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Valk_scot
Permanent Resident
United Kingdom
1281 Posts |
 Posted - 12/14/2005 : 09:30:32 AM
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I bought several sample packs of hand dyed silk noils at a craft fair recently, mainly because I liked the colours. But...what do you do with it? I tried teasing it out very finely and carding it in with a variety of base fibres, like merino and alpaca, but it always seems to end up looking like I`ve spun the fluff from inside the vacumn bag. Supersoft, great colours but UGLLLLLY.....mostly because of the lumps. But lumps are the whole point of noils, surely?
I can`t help think that I`m doing this wrong somewhere! What`s this stuff all about, then?
Val.
[img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_9_21.gif[/img] |
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Lissa
Permanent Resident
USA
4942 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2005 : 10:51:18 AM
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Sounds to me like you're doing it right, but just don't like noils. Me, too.
Lissa
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act. -- George Orwell
Oh, and I now have a blog:http://knittnlissa.typepad.com/knittnlissa/ |
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jaymeKnits
Permanent Resident
USA
1326 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2005 : 11:40:21 AM
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Have you tried spinning with it yet? I find it hard to know how somethings will look until it is spun or rven knit.
Jayme |
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BessH
Permanent Resident
3095 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2005 : 12:01:52 PM
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And don't decide till you've wet set it because that process can also effect the final look.
Bess
http://likethequeen.blogspot.com |
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Shelia
Permanent Resident
USA
2315 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2005 : 12:18:45 PM
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I am happiest with the look of silk noils when they are spun into pretty thin yarn, fingering or thinner. Then the little brightly colored "bumps" look as if they were put there on purpose, especially if they are a really contrasting color.
Shelia
www.letstalkstash.blogspot.com |
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Valk_scot
Permanent Resident
United Kingdom
1281 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2005 : 2:35:59 PM
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Yes, I`ve spun it thick and thin, two-ply and navaho plied, washed it etc etc. In several colour combinations. With several fibres. I`m stubborn! It still looks like coloured cat sick to me though.
I just thought there might be something I was missing, because I`ve not been spinning that long. Oh well, apparently not. I`ll swap it with some of the felters in our Guild for something else. It`s amazing what felters like using!
Val.
[img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_9_21.gif[/img] |
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RobA
Permanent Resident
2373 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2005 : 06:45:58 AM
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I just got the Learn to Spin Silk on a Top Whorl Spindle (yes, a newbie with ambitious dreams). she has a very useful description of the types of silk you see for sale. She say,
"Silk noil is made of little chunks and snarls and pieces of silk, with a small amount of normal-length fibers in the mix. Noil can be spun alone, but it usually carded into other things to give texture to a yarn."
After reading her descriptions, I made a note to myself for the future to buy tussah silk when I am ready to try it.
Rob http://roberta.typepad.com/robknits/ |
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Valk_scot
Permanent Resident
United Kingdom
1281 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2005 : 07:10:59 AM
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I like tussah silk, mulberry silk and silk threads, just not the noils as I`ve discovered. I`m particularly fond of the effect you can get from carding these very brightly dyed waste sari silk threads into a black or dark base fibre. I`ve used black alpaca with hot pink and purple threads, and a particularly sucessful olive merino with bronze and gold threads.
I`ve also got some undyed silk caps in the stash, but they`re waiting for the New Year so I can do some dying experiments.
I`ve spun tussah combed top on a hand spindle, but got bored after a ten yards or so. Easier on a wheel. Even easier if carded in with something else. Tussah and alpaca...mmmh!
Val.
[img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_9_21.gif[/img] |
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tortadetortuga
New Pal
47 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2006 : 4:02:25 PM
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I just got some for my shop and ummmm....yeah. Definitely for painting and blending, not much fun at all on its own, unless you are really into the process and want to create a truly unique yarn with a very specific effect in mind(and hopefully will ply it, I have no faith in it holding together on its own with any durability).
Essentially, it's waste. It is fun to paint with dyes (smells like cochineal during scouring because of the bug bits) and the cultivated silk noils are pretty soft. But IMO it is like icicle (a shiny synthetic like Firestar or Angelina but softer and more flyaway) more for blending than spinning pure, and fun in those limited amounts within a blend, although my experiments have been very limited thus far.
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http://lanasdelibelula.com |
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BessH
Permanent Resident
3095 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2006 : 04:12:46 AM
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One thing I've noticed about noils is that I prefer them to be sparingly used. Just a little bit of colorful flecks is pretty but it is possible to make cat sick yarn if you add the bits with a heavy hand.
Bess
http://likethequeen.blogspot.com |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2006 : 05:20:34 AM
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I would like them lightly scattered through wool so as to be tweed
I love tweed which is why I liked that sisik so much
and the thought of a deep berry/magenta tweed is just about irresistable to me....
hmmmmm
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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