Fractal Spinning

June 29th, 2009
I’ve been playing with fractal spinning the last few days.
This is a draft tutorial and needs more information and images.
What is fractal spinning?
Well it is method of spinning, it works best with tops which have been painted with stripes (there are alternatives, but I will ignore them here for simplicity).
The principal is to create a yarn where the plies have different lengths of colour repeat.  This is achieved by dividing the top lengthways.
This method shows how to create a 2ply yarn, though the theory can be applied for 3plies.
It works best with tops that have a regular colour repeat, 3 colours works well.  This example has only 2 colours.
Starting off with 1 length of continuous top (this  is Superwash Merino from ColourflDesigns.com), we want to spin all the tops in the same direction, so we need to make a note of the end.  I will be spinning from the end with the longer yellow stripe (top of  photo).
Fractal Step 1

Fractal Step 1 - Undivided Top

Split the top along its length being carefuly to keep both peices equally, providing you with 2 lengths of top that are half the width of the original.

You now have 2 lengths of top that are thinner, remember the end to spin from (bottom left of both peices in this picture).

Fractal Step 2

Fractal Step 2 - First Divide

1 of these will become the first ply for your yarn.  The 2nd needs to be split again length ways, making 2 equal thinner strips.  Remember which end you are spinning from.  In the image below: Left; Top for first ply (spinning end is bottom left),  Right; Top for second ply, 2 thinner lengths (spinning end is bottom length of both peices).

Fractal Step 3

Fractal Step 3 - Final Divide

You may want to roll these into a ball, or pre draft by attenuating them if you wish, but this may cause the colours to blend together, disrupting the striping.

When you spin each of the plies, the first ply will have long colour repeats, (in the image above the 1st ply will have 9  long colours repeats of yellow, purple), the 2nd ply will have shorter colour repeats (in the image above the 2nd ply will have 18 shorter colour repeats of yellow, purple).

Making sure you spin the tops from the right end will meake sure you get matching colour repeats aong the length, and when you ply you should ply from the same end of each single.

The effect will be a yarn with slow colour changes over laid with faster colour changes, making a really interesting colour blend effect.  Where both plies are the same colour you will get a solid section, but other sections will be blended.  If you are using more than 1 length of top for a larger garment follow the same steps and identify the same starting end if possible (this is easier when 3 or more colours are present).

I will post more pictures of the finished yarn and a knitted item when its finished.  It works well for socks!

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Dyeing day

June 27th, 2009

I did some dyeing today, here are some pictures. I’m going to use the Pansy colourway to try some fractal spinning.

IMG_2534

Superwash Merino, still wrapped in clingfilm sausage after dying in Moss colours.

Spiral dying

Shetland and BFL humbug next to each, spiral dyed Red -> Yellow, still wrapped in clingfilm.

Moss + Spiral Fire

The moss and Spiral dyed fibre hanging up to dye.

Pansy Superwash Merino

Superwash Merino in Pansy colourway. I ran out of blue dye (and thus Purple) so the second lot is paler purple.

For those of you who may be interested this is where I do my dyeing.

Workspace

Workspace

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Updated Blog Software

June 22nd, 2009

I have updated the blog software and things seem to be running smoothly again, so I should be able to post frequent updates with photos again.

I’m going to join in with the Tour de Fleece, which takes place during the Tour de France; bicycle wheels, spinning wheels, you get the jist! So I will hopefully get lots of spinning done!

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Spinning Madness

May 22nd, 2009

Sorry I have been so lax about updating, I will try and update more!  It is mainly because my camera has given up the ghost, but after 9yrs of good service I can’t complain too much.  I haven’t settled on a new one, so my picture taking is abit dis-joined at the moment, and I like to include photos in my posts.

So I thought I would update and add the photos in later.

I ordered myself a loom this week, so have tried that out today, its fun and eats yarn quickly! I want to use it to make a blanket and use up all the novelty yarns that have accumulated in my stash box.

I have been spinning lots recently and enjoying new fibres, dfferent sheep wools, alpaca, tencel, silk, etc..

I am really enjoying hand dyed colour ways, the way the colours play across the knitted fabric.

