though... Sharon claimed them for some future unknown project, so they are actually still in the house. But they're NOT MINE! Here are the unruly, leftover bits:

This fiber came in at 13 WPI, which my Nancy's Knit Knacks card says is DK, but I wonder if it is closer to a sportweight yarn. Somewhere in there, anyway. It's only 268 yards and 88 grams, thanks to the missing thrums. I can probably get a hat out of it.

 

The next fiber I rescued from the "ambivalent" box is a ball of alpaca/Jacob roving (70/30 blend). I think I bought this at a Knitters' Day Out many years ago, when I was a new spinner. I remember picking it up off a table and petting it until I bought it. It was only $10, which was a steal for 4 oz of fiber even then. 

I thought I would spin this long draw (since it's roving), but the prep was quite uneven and I wasn't happy with the quick sample I made. So I started spinning SFD (short forward draft), which allowed me to control some of the unevenness. I made 320 yards of a 2-ply yarn that weighs 117 grams. This one comes in at 14-15 WPI, definitely more of a sportweight yarn. I thought this might be good in a woven scarf, perhaps with a colorful weft. 

I really like that it's not solid brown. It's a beautiful, deep brown, but it has some lighter gray in it that adds dimension to the finished yarn. 

There are a couple other items in the "ambivalent" box that I am truly more ambivalent about. They might be going away soon, but for now, they are in my living room.