In Which the Pirate Tries A Merino-Silk Blend.

This is four ounces (112g) of a Merino-Silk blend from Cloverleaf Farms in the “Woodland” colorway that I bought at MD Sheep and Wool this past May. I’ve never spun anything with silk in it before. The plan is to go for a sockweight; how deliciously warm will merino-silk blend socks be when it’s blustering and snowing, and I’m cozily inside with hot chocolate by the fire? I can’t believe I’m already looking forward to winter! Wasn’t it just earlier this week that I was looking forward to fall? Well, first I’m going to enjoy the rest of the summer.

Unbraided, the colors look incredibly different! Since this is probably going to come to Pennsic with me if I don’t have it finished in time, I decided to just split the fiber in half the short and easy way. I am expecting some lovely interplay between the greens and bronzes. The sheen of the silk just doesn’t come across in the photos, which is unfortunate – the fiber is almost glowing with color.

Spinning this stuff is interesting. The silk is almost sticky – not in a gummy-sticky kind of way, but it holds the fiber together in a way that wool by itself doesn’t. I am spinning a fairly even single, a little thin in spots, without much effort. Plyback tests show a beautiful shiny fingering weight yarn.