This a shetland Capelet made with handspun yarn (fibre from Wildcraft), Nahajo plying always the colours to slowly stripe.

Shetland Seascape From Wildcraft

Shetland Seascape Fibre From Wildcraft

Shetland Seascape Yarn

Shetland Seascape Yarn

335Shetland Seascape Capelet

Shetland Seascape Capelet

Superwash English Wool Blend from Wildcraft, Navaja plied for striping yarn, this will be a tank top for Em.

Skein1 of Superwash English wool Blend

Superwash English Wool Blend 'Pinks' from Wildcraft

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Sheep Yoke Cardi – Keep going

March 3rd, 2009

Well I had hoped to post a lovely picture of the yoke which I have finished and am now working on the main colour. But my faithful camera of 8 or 9 yrs has given up, every memory card I put in it just says card error. So a new camera is on the cards, wouldn’t have minded if I had wanted a new one, but the old one worked perfectly and despite being dated I really liked it.

Here is the picture of the work so far.  The sheep need faces and legs! You can see the stitches held on spare yarn at each side.

Sheep Yoke

I have now started on the sleeves, even though I haven’t finished the body, as I haven’t decided if I want to add any colour work to the  bottom of the body, so I thought I would do the sleeves then assess how much yarn I have left when they are done.

Sleeves: Using main colour Pick up 3 sts from Cast on in arm pit and knit 44sts on holding yarn.

Work 1.5inches in Main colour, decrease 2 st at sleeve ’seam’, and every 3inches, until 41sts remain.

Work straight until sleeve measures 8.5inches from arm pit.

Work colour and ribbing, then cast off.

Repeat for second sleeve.

I have got back to knitting some squares for my sock yarn blanket this weeek too, so its growing again, I think it might be ready for next winter.  The more I do of it, the more I love it and the more I want to give it to Emily, I feel its something she could grow up with and keep for the rest of her life.  But I still really want it for myself, as it fels so nice over my lap, light and warm.

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Sheep Yoke Cardi – Cast On & Yoke

March 2nd, 2009

Size 3-4yrs

Casting on 70sts

Work as parttern for 6rows of chart.

Before working the flowers, work 4 more rows in blue and more increases (2sts per section).

I am aiming for 236sts at the bottom of the yoke.  Calculation: {28(chest inches)x5.5(sts per inch)}+ {8(sleeve width inches[same as original]) x2 x 5.5(sts per inch)} = 242.  The original pattern doesn’t have additional stitches under the arm, I am going to add 3sts under each arm to improve drape and fit. Therefore 242-6 = 236.

Work as per the pattern rows 7-12 (including the increases in row 7) for the flowers and grass, placing the flower repeat ever 8st.

If you find carrying the yarn floats hard, you can work rows 9-10 and 11-12 using the mosaic knitting (slip stitch) method (Have a read of this helpful Knitty article). But basically you work the stitches for 1 colour for 2 rows, slipping the stiches for the 2nd colour, then work the 2 rows again knitting the 2nd colour and slipping the first colour.

Work rows 13-16 as per the pattern. (166sts)

Work 2 rows with 2 increases per section in the first row. (182sts)

Work rows 17-22 as per the pattern, placing sheep evenly around the yoke.

Work as pattern rows 23-32, including colour checks.

Working with main colour as pattern increase 3 sts per section in the following row (each section now has 27sts). Total stitches (27×8 + 6 + 8 + 8) = 238sts.

Work 37sts, place next 44sts on holding yarn for sleeve, cast on 3sts (for underarm), work 76sts, place next 44sts on holding yarn for sleeve,  cast on 3 sts (for underarrm), work remaining 37sts.

Work evenly in main colour for body.

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Sheep Yoke Cardi – Step 8

March 1st, 2009

Yay dry wool!

The pictures I took mid process seem to have disapeared off my mem card (that’s what you get for using a camera with memory card thats 8yrs old and has probably exceeded its max write cycles!).

So here are the pictures of the finished yarn cakes.

Sheep Yoke Cardi Yarn Cakes

In the next picture hopefully you can see the 2tone 2ply for the main colour, and the variagation in the grass green and sky blue.

