Romney Swatch

Back to the Breed Swatchalong with Romney!

First, the sheep (so lovely!):

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This swatch took a little longer than the others due to interruptions.

First, I ran out of yarn. As I had spun the yarn, it was a little more work to get some more, as I had to find spinning time before I could try to find knitting time.

Then, I had several work projects on the go, which is good, but doesn't leave as much time for swatching just for fun.

After that, my only excuse is that I kept forgetting to do up the notes, so I'm giving it a go today, though I'm afraid they won't be as thorough as usual!

Here are my initial notes:

Breed: Romney from New Zealand, coloured Romney (listed as light grey, but I’d amend that to nice warm brownish grey).

| Wool Category: “Medium”

| Brand (if applicable): my handspun from sliver bought from A Curious Spin.

| Form (fleece, fibre, yarn): Sliver; spun semi-worsted

| Preparation (if known): Sliver, woollen prep

Feel: slides nicely through the fingers, and, while not my most consistent spin, is decently even on average. Not precisely soft, but I keep using the word “nice” to describe it; I like it rather a lot.

Cast on: 58 sts, working in a 2x2 Garter rib

Today's notes:

The swatch was a pleasing pattern, but I maybe could have gone up a needle size for better drape. Road-test wise, I could see the spot where I switched yarn batches a little more clearly after the second wash, but that's more to do with my spinning than any inherent properties of the wool itself. I did find this one mostly too itchy for next to skin in more sensitive areas (so, not really for scarves or for garments without an undershirt), but it wore well, and feels nice enough on the hands anyhow. I'd be inclined to use it for hats, outer layers, maybe a nice bag, mittens. Nice stitch definition, and I enjoyed spinning and knitting it.