It calls for 2 skeins of Windy Valley Muskox Quiviut Luxury Blend yarn (45% quiviut/45% of merino/10% silk). The balls are about 218 yards/1 oz. They run about $65 each. It called for 2 balls or 436 yards.
I can spin. I don't have muskox, but I do have yak down ($35/#). I don't have extra fine merino, but I do have Cormo. I do have Tussah silk.
OK, now for the mighty math skills. For the 2 ounces, I need ratios of 45%, 45%, and 10%. I used the metric system since it was more accurate. One skein is - 12.7 g of yak, 12.7 g of Cormo, 2.8 g of silk. Multiply that by 2 and I have my amount.
Now, how fine do I spin. I searched the internet for something to help. Nada. I remembered I downloaded SpinTech on my Droid phone for $1.99 (If you have an iPhone probably use iSpin). It has a calculators and tools that allowed me to play with the numbers to get the right yardage with wpi.
- Singles - 49.5 wpi
- 2 Ply - 35 wpi
So far, I've used the hand carders to sample [I've given you the link to see how I've done it] and my Turkish drop spindle to spin. I want to get the feel of the fiber, see the twist.
The first photo [right] shows my sampling so far. The speckled skein [top] is the ratio with silk noil. I wanted to see the effect. I like it, but it won't be appropriate for a lace scarf. The bottom skein is just yak and cormo. Nice, but it lacks an extra bit of shine and softness. I'm spinning up the proper blend right now. I'm trying to get a fine and strong yarn with enough twist to hold it together but still have some bounce to it. Before I wind on I test it to see if it looks right as a 2 ply. It's pretty close [right].
When I go full scale, I'll use Twosheep's method with the drum carder. As with any spinning project, its best to measure and spin up more than you need. Murphy's Law will strike and you will run out. The probability is determined by how difficult the yarn is to get or spin.
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