06 January 2012

Spin-to-Knit - A Success!

A few months ago, I decided that I was at the point in my spinning career where I should attempt a spin-to-knit project.  I also really I wanted to make my mother a warm pair of socks for christmas.

This is where I started, with some balls of fiber larger than my head!

Then I spun, spun, had some weight consistency problems, and then spun some more. 

I ended up with some stunning 3-ply fingering weight yarn (which I now realize that I did not measure the length of...). I decided on 2 strands of 100% black jacob wool for warmth.  It was a absolute dream to work with and smelled wonderful.  Then I plyed those with a merino/silk blend for some flexibility. 

Then I began to knit this lovely fiber up into a pair of vanilla socks for my mummy.  I won't say it was easy and there certainly were moments when I wanted to give up so badly because things were not going my way, but I stuck with it. 

I must say that this was the most satisfying finish to a project that I have ever experienced.  I felt so relieved and accomplished when she finally got to try them on and they fit perfectly! 

I also really love how the green blends in with the natural Jacob wool color.  I'm reminded yet again of how spinning yields new yarns that I will never find in stores, yarns that fit a project perfectly because they were made for that purpose. 

So, in the end, this project was a lot of hard work and stress over whether it would all work out, but it was completely worth it.  My mother has been wearing them pretty much non-stop too!

I also get to cross off another of my fiber goals of 2012:
           - Finish a spin-to-knit project

Have you ever conquered a seemingly impossible craft project?  Please drop me a line or link in the comments, I'd love to hear about your personal triumphs!

14 comments:

  1. Hi Pumpkin! Congrats on the sock project, it must be so satisfying to have spun the yarn and then worked through the challenges of knitting a pair of socks. I'm so inspired by your post! Love your blog.

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  2. That's awesome! Well done for sticking with it through the whole process.

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  3. The yarn and socks are gorgeous! Great job!

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  4. Your spin to knit is a really cool concept! The colors in the yarn are beautiful and suites the socks well! They look very cozy!

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  5. Such beautiful socks and such beautiful yarn! I love the way the green blends also and the photos probably do no justice to the real thing. Congrats!

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  6. Epic project! Congratulations on such a stunning success. They're beautiful!

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  7. Whew! Now that I'm done I'm not sure what to work on next! Thank you all for your kind praise!

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  8. Really enjoyed watching the fiber to socks process, and the finished socks look absolutely wonderful. You have some very interesting goals and looks like you are well on your way accomplishing them.

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  9. Beautiful! I dream of spinning well enough to spin my own sock yarn someday.

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  10. WOW! This right here is my dream project. I think I'm far from spinning fiber consistent enough to actually knit with it. . .

    I keep looking at your pictures with sheer envy. :) Congrats on reaching one of your goals already!

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  11. Oh wow! Beautiful! I can understand why it might be stressful to spin enough to knit something for someone. :S

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  12. Truly a success! I love your story, too, and while this was a tough project (from start to finish), I think it makes your socks even more wonderful.

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  13. Great socks - produced from the base till the end-product. They are looking warm and I like espacially the natural optic through the material. Regards from Germany - Senna

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  14. What a wonderful project :) So glad they fit perfectly too!

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