I have been working on various knitting yarns from a flock of Coopworths. So it should be a similar story, long locks, medium coarse, low crimp, very strong. So far I have spun 3 types of yarns. First was a 2 ply worsted weight and sport weight, 3.5 and 5 tpi respectively (these tpi are
similar twist as a basic medium wool spun as knitting yarns). That was almost twine like and would make great outer wear jackets and sweaters with lots of textured knitting. The fiber pops out any textured pattern. It would also make wonderful pile for rugs but that is a different tangent. Then I did a soft spun one ply in worsted weight. That is rather similar to Lopi yarns with the same issues except not being a dual coat so it shows as more shine and less fuzz. It is very strong but a little dense and heavy. Then I did a soft spun 3 ply worsted, I tried to match twist so that the plyed yarn was the same as the single ply, about 1 tpi. Next comes a soft spun 2 ply sport weight. I will aim for maybe 2 tpi. All yarns spun semi worsted on a ring spinning frame. The mechanics and way of thinking about spinning are the same as when I sit down at my Reeves. So from what you have said, Holly, I am thinking you can loosen your twist on that yarn a bit more and the length and strength of the Lincoln will hold it. That will help incorporate more air into the yarn and maximize its softness. I would play with the lovely colors you can get and think like clouds of subtle color changes. Maybe use knit purl as a subtle way to deepen and lighten the color shifts, like shadows. My 2 cents anyrate. Cheers, Turan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
