Good evening all. Mighty quiet today. I took the day off from spinning, first since the beginning of the SdF. Instead I worked on the unicorn in the egg and managed to cast on my KAL project.
Note to self: Do NOT store roving, batt or top in a bag that has even a small Velcro closer. (SIGH) Fortunately, I didn’t lose any fiber but it was a close call. LOL
Some Horned Dorset combed top (with sticker!) is on its way, earmarked as my fall sock spin. The plan is to spin the fiber first, and then to go for a tonal dye with natural dyes. Then maybe I will knit a classic cabled sock, but not too complicated. This is like an all-day sucker; I will have time to savor the prospects. It seems like I can get a lot of mileage out of this acquisition, though I am a little late for the sock KAL as it takes a while to spin for socks.
Some Horned Dorset combed top (with sticker!) is on its way, earmarked as my fall sock spin. The plan is to spin the fiber first, and then to go for a tonal dye with natural dyes. Then maybe I will knit a classic cabled sock, but not too complicated. This is like an all-day sucker; I will have time to savor the prospects. It seems like I can get a lot of mileage out of this acquisition, though I am a little late for the sock KAL as it takes a while to spin for socks.
Happy to see this topic. I worked on spinning SE2SE fibers during Spin De Fleece and completed Hog Island, Cotswold, Leicester Longwool. I started working on Romeldale/CVM and am really loving it.
Hi all! This is my first post ever. I love the SE2SE program and am very active on the FB page. Here are my first five breeds. I especially loved the Cotswold. I’m working on some Tunis, and Dorset Horn will be the next. I’ve already spun a bunch of non-qualifying Horned Dorset and will combine some of them for a finished project, but that’s down the road a bit. I have several others waiting for processing. No boredom here, for sure! Glad to be among friends here. 
Welcome! I have Hog Island on order for next spring. How did it spin?
Thanks for the Welcome. I enjoyed spinning the Hog Island, it was springy and crimpy and spun very easily.
You found the forum!! I’m so glad!! I was out of town for a few days and came back and saw 147 views and 46 posts and was all YIPPYing and dancing like a lunatic. I herebu nominate you QUEEN of the SE2 forum. You are so much more familiar with it than I am. I just got my first fiber - Southdown from Belle Fourche. It smells soooo good! I’m a tad intimidated because I’ve never spun anything with this short of a staple. I thought I’d spin half of it on the spindle that I won during the Spin de Fleece, but I think I’ll do it all on the wheel so I can get a lot of twist into it as fast as possible. Is it easier to spin short-stapled fiber from the fold?
I’m too uninformed on this type of site to understand the pluses and minuses of forums v groups. I’m game with whatever anyone wants to do so if either of you are communicating with the admins, feel free to tell them I have no problem with this being converted to something else.
What a great idea to spin from your home state!!! I’m in Maryland, but spent a huge majority of my life in PA. I moved - at the age of 65 - to MD for a job, so I’m crazy in more ways than fiber. I also travel to TX often for my job (Army Corps of Engineers). Listen to me - I I can so easily justify fibers from all these areas. LOL
I love the idea of an SE2 challenge! I’m in the same place, rkennell, thinking about how to combine it into one project. It was something that LeoLady said that gave me the idea to do a throw made of patches, and I think to have a patch here and there of something that isn’t quite skin-soft might not be a problem. If I was going to include it, I’d probaby put it somewhere central in the throw where it wouldn’t be getting tucked into neck or feet.
Well hello there, Kniterested! Welcome to the SE2SE etc. fun - not like you aren’t already off the the races - your lineup is so pretty and I think they all look nice together, at least for their picture 
I am looking forward to getting some of that Cotswold.
Is anyone else like me, getting butterflies because 4 ounces of something is coming in the mail???
We need the ability to like/love comments 
Once again, looking for an emoticon for comments…LOL. LeoLady, what a hoot. I’m at the point where POA is a part of every “Hi how are you Mom” conversation, and I’m all about finger gestures (not sweet ones). hahhahaha. I’m as fiber intensive as you are, so I can just imagine the eyerolling that is going to go on when we are out of the picture. Please pm me with an address to send yarn/needles to your son. I have so much, and it is so wrong that it sits here in boxes and drawers and totes, all going unused. I would so love to send it to somepne like your son who would see it as a blessing passed on.
rkennell - are there needle sizes that your daughter would like to have? I have TONS. Normal sizes, and lace sizes. I seriously need to divest some of these things, and I would be so happy to pass something along to someone who can/would use these tools of joy!
what on earth is the unicorn in the egg???
All day sucker - love it!! Can yu tell a newb spinner what is different about spinning for socks? I’m just starting to spindle spinn some fiber that was intentioned for socks, and I’m not sure what I should be doing differently, if anything.
strawberryroan, who did your purchase from and are all thumbs up? any thumbs down?
I bought some Southdown recently from Belle Fourche and I loooooove the smell, clean and sheepy, there’s barely any vm and what’s there is super easy to pick out (so it’s not like burrs). The staple is short, which I understand is typical of Southdown. This isn’t something I’ve had to face, so it’s a new learning curve for me. The only complaint (not for me but maybe for others) I would have (and I don’t know if it is a processing issue or just typical of Southdown) is that it is kind of neppy. In a 2" draft, there are probably 8 noils. I know a lot of people see this as a deal-breaker. I, personally, see this as something that is just a “here it is, now how do you use it.” I love heatherered, textured, nubby fibers, so noils/nepps, aren’t something that make me crazy, but for someone who is looking to spin something consistent to the point of manufactured, this might not be the fiber of choice.
@JenC Well I am an old pro having spun exactly one skein of sock yarn and there is still so much to learn. The main thing with sock yarn is that you want it as fine as you can manage, as many plies as you can manage, as smooth as possible (i.e., worsted-spun rather than woolen-spun), and generally you want sturdy fibers (longer rather than shorter), with plenty of twist in the plying. The latest issue of PLY magazine on Socks has some guidelines and then many ways to deviate from them. I am still at the stage of trying to spin consistent singles that will ply up as fingering weight, which means singles between 32-45 wpi. If I were doing this on a spindle, I would want my lightest weight drop spindle rather than my supported spindle (which would give me a fuzzier, less tucked-in thread). Of course any of what I said can be debated but this is my path for now. I hope that helps. I was shocked how hard it was to find enough info to get me in the ballpark when I started this last fall. But now a lot of things have come out. You might look at the Sheepspot Podcast episodes 40-43 as a good starting point. https://www.sheepspot.com/podcast