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Blog
Jul 29

Default Yarn – Judy Pagels

Most of my spinning for the past couple of years has been done right here at Schacht. Lucky for me one of my responsibilities was test-spinning on the wheels. When I have the opportunity to spin at my own lovely cherry Matchless, my default yarn tends to be similar to what I spin at work. It’s always short draw since that is ideal when viewing a wheel’s performance. More often than not I fall into the same type of spinner as when testing.

Washing yarn in a stoneware bowl

After plying, Judy gives her yarn a SOAK – she loves this yarn wash

One difference between work and play is the fiber. At Schacht, we typically test the wheels using Bluefaced Leicester. At my own wheel, which I confess currently doesn’t get very much mileage, (don’t be fooled – this will change for Spinzilla!) I enjoy spinning with luxury fibers. From our monthly lunchtime spinning sessions at work my bobbin was filling with one of the most luscious yarns.

Earlier in the year I bought some of Lucky Cat Craft’s 70% Ultrafine Polwarth and 30% Muga Silk. This yarn has received many ooohs and aaahs and is a lovely shade of brown, one of my very favorite colors. Brown has countless virtues – it can be natural, elegant, comfortable, enduring, humble, bold, dependable…  Not to mention the color of one of the most endearing animals, the donkey.

A donkey grazing on a pasture

Judy can’t help but take photos of every donkey she sees!

In addition to this yarn’s perfect color it has a luster that cannot be captured on film. Trust me – it is yummy!  I do not yet have an intended end use for this yarn but it may be combined with my next default yarn, Lucky Cat Craft’s 33% Yak, 33% Camel and 33% Muga Silk – a heavenly shade of brown.