0 replies
  1. technocowboy
    technocowboy says:

    Absolutely amazingly beautiful. You do such phenomenal work.

    Out of curiosity, how long is that big skein, and how much would you charge for something that size?

  3. admin
    admin says:

    It’s 100 grams of 2/30’s silk. I bought it from a vendor in India, I didn’t make it.

    I haven’t measured the length. Just going on sheer math, it ought to be about fifteen hundred yards – two strands, each of which is 30 meters to the gram, so the doubles yarn ought to be about 15 meters to the gram, and 100 grams of it. Give or take; I’m just working round figures.

    I haven’t really spec’d it out for sale; I would probably need to make about thirteen bucks for it white, and sixteen or so dyed a solid color. Or, if you want a kilo of it from India, I can give you the vendor’s info.

  4. technocowboy
    technocowboy says:

    *BLINK* $16 for 1500 yards of hand-dyed silk? Wow. Um, okay. Let me talk to and I’ll see what I can come up with. If you’re willing to do the work, I’m more than happy to pay the money. 🙂

  10. admin
    admin says:

    I know that usual market price is a lot more, but that’s a good markup over what I’m getting the yarn from India for. I’m not taking this on as a job, of course – but that would cover my materials and time.

    Just a caveat – with kettle dyeing, it’s tricky to match colors, so if this is for a project, make sure you tell me in advance so that it can be a single dye lot.

    My schedule is pretty hectic until early summer; I may not have time to set up all the dye stuff again before late May or early June. And, if you want more than a couple of skeins, I’ll need to place an order to India, which takes a while. Great stuff, but there’s a lag in turnaround of up to a month. This is custom-spun for me in Karnataka, so it’s worth the wait! Because of that, though, if you want a specific weight, let me know – as long as you can express it in terms of weaving yarn (like 2/15’s, 2/30’s, etc) rather than knitting yarns.

  11. admin
    admin says:

    I get my dyes from Dharma Trading and Pro Chemical; there are links on the page.

    I don’t usually sell my silk. If you just want a skein or two, I can sell this undyed for $13, or dyed up for $16. My color process isn’t all that great for shade-matching, but I can usually get in the neighborhood with the stuff I’ve got. If you want more than one or two skeins, I’ll need to place an order to India; they custom-spin this for me, so there’s a turnaround lag, but it’s not too bad.

  12. admin
    admin says:

    Hee. I’d offer to send you some of the powder… but I think the part where it has to simmer at 185′ for half an hour would probably give you a headache!

  15. admin
    admin says:

    It’s going to be part of the border on award ribbons for our Guild show. They’re mostly black and white (or actually, natural, because I’m not in the mood to peroxide the silk) and the border will be black and red, possibly with a golden yellow fleck.

  17. admin
    admin says:

    Well, it’s acid dye on silk, which is fairly colorfast. It stops bleeding when I rinse it in hot water. With something like that made with multiple colors, though, it would be best hand-washed in very cold water – if they manage to spill something on an award ribbon in the first place!

  18. sskipstress
    sskipstress says:

    How does the silk you’re having custom-spun for you in India differ from other commercially available spun silk? I’m curious what a man who reels such lovely silk looks for in a commercial product.

  19. admin
    admin says:

    I didn’t set out to have it custom-spun; it just turns out that the weight I wanted is one they can make, but don’t normally stock. They usually carry organzine, dupion tram, knitting yarn, and 2/60’s – the 2/30’s is spun for me just to get the weight. I want to get some 2/20’s and 2/10’s, too.

    It’s nice silk, smooth and even, no knots, nicely twisted… not any different from a lot of commercial vendors, but it’s cheeeep getting it direct. It’s forty-five bucks a KILO, FOB India; after paying $20 a kilo to get it here, it’s still about a third the price of anything I can get otherwise.

  20. technocowboy
    technocowboy says:

    Is there any place that can tell me how weaving yarn weights correlate to knitting yarn weight? I’m looking for something lace-weight-ish, which is pretty fine. I’m not sure how weaving yarns are weighted.

  22. technocowboy
    technocowboy says:

    I think I would feel more comfortable with the 2/15, honestly. Knitting with anything smaller, frankly, scares the hell outta me. I’ve been experimenting with smaller yarns lately (see my last post with the silver lace scarf) and I’m not quite ready for anything smaller yet. I’ll get there. 😉

  23. admin
    admin says:

    The next time I order, I’m planning on getting 2/20’s and 2/10’s. Probably a kilo each. But, that won’t be until probably late this summer or this fall.

  24. technocowboy
    technocowboy says:

    Ooooh. If the 2/15 is just barely lace-weight and the 2/30 is almost too small for lace-weight, the 2/20 should be just about right, hey? Let me know when you’re getting more in, and I’ll totally order some from you.

    Though, I also wonder if getting two colors (maybe a red and an orange, or a black and a red) and then running them, stranded, through a spinning wheel would ply them enough and make them fingering weight. Hmmmmm…

  27. ohmyohno
    ohmyohno says:

    Hi! You were once my “friend” but I deleted that journal. I’ve added you again as I am always so impressed with your work.

    -yourbestenemy

  29. in_pale_repose
    in_pale_repose says:

    Absolutely brilliant colour there! I really enjoy all your tutorials– they are informative and entertaining both.

    I realize this is a bit presumptuous, but I was wondering if you could help me. Is this a good deal for silk? I’d really appreciate any advice you could offer on it. 🙂

    Also– sorry if this reposted half a million times. I think I buggered the html.

    Thank you so much!

  30. admin
    admin says:

    I’m glad you liked the post!

    As far as whether that’s a good deal – it depends on a couple of things: if it’s appropriate for your needs (You realize how tiny this is? Some sewing threads are bigger.) and how much bulk you’re buying. For one skein, that’s quite a good price. Treenway charges $19.90 for a skein like that retail. If you’re wanting to get it by the kilo, you can get it down some from that price if you get it in bulk from India.

    As for size – there are a couple of strands laying kind of sideways where you can see them – that’s not the yarn. That’s the cotton lacing thread on the skein.

    This is very fine weaving thread; a lot of handspinners use something like this for a binder thread to make novelty yarns. You don’t want to try to knit with it. It’s as fine as or finer than anything I’ve ever tablet woven with.

  31. in_pale_repose
    in_pale_repose says:

    Gads! Thank you so much for that! I honestly hadn’t realized how tiny the “yarn” was. I’d need to invest in some titanium 00000 needles. :d

    Do you think it would be at all possible/practical to ply a number of strands together in order to get a reasonably workable laceweight yarn? If so, how many strands do you think it would take?

    Sorry to toss another question at you– I’ve been really keen on silk lately. 🙂

  32. admin
    admin says:

    Hee. I thought it might surprise you! I wouldn’t try knitting this without several strands. My recommendation – take some sewing thread, double it up, and see if you get something you like; I think it may feel harsh in the hand because of the tiny strands, which are fairly tightly twisted to make them hang together. I’ve worked with 0000 needles, but my thread was about 5 times as thick as this.

  33. super8cut
    super8cut says:

    My friend molasses( jane) sent me over here, I think I may have commented on your abilities before, you are stellar. I guess she knows I’m an art ad crafty faggot and would like your work. That I do.
    xo g.

  35. admin
    admin says:

    Re: Wow

    Used to be. I started in ’89, got burned out about ’97. I have gone to a couple of things since, but not as many as one a year.

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