{"id":1806,"date":"2018-09-20T20:00:40","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T18:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=1806"},"modified":"2018-09-20T20:00:32","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T18:00:32","slug":"swedish-spinning-championships-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/swedish-spinning-championships-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Swedish spinning championships 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last weekend I attended the 2018 fleece and spinning championships in Dala-Floda. I was there as a visitor, spinning teacher and participant in the Swedish spinning championships 2018. I have entered the championships several times before<\/a>, and in 2017 I won a bronze medal<\/a> in the advanced level.<\/p>\n

My yarns din’t get to enter the competition, though, since the yarns I spun got lost in the mail and I still don’t know where they are. Still, I am very proud of the yarns I spun and I will share the process with you here.<\/p>\n

Spinning championship levels<\/h1>\n

There were two levels for the spinning championships, intermediate level and advanced level. For both levels the participants got wool and instructions for the construction of the yarns.<\/p>\n

Intermediate level<\/h2>\n

In the intermediate competition the spinner had to spin a 3-ply yarn. We received industrially carded grey batt and the yarn was supposed to fit 2\u20132,5 mm needles. I am not used to either industrially carded fiber or fiber without lanolin. The spinning was really frustrating! Since the 3-ply yarn was supposed to fit small circumference needles, the singles had to be really thin. I tried to spin in some sort of English long draw, but the yarn kept breaking. It was not the most relaxing spinning I have had.<\/p>\n

\"A
Finished 3-ply yarn. 147 m, 43 g, 3410 m\/kg. Fingering or light fingering weight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spinning this yarn 3-ply and so thin took a long time and a lot of frustration. In fact, I longed for the spinning to be over so that I could go on to the advanced level yarn.<\/p>\n

\"A
Intermediate level yarns for the spinning championships.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advanced level<\/h2>\n

For the advanced competition we received a periwinkle carded batt and dyed locks in dark and light pink of what looked like Swedish finewool. The instructions was to spin any kind of yarn with a combination of the batt and locks.<\/p>\n

An obvious choice with a carded batt and untreated locks would be a tailspun yarn. But to me, the dye work in these fibers suggested something else. I wanted to emphasize\u00a0the contrast between the fluffy batt and the silky locks. I also wanted to show the beautiful two-colour dye work in the locks.<\/p>\n

\"Carded
The fiber for the advanced level yarn: Carded periwinkle wool and dyed wool locks in different shades of pink.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I browsed through The spinner’s book of yarn designs<\/a> and found the perfect yarn to show off the fiber I had received. I only had to manage to spin it\u2026<\/p>\n

The yarn I wanted to spin was a cocoon yarn. It is a singles yarn with spool-shaped cocoons every now and then.<\/p>\n

This is how I did it:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I spun the batt in a thick single. After an arm’s length or so I broke the yarn so that I had a couple of inches of unspun fluff at the end. I divided up this fluffy end and<\/li>\n
  2. inserted a combed lock perpendicular to the single, cut end first. Then I treadled and let the lock roll on to the single in a cocoon shape.<\/li>\n
  3. I fixed the cocoon by exhaling warm air and rolling them and thus felting a little.<\/li>\n
  4. For extra security, I needle felted the cocoon slightly.<\/li>\n
  5. After the cocoon was finished, I let the single untwist a bit before I continued.<\/li>\n
  6. I attached the batt to the remaining end on the other side of the cocoon and continued spinning the single.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here is a short video I made of the cocoon yarn. I did not have the time or the energy to make a pretty video outdoors, so you will have to settle for our ungroomed living room.<\/p>\n