First we spin the fiber into thread. I spin fine, and the more stressed I am, the more finely I spin. So, yeah, spidersilk. Once it's thread, we take it off the drop spindle and put it on a bobbin (or, as we like to call them in my house: a toilet paper roll). Each of these is exactly half the unspun fiber by weight (1.5 oz). Since the thread fiber varies in thickness--from gossamer to hey, I can almost see that thread!--the actual length of yarn is anyone's guess.
Then we take a big knitting needles, stick the bobbin on it, and secure it in a...box. Because this here is a high-class fancy operation, yes sirree! Note the variance in the thread colors: Mirhya does f-ing gorgeous dyes. That pink on the top gives way to a purple as dark as the middle roll's, which also has orange and pink in the layers. That bottom purple has some beautiful blues. I can't remember the names...Sangria, Villain, and... something? But she picked them for the bundle (and for me, since she knows me).
Then we add a kick spindle, over there on the right, mostly obscured by Louhi. And then we spin, and spin, and spin... and when that is done, we take the now 3-ply yarn off the kick spindle, wind it around a pair of chair legs (no photos of that. Hands full) and tie it off. And THEN we have this, which is about 99 yds of heavy sock/sport weight. I'm anticipating about the same amount from the second 1.5 oz, for a total of 200 yds.
I'm not sure what I think of spinning, y'all. I love playing with fiber. It's super slow and time-consuming (I know! Drop spindle guarantees that) for not a lot of yarn. I think a wheel would probably change my life. I think... well. First I will finish this, and WAR BANDAGE, and then we'll see.
