Color Perception
One thing I love about spinning is learning about color. You might think that what you see is what you get when you consider spinning a roving up into a single. In fact, I find it to be very unpredictable. I am constantly being pleasantly surprised by the change that fiber undergoes when it moves from fuzzy to linear form. And my Cotton Candy Corriedale Pencil Roving from Crown Mountain is no exception.
Take a good look at this picture. What colors stand out most to you? (I took the picture in natural light and did not adjust the color in any way). What I see is yellow. The yellow just jumps out at me. And then the green pipes up and says hello. The pinks and reds make up the final flourish, but I see them as something of a subtle accent. Which was exactly what I wanted when I bought this roving -- I wanted to get some springy yellows and greens into my life.
When I look at this single, I see something completely different than what I see in the roving. I see pink and green here, with some underlying peachy-pink tones and greens that have some yellowy undertones. It's as if the yellow just blended itself in and has faded into the background. Not at all what I expected from such a dominantly warm color. Also, the single is much less intensely colored than the roving. This transformation is also one that always surprises me, because in my head I feel that if I am condensing the fibers into a single, I should also condense the color. But, clearly, that is not what happens.
Even though the singles are unexpected, they are not unwanted. I really want to turn this pencil roving into a nice light-weight two ply yarn that was suitable for doing a little lace work with.... I thought this yarn might make a nice shawl. But then I got to thinking that all that yellow near my face would be a bad thing. When I look at this single, I think there still might be a chance that I could get away with wearing it.
But you never know. Plying is yet another transformation. And it too almost never turns out like I expect it to when I am working with variagated rovings.
Really interesting! I saw mainly greens in the roving, but the pink just pops in the single to my non-acclimated eye.
Aija said just what I would have...
I recently started learning to spin using a spindle ... and my feelings about roving and the resulting yarns are exactly what you said here! The whole process is just so interesting ... even when I am spinning the same section of the roving, I would be able to get two yarns that are completely different. Amazing!
That is so pretty! I know just what you mean about pying. I have just plied two strands of singles that I spun from a series of different pinks and purples. The singles were almost neon in intensity but the plied yarn is just so much more subtle. I still have some of the roving left and I am going to try plying it with some natural merino to see what that looks like in comparison. Don't you just love plaing with the colours!
Reading (and looking at the photos) of your spinning has been inspiring and educational for me. I've been getting out my drop spindles a bit more often. This talk about color is quite interesting. I look forward to the time when I can draw on my spinning experience to relate to what others have written. That gives me further incentive to spend more time with the spindles and fiber.
I love that about spinning color as well! I just received some roving from Teyani to finish off a pair of socks - I can't wait to see how different the fiber looks once it's drafted, let alone spun up! Your spinning looks wonderful - and every time I see your even bobbins I want a Woolee Winder!
Funny too that in the first picture what jumps out at me is the green, then the yellow says hey. But I'm as surprised as you are at the soft pink nature of the spun wool. So much fun. A surprise around every corner.
Pretty.
I have an idea in my head of how it will look like plied -- now I can't wait until you ply it to see if my guess is right! ;)
I really like how it is turning out! :)
It *is* interesting. The roving reads green, while the singles read pink -- I'm interested to see what the plied yarn looks like. In any event, pretty!
I love how the color is always a surprise--and it sure looks pretty!
I cannot recall if Deb Menz gets into how to balance colors equally (with unequal amounts) in her Color in Spinning book, but I know she covers it in great depth in her general color book, ColorWorks. Some colors receed more than others and a ratio systems was devised in the late 1800s if I remember correctly for how to balance it. If you have an idea of the strengths of each color it can help visualize the final yarn a bit better. Though as you have mentioned, each step of the process changes the look, often quite drastically.
I would never have guessed that spinning the roving would have changed the color so much. Wow! Watching you spin up all these wonderful yarns renews my interest in taking up spinning myself. It's on my learn-some-day list, along with weaving, and... :-)
I've found that variegated dyed fiber always ends up being more subdued spun up. I see a lot of yellow in the fiber but the singles are definitely more pink. If you ply it with a solid color, you could get a completely different color combination too.
What gorgeous roving! I see mostly green, but in the singles, it's definitely the pink that pops. Very nifty effect (I like pink. ;-)
Have you looked through the Twisted Sisters sock book lately? Just yesterday I was reading about the (sometimes unpredictable) behavior of handpainted rovings, and yours is practically a textbook example.
I'm finding that plying does an astonishing amount to dull the brightness of variegated singles. I suppose that should be obvious, since it involves putting different shades next to each other. The more those pinks hang out next to the greens and the yellows, the muddier it all will become. Personally, I like that part.