alpine boot?

Caren · #1 08/27/12, 08:16 AM

Has any one ever made these? I need to buy enough roving to make these boots. I realiseit would be easier to buy the wool already spun; and I did think about that but I am learning to drop spindle and any slubs or thin spots would just felt out
of the finished product.

So any ideas how much roving to buy? I will ad a couple more ounces to each color for the learning curve!

Thanks!

Kato2010 · #2 08/27/12, 10:55 AM

This pattern has some yarn requirements listed. It's just in yardage though. I think there is somewhere that you can look up what weight you get for yardage based on the gauge you spin, but I'm not sure of what that link would be. I've never made these, but now that I've seen the pattern, I think I'd like to!

Ravelry: Alpine Boot Slippers (AC-81) pattern by Bev Galeskas

Marchwind · #3 08/27/12, 12:35 PM

Well it says aran to worsted weight yarn and you need max of 1280 yards (depending on size). This yarn they are using comes in a 200 gram hank, 200 grams = 364 yrds. I'll let you do the math, it isn't my strong suit. So figure the weight from there using the 200 gram weight. 200grams = 7.05 ounces

Caren · #4 08/27/12, 02:02 PM

Holy cow! That is A LOT OF SPINNING!

Would i be better off buying the yarn prespun and then dying it the colors I need? If I spin all the wool myself with a drop spindle it might be next year before i get these done!

Wind in Her Hair · #5 08/27/12, 02:24 PM

you certainly COULD spin that amount of yarn on a drop spindle -shoot - even thigh spinners turn out volumes of yarn. Some spinners even swear that they spin faster on a drop spindle.

YMMV

As I understand it, all the thread for the woven canvas making up Magellan's ship's sails

were spun on drop spindles.

Its doable.

What you should ask yourself is if spinning this yarn for this project is how you want to spend your time and energy.

Personally, I think you could even knit these boots out of pencil roving = bulky thickness , and then felt them rather than spinning an actual worsted single.

http://fibermill.yurtboutique.com/rovinghints.htm

Marchwind · #6 08/27/12, 05:35 PM

If I were going to buy yarn I buy Lamb's Pride by Brown Sheep, and make it with that. I love all Brown Sheep yarns, they are inexpensive and come in a huge array of colors. You might be able to find it near you for sale Brown Sheep Company, Inc. - BrownSheep.com Or I know you can order it from the Bemidji Woolen Mills Bemidji Woolen Mills - Woolen apparel for outdoor clothing industries.

weever · #7 08/27/12, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caren

Holy cow! That is A LOT OF SPINNING!

Would i be better off buying the yarn prespun and then dying it the colors I need? If I spin all the wool myself with a drop spindle it might be next year before i get these done!

I didn't see the pattern, but was thinking the same thing...that's a lotta spinning!

Caren · #8 08/27/12, 09:04 PM

Marchie.......I have an idea! (It happens occasionally.) Brown sheep has aqua colored yarn. Why not buy the aqua and spin the pink? I am afraid if I try to spin it all i will be sick of the boots before I get them started!

Wind in Her Hair · #9 08/28/12, 05:28 AM

I like your idea!

I have a tendency to try and use up bits of this and that for felting projects instead of spinning something specifically for felting.

After you have been spinning for a while, you may find yourself avalanched by a mountain of beginner and intermediate level spinning that has no "home" and needs a special project to use it all.

A felting project can be the PERFECT answer for inconsistent/thick/thin/slubby beginner and intermediate yarns and singles.

I second Lamb's Pride/Brown Sheep. I also like Cascade 220.

Marchwind · #10 08/28/12, 07:48 AM

Great idea! Knit one strand of the pink (single, no need to ply it) with one strand of aqua. You said it is knit with two strands right? This is getting interesting! Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Fiber Trends makes great patterns