Sheep Yoke Cardi Yarn Cakes Detail

At last I can cast on!

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Sheep Yoke Cadi – Steps 5-7

March 1st, 2009

I died all the fibre earlier in the week.

I spun the singles, have of each colour first, then the second colour, to help improve consistency. Then plied and skeined it all. I have washed and finished it all, but now have to wait for it to dry before I can wind it into balls.

I haven’t measured the yardage so fingers crossed.

I choose lilac solid and mauve/purple with some variation, for the main colour, I have made a 2 tone 2 ply yarn with it, and am really pleased with how its come out. As long as there is enough, as I doubt I would be able to make a good dye repeat of this.

In other news I have been preparing some batts for the shop, as well as  some orifice hooks and some stitch/row markers.  I had planned to do an update this afternoon, but have run out of steam, so it will either be mid week, or next weekend.  Sorry.

As a spoiler…

There are some Sock Batts Merino/Nylon in colourway ‘Fire’, Ladybug orifice hooks, and simple stitch/row markers in various colours.

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Sheep Yoke Cardi Step 2-4

February 25th, 2009

I knitted a small swatch with the 2ply sample I had spun and washed. I didn”t bother to knit a sample with the 3ply as I preferred the 2ply and think it will offer a lighter drape in the finished fabric, also will require less spun singles.
I measured the wpi of the finished sample at about 11wpi, which is Double Knitting (US Light Worsted). This is great news as thats what I was aiming for.
On 4mm the gauge is …sts x …rows per 4inches.

My sample only weighed 4grams and gave 8meters, I didn’t think this was a large enough sample to use to calculate yardage per gram. But using it as a guide (2meters/gram) I spun 50grams of the undyed fibre, which was 105meters.  2.1meters/gram. (2.3yrds/gram)

I haven’t rewritten the pattern as I tend to work the pattern out as I go, but I can still estimate the yardage based on the yardage for the original sizing and the final measures of the new garment.

I’m going to work the pattern to fit 3-4yrs.
Chest: 28inches (71cm)
Length: 15inches (38cm)
Sleeve: 10inches (26cm) x 8inches

I could just make a generous guess about how much bigger this is than the original size, however a bit of simple maths will give me a pretty realistic value to use to calculate yardage.  (28×15 + 10×8)x2 = 1000. Technically this is the number of square inches of knitted fabric (it doesn’t take into account the fact the top is narrower than the bottom). For the original size : (22×14 + 7×8)x2 = 728.

To work out the new yardage : ( new size / original size ) x original yardage.  (1000/728) = 1.37

Main Colour (250 yards);
blue (90 yards);
green (90 yards);
cream (90 yards);
black (less than 20 yards);
pink (less than 60 yards).

New yardage / weight
Main Colour 343yrds / 150grams
blue 124yrds / 54grams
green 124yrs / 54grams
cream 124yrds / 54grams
black 26yrds / 11.5grams
pink 83yrds / 36grams.

Total weight = 360grams

So todays job is dying each of the colours.  Cream is undyed, and I’ve already spun 50grams of this.

I still haven’t decided on a colour for the main colour, I don’t want to do tan or any shade of brown, I’m thinking a pink or lilac or purple. Suggestions?

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Sheep Yoke Cardi – Step 1

February 23rd, 2009

I have spun the singles and done a 2ply and 3ply sample which I have washed and am waiting for them to dry.  Hopefully tomorrow I can knit some swatches. At the moment I prefer the 3ply, as its a more rounded and even yarn, but if I do a 2ply I won’t have to spin as much length of singles.  I need to measure the wpi and gauge before making a decision.  I hope to be able to calculate how much fibre I need to dye tomorrow, and start on the dyeing.

I said to some Ravelers I would document the process of spinning for a project, altering a pattern and calculating required yardage and weight.

The pattern for 9-12months requires:

DK weight superwash wool in tan (220-250 yards); blue, green and cream (60-90 yards); black (less than 20 yards); for girl’s version, pink (less than 60 yards).   Gauge: 5.5 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch.

This gives a garment with 22inch chest and 14inch length aprox.

Sleeves 7inches long by 8inches-7inches.

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