Falkland, Silk and Handspun- Oh my!

In preparation for Friday I'm spinning up a storm (and loving it!)
What do I love as much as dyeing my own fiber? Spinning fiber I purchased from other dyers! I purchased a bunch of falkland braid from the talented Pumpkinhaus and got to spinning last night. To say I'm addicted is an understatement, although I have to admit that every time I try a new wool it usually becomes my favorite thing ever. Falkland is great though, it is soft (I'd wear it next to my skin for instance, but I'm not overly wool sensitive) and yet doesn't seem to sacrifice much in the way of durability for its softness. I did a bit of reading on Falkland and this stuck out at me:

"This magical spinning fiber is from the Falkland Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The wool is extremely white will dye very well! The fiber strength is generally high yet the wool is soft to handle.  Falkland wool beautiful and is very white naturally.  There are no known sheep diseases on the islands that require dipping-so they are not dipped in any chemical bath. This wool is processed in Italy using snow melt from the Alps enhancing it's whiteness, we're not kidding!  Approx 5 inch staple, this wool will amaze you, don't be fooled by the low price! This top like all our other wools are ready to spin on a wheel or drop spindle."

Source

I don't know where my exact Falkland was sourced/processed, but that is an interesting read. Green wool!

 This is Spicy- a super slubby thick and thin Falkland Handspun yarn.

Pistachio- another thick and thin slubby yarn, but with less drastic slubs than Spicy. The green tones range from a pale pistachio to a lovely sage.

Picking a favorite handspun is like picking a favorite child, but I'm majorly in love with this silvery grey Brushed Metal single worsted handspun. The extra twist will give it tons of life in any project. I'm known for pulling things from the shop when I get the urge to use them, and this may make it to the top of the pull list. But I've got about a kabillion projects on the go presently.

Have you ever spun a merino/tussah silk blend? It's like heaven on your hands. I find the top isn't indicative of the end yarn product. It can be a bit fuzzy and dull as a top, but once you start spinning it (without even a tad of pre-drafting) it's like butter slipping through your hands as it spins up into a gorgeous smooth, soft and shiny yarn. It's in my top 3 of things to spin for sure.

I didn't have much of Pride to spin (2oz) but what I had was wonderful! Pictures don't do all the colours justice, there is a ton of heathering and red, yellows etc. in this yarn. If you want to give merino/tussah silk a shot I know you can buy it from one of my favorite shops International Fleeces. The colourways she has are glorious. That website is a wealth of information and full of many yummy fiber types. I have spent many an hour pouring over all the different helpful links provided as well. The guru behind the shop is also an amazingly helpful and kind person who I can't say enough good things about.

Last but not least!

Bulky Orange Creamsicle is a "fine wool" blend that I found fun to spin. It's soft and durable seeming, quick to felt and quite springy and elastic. I have another Orange Creamsicle in the shop with a lot more orange than this yarn. Odd how that turns out eh? (Eh! My Canadian is showing.)

What are your favorite fibers to spin?