Started with this.....hand fluffed Suri (compliments of Arimas)
And this.....hand-dyed tussah silk
Added a touch of super fine merino (18.5 micron) and a pinch of Angelina (pixie dust, pixie dust, pixie dust) to get this...
Hand rolled off the drum carder (had to test spin one)....
About 6 ounces later.....a basket full of Suri alpaca/tussah silk/merino/Angelina blend rolags ready for spinning. Now the question......Wheel or spindle?
Things I learned. The Suri I get from my boys is really fine. Tends to "fly away" when you work with it. It seemed like there was Suri everywhere. Adding a handful of merino ( or Shetland ) calms this down but does not eliminate it. Having a small spray bottle of water is very handy. :)
Love the blend and love knowing that I can always card up more if need be. Discovered that my Suri is not as clean as I would like it. I really need to learn how to clean it better. The finished yarn did rinse clean after a couple of soaks, so that is a good thing. The fiber isn't too dirty to where there's worry about getting dirt in the spinning wheel. I just wish the fiber was "don't have to rinse until the water runs clear" clean.
Suri is an amazing fiber. Has a lovely sheen and is so soft. It's a pretty strong fiber that can be spun incredibly fine.....kinda like silk. It has no elasticity but does drape beautifully. I love the weight of it. It has a nice "solid" feel to it....and a lovely halo. I'm having my Suri blankets blended with a few of my Shetland fleeces this year. I can't wait to see the roving.
Off to enjoy some spinning on the back porch. I'm spinning Suri on my Herring Alpha. :)
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