# Spinning: hand dyed fine merino



## Cookie61868 (Sep 19, 2011)

Decided to spin up some of my hand dyed merino that my Spinning group dyed together last spring. I haven’t decided if I’m going to ply this or leave it as a single.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Wow how pretty I think any way you use it it will be great. Nice spinning and dyeing.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Beautifully spun and love the colors. Do you have plans for knitting it? I find my plan is to spin and I don't spin with purpose other than the skein. I really need to start knitting what I spin.


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## Oz knitter (Dec 19, 2016)

Looks great and fine merino is lovely.


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## Woodstockgranny (Feb 6, 2013)

Beautiful.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Cdambro said:


> Beautifully spun and love the colors. Do you have plans for knitting it? I find my plan is to spin and I don't spin with purpose other than the skein. I really need to start knitting what I spin.


But, but, but... If knit what you spin now, that will use up your spinning time. ???? I'm thinking all this spinning will give me a huge future stash of handspun to knit from.


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## Jacktana (Nov 20, 2011)

That's very lovely, and the colours are beautiful. I am curious, though - if you leave it as a single, what would you do with it afterwards? Knit or crochet with it? The reason I ask is that I've knit with a single before, and it wasn't the most fun yarn to knit with as the twist kept opening up. I ply everything I spin for that very reason. I look forward to hearing how one would use a single ply.


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## Babalou (Jun 3, 2012)

Such pretty colors.


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

Beautiful. Your singles looks great and the colors are perfect for it.


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## Cookie61868 (Sep 19, 2011)

Jacktana said:


> That's very lovely, and the colours are beautiful. I am curious, though - if you leave it as a single, what would you do with it afterwards? Knit or crochet with it? The reason I ask is that I've knit with a single before, and it wasn't the most fun yarn to knit with as the twist kept opening up. I ply everything I spin for that very reason. I look forward to hearing how one would use a single ply.


As long as you set the yarn it doesn't come untwisted. I soak singles in hot tap water with eucalin until the water is cool, then spin it out in a salad spinner to get the excess water out, hang it in the bathroom shower with a weighted coat hanger until it's dry. For a weight I usually just use a towel so it's not actually stretching the Fibers. I wish I had a pic to post with this but I don't. If I keep it a single I will post a pic of how I do it.


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## MrsMurdog (Apr 16, 2013)

Cookie61868 said:


> As long as you set the yarn it doesn't come untwisted. I soak singles in hot tap water with eucalin until the water is cool, then spin it out in a salad spinner to get the excess water out, hang it in the bathroom shower with a weighted coat hanger until it's dry. For a weight I usually just use a towel so it's not actually stretching the Fibers. I wish I had a pic to post with this but I don't. If I keep it a single I will post a pic of how I do it.


Salad spinner! You're a genius!


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## GrannyMo (Jul 7, 2016)

It looks so lovely I would use it just as it is.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

You could chain ply it to keep the color sequence.


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

Jacktana said:


> That's very lovely, and the colours are beautiful. I am curious, though - if you leave it as a single, what would you do with it afterwards? Knit or crochet with it? The reason I ask is that I've knit with a single before, and it wasn't the most fun yarn to knit with as the twist kept opening up. I ply everything I spin for that very reason. I look forward to hearing how one would use a single ply.


Often good for fine lace shawls etc. if using a single then it needs to have a high twist to stop it separating. Very high twist singles like that need to be washed and then hung to dry with a weight on the bottom of the skein to set the twist.


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## janetec (Jan 29, 2015)

If you ply your yarn (with itself) you will lose some of the color definition. I sometimes ply with either black silk thread or black wooly nylon. That really makes the colors pop.


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## Alpaca Farmer (Jan 19, 2011)

I think it is beautiful as a single.


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## Melody-Ann (Apr 11, 2017)

I love the colors! What sort of dye did you use?


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## Cookie61868 (Sep 19, 2011)

Melody-Ann said:


> I love the colors! What sort of dye did you use?


This was Jaquard dye. You can purchase it on Amazon.


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## Melody-Ann (Apr 11, 2017)

Cookie61868 said:


> This was Jaquard dye. You can purchase it on Amazon.


Thanks! I'm going to look it up right now!

:sm24:


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

Lovely colours


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

janetec said:


> If you ply your yarn (with itself) you will lose some of the color definition. I sometimes ply with either black silk thread or black wooly nylon. That really makes the colors pop.


Great idea! I don't want to lose the colors so often leave as a single.


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