string therapy
@stringtherapy.bsky.social
Knitter, sometimes spinner and weaver, sew-person, cat/dog/chicken lady.
Bigots will be blocked.
Bigots will be blocked.
I have a bunch of cream fleece and a bunch of black fleece. I think I'll try my hand at spinning them and knitting a brioche shawl with the contrasting colours. Both fleeces are fine Polwarth so greasy but lovely to work with (I always wash Polwarth before spinning).
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
#handknitting
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
#handknitting
December 6, 2025 at 6:50 AM
I have a bunch of cream fleece and a bunch of black fleece. I think I'll try my hand at spinning them and knitting a brioche shawl with the contrasting colours. Both fleeces are fine Polwarth so greasy but lovely to work with (I always wash Polwarth before spinning).
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
#handknitting
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
#handknitting
Black & white Polwarth fleece. We are so lucky in AoNZ we don't even realise how lucky we are sometimes. This gorgeousness is as fine as Merino and from a small farm in north Auckland where the sheep have names 😻😻
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🐑🐑
November 22, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Black & white Polwarth fleece. We are so lucky in AoNZ we don't even realise how lucky we are sometimes. This gorgeousness is as fine as Merino and from a small farm in north Auckland where the sheep have names 😻😻
🐑🐑
🐑🐑
After hours - and I do mean hours - of combing and dizzing the black Polwarth, I now have slightly less than 300g (yes, you read that correctly) of soft fluffy floofballs with blue/green angelina highlights. I ♥️ sparklies. Hoping to turn it into a fine lace because it's suxh a fine, soft fibre.
November 12, 2025 at 7:35 AM
After hours - and I do mean hours - of combing and dizzing the black Polwarth, I now have slightly less than 300g (yes, you read that correctly) of soft fluffy floofballs with blue/green angelina highlights. I ♥️ sparklies. Hoping to turn it into a fine lace because it's suxh a fine, soft fibre.
Dyed. The different colours in the natural wool pick the dye up differently. Which is cool. If you want uniformity go to Glassons. As hoped the dark colour makes the beads pop out.
#handknitting
#handspinning
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#handknitting
#handspinning
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October 15, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Dyed. The different colours in the natural wool pick the dye up differently. Which is cool. If you want uniformity go to Glassons. As hoped the dark colour makes the beads pop out.
#handknitting
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
#handknitting
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
No the rolags turned onto the cowl. This was given to me by a kind person. It's very fine and I'm sure it won't last long. Dyeing it flax to make the beads stand out.
October 13, 2025 at 2:48 AM
No the rolags turned onto the cowl. This was given to me by a kind person. It's very fine and I'm sure it won't last long. Dyeing it flax to make the beads stand out.
Tah-dah! The Romney hogget t-shirt I started when I had my accident is finished. The measurements were taken off another t-shirt and while it's OK it do with a wee bit more around the sleeves. Will post another picture when it's dyed.
#handspinning
#handknitting
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#handspinning
#handknitting
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October 12, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Tah-dah! The Romney hogget t-shirt I started when I had my accident is finished. The measurements were taken off another t-shirt and while it's OK it do with a wee bit more around the sleeves. Will post another picture when it's dyed.
#handspinning
#handknitting
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
#handknitting
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Next up - a cowl to keep my arthritic neck warm. This is a black (actually a rich dark mocha) and white Polwarth fleece. Washed and handcarded so some additional colour could be added in ,and then spun long-draw. The colouring was a useful experiment. Super soft and warm.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
October 6, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Next up - a cowl to keep my arthritic neck warm. This is a black (actually a rich dark mocha) and white Polwarth fleece. Washed and handcarded so some additional colour could be added in ,and then spun long-draw. The colouring was a useful experiment. Super soft and warm.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
Finished 😁 I've processed, spun and dyed some raw fleece and then knitted a vintage-style shawl I designed. I stopped part way through when I had my accident but I'm now strong enough to hold the needles and what is a pretty hefty shawl. It's warm and soft and snuggly.
🧶🇳🇿
#handknitting
🧶🇳🇿
#handknitting
September 11, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Finished 😁 I've processed, spun and dyed some raw fleece and then knitted a vintage-style shawl I designed. I stopped part way through when I had my accident but I'm now strong enough to hold the needles and what is a pretty hefty shawl. It's warm and soft and snuggly.
🧶🇳🇿
#handknitting
🧶🇳🇿
#handknitting
First skein done. Look at the pretty colours 😻
There's some consistency issues but by the time I've spun 500 grams they should be ironed out 🤣
🧶🇳🇿
There's some consistency issues but by the time I've spun 500 grams they should be ironed out 🤣
🧶🇳🇿
September 6, 2025 at 10:58 PM
First skein done. Look at the pretty colours 😻
There's some consistency issues but by the time I've spun 500 grams they should be ironed out 🤣
🧶🇳🇿
There's some consistency issues but by the time I've spun 500 grams they should be ironed out 🤣
🧶🇳🇿
Lookit!! Our friends at Jumbuck Carding do bags of garment-sized random assorted colours called, strangely enough, a Jumbuck jumble 😹 A mix of Polwarth, Romney hogget and a bit of alpaca. Everything else has been put aside so I can spin it this week.
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August 31, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Lookit!! Our friends at Jumbuck Carding do bags of garment-sized random assorted colours called, strangely enough, a Jumbuck jumble 😹 A mix of Polwarth, Romney hogget and a bit of alpaca. Everything else has been put aside so I can spin it this week.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
Rolags from the lovely black (actually dark coffee brown) and white fleece. This is very much an experiment with some colour added. Using a new spinning wheel to spin it with the aim of making a soft snuggley cowl.
