Adventures in Autowrapping

Woke up to a Winter Wonderland here in Michigan this morning.  Thick, wet snow covering the trees and it's still snowing.  Thank goodness we have power and we don't have to go anywhere today.

Really can't complain it's been a very mild winter here......keeping my fingers crossed the power stays on!

Met with some of my spinning buddies at Your Local Yarn Shop last Saturday and for some strange reason I decided I would attempt auto wrapping.  After reviewing Jacey Boggs Spin Art book, I mistakenly thought I was up to trying this technique in public. 

Wrong!!!.....well at least wrong unless my goal was to make a spectacle of myself. 

So.....I thought I'd use the orange Border Leicester I picked up from Yarn Hollow for my single. 

Went looking through my stash of stuff for something to use for the auto wrap.  I found an awesome mohair in blue with a dusting of orange, a cone of something glimmery in a lighter, brighter blue and a cone of light orange cotton/linen.  Since I found three yarns I really liked, I decided I'd try the "Tornado" technique.

Just a few suggestions:

1.  Maybe try auto wrapping with only one yarn/thread first and not mohair
2.  Jacey suggested predrafting the base fiber first......make sure to draft out all the fiber you think you will need before you begin.
3. Have a plan in mind to keep your wrapping yarns/thread from tangling if you need to take a brake.

Of course I can suggest these things since I didn't do any of them before I started.  Most of the time I felt like I was blowing around inside that tornado!.........mohair kept sticking and the blue glimmery thread came off that spool at an amazing speed.  Thank heavens the cotton/linen behaved itself.

I eventually found a certain rhythm which made me feel like I'd found the "eye" of the storm.  Then it was time for lunch.  Hmmmmmm how fast can three yarns get twisted together?  In the blink of an eye.  Lord have mercy....what a mess I had on my hands.  Spent quite a bit of time trying to get the mess untangled..... had one strand between my teeth, one under my foot while untwisting the 3rd strand. 

Miss Wonder Why wanted to take a picture of me so bad during this process!  NOOOO....I said while holding that yarn between my teeth.  It's a testiment to our friendship that she was able to contain herself.

Finally got the mess untangled and got back to spinning.  Found the "eye" again and let her take some action photos.

Collage courtsey of Wonder Why Gal

Must admit, I was never so happy to get a bobbin filled in my life.  I managed to get 44 yards before I called it quits..........

Took a much needed brake (brownie time) and then started on the Coffee colored Polypay Lambswool shown in the first pictures also from Yarn Hollow.  After my Tornado experience, I just needed an easy spin.  Spun it all up using a long draw (another new technique) and then plied it back on itself. 

Love, love, love the color! 

Since I seem to be on a spinning and Yarn Hollow kick, I decided to spin the Panda Top in Dana colorway.  Its an 8.8 oz. batt with one half oranges and the other half teals. 

One of the girls at the Spinning Loft, where I purchased the fiber, asked if I had ever stripped two colors down and then laid them next to each other when spinning the single. I'd ever even considered this, so thought I'd give it a try.

It's looking delicious.....

........now to fill another bobbin and then ply it back on itself.

That pretty much covers my week of spinning....having a great time trying new techniques (even the Tornado) and working with different fibers.

Hope you all have a great Fiber Arts Friday.....drive safe if you have to be out in this storm!!