My very first hand spun

Your first hand spun yarn is very special.  Not only is it the proof that you are mastering the techniques needed to make yarn, it's gloriously unique.  You aren't likely to ever be able to recreate it so it should be used for something special.  I wove mine into a triangle shawl.  The yarn is lumpy and bumpy and portions are seriously over-twisted and totally under-plied.  I left the fringe straight, my own personal preference, and not too evenly trimmed.  It all seems to fit nicely.

This will be a great shawl for me to use at any of the demonstrations we do, in any time period.  It's all hand spun wool and nothing is dyed so any re-enactment - Civil War or Renaissance or Colonial, etc. - is suitable.

I couldn't remember if the yarn had been washed after I spun it.  It probably was but I wasn't sure.  I washed the shawl after it was finished and the water wasn't too dirty.  I think most people think however they learned to spin is the best way.  And, of course, that's true for me.  I learned to spin on Romney wool.  It will always be a favorite of mine.  It's soft enough to feel pretty good and grabby enough to spin easily.  It's not the buttery softness of Merino or the slipperiness of silk.  It's just great spinning.

This is a hearty shawl - thick and stiff and very warm.  It should protect me from rain and wind and cold.  No soft drape here just sturdy warmth.  I'm very pleased.

So here is my wonderful 7" triangle loom hanging on the wall of the stairwell in the studio with it's friends.  It got quite a workout this last couple of months and can rest now while I work on other things.

Kitchen towels are now in motion!  I'm already half way finished with this warp so it shouldn't take too long to finish them up.  As usual, they are cottolin which is a blend of 60% cotton and 40% linen.  I love this yarn.  It's clean and easy to care for so it makes great kitchen towels.  Just throw them in the washer and the dryer and they just get softer and more absorbent.  And this is one of my favorite patterns.