I’ve been playing with my new spindle and some old top lately. I bought the top at least two years ago, to go with my first drop spindle. It’s a 50/50 silk-merino blend, and really needed a lighter spindle (or a better spinner) to make a good yarn. I made a good first try at it, but we were fostering kittens, and kittens and drop spindles generally don’t mix. So, I put it aside and forgot about it.

I knew that I wanted to bring a spindle with me to Germany, so I pulled out the old fiber a few weeks ago and started to spin it again.

I’ve had a couple of years to practice spinning since I last tried spindling, and so it’s going much more smoothly than it did the first time around. Still, I’ve never spun with silk before, so it’s been interesting to come to grips with the complete lack of crimp in the fiber. I thought that the merino would give it some crimp, but the tussah seems to be the dominant character in this mix, and it is slippery!

Since I got the hang of the fiber, it’s been a pleasure to spin. The spindle was only about half full when the cocoon of singles fell off of it, so I made a second of the same size, and then plied them together.

I ended up with about 130 yards of fingering-weight yarn, and should have enough fiber to make two more skeins of this size.

I love the shine of the silk in this yarn, and the colors. It changes from silver-gray to dark blue, to purple depending on the lighting. I’m looking forward to knitting with it, though I have no idea what I will make. Something shimmery and color-shifty, and probably lace. I’m estimating that I’ll end up with about 400 yards, though I suppose I should finish spinning before counting those chicks.

Until then, I have a pretty skein to pet.