Something different from the ‘What We Knit’ series, I’ve done some spinning! I couldn’t resist having a little spin with the new Corriedale Fibre we have got in.

As we have been expanding our spinning range and also running spinning workshops we were looking for a simple fibre that would be easy to spin for beginners. This beautiful white Corriedale fulfilled the brief. Corriedale is a wonderfully soft and bouncy fibre and it has a long staple length. Meaning the length of each individual fibre is longer than a lot of wools, typically between 7-12cms. This gives you better control while spinning as the fibres are not likely to come apart . Corriedale is a cross between Merino and Lincoln Longwool and it has the softness and strength that is characteristic of each breed.

The Corriedale we stock comes from the Falklands and is combed from specially selected fleeces. This superior quality fibre comes from sheep that are not dipped and are given minimum use of pesticides. The fine wool is combed into tops which gives a good handle for knitwear and more robustness than merino. It also felts well and is great for needle felters. We sell them in 100g and are ready to spin. So with all this in mind I needed to give it a go.

Any combed fibre that comes in a braid like this I like to split down the length. I find it is easier for me to spin when there is not so much bulk moving through my hands and it is an easy way to divide it up into equalish amounts for plying. I have decided to do a three ply so I have split the braid into three lengths. I like a three ply because it evens out the finished yarn and hides spinning inconsistencies. Hopefully thick bits will overlay with thin bits and vice versa.

I spun up each little strip of fibre and I had about 18g in total. I wound them off into separate balls of singles ready for plying and ended up with a fairly similar quantity in each ball which isn’t bad as I din’t weigh them before spinning. I really enjoyed spinning this Corriedale, it is so soft and flowed through my hands beautifully. Spinners often talk of a flow state when spinning as the mediative action is almost hypnotic. I certainly found it with this Corriedale. It was smooth and even with no lumpy neps or tangles which can make spinning a bit laborious. It wasn’t greasy so didn’t make your hands or tools sticky. The white fibre is nice and bright and I expect it would dye really well before or after spinning.

Now I have my singles its is time to ply them. When I’m plying yarn on my drop spindle I tend to always be plying from little balls like these. To keep these in order I attach my Colourwork Companion to my project bag or in this instance the basket and that way it helps the singles stay in line. It also gives a little bit of resistance which I find handy because my yarn isn’t flying everywhere.

When the singles are all plied it is time to wind it into a hank so it can be washed. No noddy noddy no problem! I found the distance between these chair arms perfect. I have upturned a chair before and used the legs or you can wind it from your hand to you bent elbow as well. I soaked it in some water to plump and set the twist and left it hanging out to dry.

The finished yarn is squishy with a slight lustre and I am really pleased with it. You can see it is a bit thicker and thinner in places but that is part of its charm. It was a joy to spin and I have ended up with 28 meters at 18g. I would say it is about an aran weight and has 11 wraps per inch. If you fancy a go at spinning yourself then all you need is a Drop Spindle and the Corriedale Wool Top. I find the Colourwork Companion handy. If you have never spun and want to give it a go yourself check out our Drop Spindle Workshops for upcoming dates.