🧶🇳🇿
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August 1, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Rolags from the lovely black (actually dark coffee brown) and white fleece. This is very much an experiment with some colour added. Using a new spinning wheel to spin it with the aim of making a soft snuggley cowl.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
And there's the pink batt spun and knitted into hand/wrist warmers. Since my accident I've become conscious of keeping my hands warm.
There's some design flaws, and I'll do the next pair differently but atm these are warm and snuggly.
There's some design flaws, and I'll do the next pair differently but atm these are warm and snuggly.
July 29, 2025 at 5:17 AM
And there's the pink batt spun and knitted into hand/wrist warmers. Since my accident I've become conscious of keeping my hands warm.
There's some design flaws, and I'll do the next pair differently but atm these are warm and snuggly.
There's some design flaws, and I'll do the next pair differently but atm these are warm and snuggly.
I've spun the pink batt 😁
It had lots if lively colours and lumpy bits (mainly chunks of possum fur). I didn't want to flatten the texture or the colour, so the lumpy bits stayed intact. My long draw is not much chop so that added more unevenness. But it is soft and warm so mission accomplished.
It had lots if lively colours and lumpy bits (mainly chunks of possum fur). I didn't want to flatten the texture or the colour, so the lumpy bits stayed intact. My long draw is not much chop so that added more unevenness. But it is soft and warm so mission accomplished.
July 21, 2025 at 3:08 AM
I've spun the pink batt 😁
It had lots if lively colours and lumpy bits (mainly chunks of possum fur). I didn't want to flatten the texture or the colour, so the lumpy bits stayed intact. My long draw is not much chop so that added more unevenness. But it is soft and warm so mission accomplished.
It had lots if lively colours and lumpy bits (mainly chunks of possum fur). I didn't want to flatten the texture or the colour, so the lumpy bits stayed intact. My long draw is not much chop so that added more unevenness. But it is soft and warm so mission accomplished.
So my #TourdeFleece plans have crashed and burned 😒 But I did manage to escape the house yesterday 😁 Got a batt with possum to knit some wrist warmers and a chance to share time with others who understand the somewhat esoteric joy of black and white Polwarth fleece.
July 13, 2025 at 12:45 AM
So my #TourdeFleece plans have crashed and burned 😒 But I did manage to escape the house yesterday 😁 Got a batt with possum to knit some wrist warmers and a chance to share time with others who understand the somewhat esoteric joy of black and white Polwarth fleece.
Finished spinning and plying my green and blue. All that plying is a mission with a bung elbow and shoulder but it's done. No idea what to do with it, I just needed the bobbins for another project.
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
June 21, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Finished spinning and plying my green and blue. All that plying is a mission with a bung elbow and shoulder but it's done. No idea what to do with it, I just needed the bobbins for another project.
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
#handspinning
🧶🇳🇿
Last experiment - the unwashed East Friesian blended with the also unwashed Romney/Polwarth. I don't normally spin unwashed wool but thought I should just complete the set. Next up: spinning them.
June 18, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Last experiment - the unwashed East Friesian blended with the also unwashed Romney/Polwarth. I don't normally spin unwashed wool but thought I should just complete the set. Next up: spinning them.
The second experiment. These fluffy wee things were dizzed off mini-combs. The base yarn is East Friesian/Perendale which has been blended with a lovely Romney/Polwarth cross.
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June 18, 2025 at 12:15 AM
The second experiment. These fluffy wee things were dizzed off mini-combs. The base yarn is East Friesian/Perendale which has been blended with a lovely Romney/Polwarth cross.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
My first attempt at dizzing a roving off a blending board 😁 Needs work. Now to spin it and see how it goes. I'm trying to blend two fibres of very different staple lengths so not sure where this will end up 🤔
June 16, 2025 at 11:08 PM
My first attempt at dizzing a roving off a blending board 😁 Needs work. Now to spin it and see how it goes. I'm trying to blend two fibres of very different staple lengths so not sure where this will end up 🤔
Progress! This afternoon turned into a bit of a spinning marathon. It's uneven but in my defence merino/silk blend isn't the easiest when you're in pain and trying to retrain your muscles. It's OK. It is what it is. Now I need to find the painkillers 😵💫
#handspinning
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#handspinning
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June 4, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Progress! This afternoon turned into a bit of a spinning marathon. It's uneven but in my defence merino/silk blend isn't the easiest when you're in pain and trying to retrain your muscles. It's OK. It is what it is. Now I need to find the painkillers 😵💫
#handspinning
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#handspinning
🧶🪡
It came, it came!
June 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
It came, it came!
Finished the back 😁 One reason I don't knit garments is I can't knit around corners. True to form I mucked up the neckline but hopefully by the time it's finished it'll be invisible.
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June 2, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Finished the back 😁 One reason I don't knit garments is I can't knit around corners. True to form I mucked up the neckline but hopefully by the time it's finished it'll be invisible.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
I've got to the lace part of my t-shirt. My brain has been like spaghetti since my operation and the fairly simple pattern is proving quite troublesome. Anyway, here's the first set done, along with sparkly beads. The final colour will likely be a dark green so these should pop out.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿
May 18, 2025 at 11:47 PM
I've got to the lace part of my t-shirt. My brain has been like spaghetti since my operation and the fairly simple pattern is proving quite troublesome. Anyway, here's the first set done, along with sparkly beads. The final colour will likely be a dark green so these should pop out.
🧶🇳🇿
🧶🇳🇿