Spinners produce skeins so the yarn can be easily judged. In the past, skeins allowed the factors and weavers to judge the quality of the yarn that a spinner was producing. However, what really matters is the appearance and function of the fabric(s) produced from the yarn.
Judging a skein of yarn in the skein at a show is like judging a hunting dog or a sheep dog in a show ring. The only way to really judge such dogs is to watch them hunt or work sheep. Judged in the ring, you are likely to come up with a "champion" sheep dog that is pretty, but can't work sheep. And, a sheep dog that cannot work sheep is not a sheep dog, it is just a pet.
Yarn must be judged by how it performs in a fabric, and the intended use of the fabric must be known. Yarn for a sweater is different from yarn for gloves. And, yarn for matching sweater and gloves is another set of compromises depending on how the outfit will be used. No! that is the mind set of a knitter using commercial yarn. A hand spinner can make soft sweater yarn, and durable glove yarns that match.
I have been sampling yarn for gloves. The soft yarn's do not wear well at the finger tips. The yarns that wear well at the fingertips, tend to feel harsh at the cuff. Certainly it is also an issue with socks, but it is more an issue with gloves. This brings up the idea of spinning different, but matching yarns for cuffs and areas of high wear.
Mostly transitions from one fiber type to another are visible where the transition is abrupt. However, the hand spinner can make such transitions gradual and very much less apparent. That is, suppose it is desired to put more Romney in the fiber blend over the heel and toes of a sock to increase durability. The hand spinner can change the blend over a length of the yarn that will result in a inch of knitting, so that in the finished object, the transition from one fiber blend to another is not noticeable. In a skein, that transition from one fiber blend to another would look like crap. In the finished object it looks like magic. It is a touch of true craftsmanship.
Judging a skein of yarn in the skein at a show is like judging a hunting dog or a sheep dog in a show ring. The only way to really judge such dogs is to watch them hunt or work sheep. Judged in the ring, you are likely to come up with a "champion" sheep dog that is pretty, but can't work sheep. And, a sheep dog that cannot work sheep is not a sheep dog, it is just a pet.
Yarn must be judged by how it performs in a fabric, and the intended use of the fabric must be known. Yarn for a sweater is different from yarn for gloves. And, yarn for matching sweater and gloves is another set of compromises depending on how the outfit will be used. No! that is the mind set of a knitter using commercial yarn. A hand spinner can make soft sweater yarn, and durable glove yarns that match.
I have been sampling yarn for gloves. The soft yarn's do not wear well at the finger tips. The yarns that wear well at the fingertips, tend to feel harsh at the cuff. Certainly it is also an issue with socks, but it is more an issue with gloves. This brings up the idea of spinning different, but matching yarns for cuffs and areas of high wear.
Mostly transitions from one fiber type to another are visible where the transition is abrupt. However, the hand spinner can make such transitions gradual and very much less apparent. That is, suppose it is desired to put more Romney in the fiber blend over the heel and toes of a sock to increase durability. The hand spinner can change the blend over a length of the yarn that will result in a inch of knitting, so that in the finished object, the transition from one fiber blend to another is not noticeable. In a skein, that transition from one fiber blend to another would look like crap. In the finished object it looks like magic. It is a touch of true craftsmanship.
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