Can You Spin This? “Yes, I can!” Says Gabi Tomas

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Of all the things I do with Spin Artiste, “Can You Spin This?” is right up there as a favorite.  A lot of times I know the person who I’m sending the item to which seems to bring out my devilish side.  It is really a lot of fun to pair up the item(s) with the person and see what happens…For this post, we are featuring the work of our delightful friend, Gabi Tomas.  Gabi is the veteran of several Secret Stash rounds (#’s 2, 3, and 4) so she is well acquainted with getting mystery packages from yours truly.  Without further ado, take it away, Gabi!

“First I got that beautiful baby granddaughter and we were all drifting on a pink cloud. Then a few days later your parcel arrived, all pink – soft stretchy material and elastic checkquered ribbon. What a marvelous coincidence. This called for a baby yarn.

This is what I got:

CYST - GT - This is what I got

And this is how I did it:

I thought of how lovely babies need lovely clothes, and I cut cute little sweaters out of the stretchy material. The ribbon I was not so sure about until I saw my little inspiration wear a tiny skirt just like the ribbon, a strip of material with elastic on top – and there it was: skirts. I cut lengths of about 2,5 in from the ribbon and folded them.

A true little sweater pattern
A true little sweater pattern


A whole bunch of sweaters
A whole bunch of sweaters

 

Baby outfit
Baby outfit

I threaded some light grey yarn through the little sweaters and stitched the sides of the skirts, leaving long tails on both sides.

Digging into my stash of fluff I took the softest things I could find, lovely merino in white, shades of pink, rose and grey, tussah silk, soft white alpaca and silvery angelina and carded a pretty batt. I corespun this and added the little sweaters and skirts as I went.

The single corespun still on the bobbin
The single corespun still on the bobbin

Then I Andean plied and autowrapped with a soft pink sewing thread and a silver one, and there it was:

CYST - GT - Pic 1.jpg

CYST - GT - Pic2.jpg

CYST - GT - Pic 3.jpg

I am very happy with how this turned out. I love the soft hues but most of all I love the feel of it – soft but extremely textured, owing to the additions. This great memory yarn will never ever leave my house.

You might like to know that in our little local spinning group we shall do the same – at the next meeting we shall each bring something rare for another person to put into a yarn. Which reminds me – there is some pink material left……… ;0)

Thanks Arlene, for this challenge. I am glad to say I could spin this.”

Oh, Gabi, love, love, love!  Very original and great job on executing on your idea!!

I just sent some new Can You Spin This? packages out today.  Our brave recipients are Kate White, Khristina Thayer and Renee Smith…Pam Blasko received her last weekend when I was visiting.  So, stay tuned for some fun as we see what our courageous spinners make.  If you would like to play, just shoot me an email at thespinartiste@gmail.com and let me know to add you to the waiting list (current wait time is several months…further impacted by the fact that I’m getting MARRIED this summer..:-)).  There is no charge to play because I don’t want you to get mad at me when you see what you get!  The only thing I ask is that you do follow through and make the yarn because otherwise you are depriving someone else the change to participate. 

27 thoughts on “Can You Spin This? “Yes, I can!” Says Gabi Tomas”

  1. Nikkoal Daniels

    Very interesting! I am tempted to see what I could spin on a spindle now! I was directed here from Facebook, specifically Spin Artiste, and fingers are crossed on the giveaway! Beautiful work here, by the way… I had no idea how far you could stretch the imagination when spinning! I just started this past March!

  2. Got here through Facebook…I am so impressed!! What a great job and creative approach. I signed up for this challenge and am anxiously awaiting my turn. As I see what others have gotten and what they’ve done with it I’m not sure if I’m more terrified or eager. It is awful fun to look at what someone got and try to imagine what you’d do with it and then see what they did with it. The yarn is gorgeous, btw. Congratulations on your granddaughter!!

  3. Love your yarn. What a sweet testament to your new grandchild! I’m sure it will become a keepsake. Yarn looks soft and yummy with the perfect color balance. Thanks for being an inspiration.

  4. Directed here by Facebook…what an amazing idea. Thank you for sharing and giving awesome inspiration to all of us. Congrats on the new grandchild. You have a creative keepsake to tell her about as she gets older.

  5. I love this yarn. I do have a question. How does one get in on the ” Can you spin this?” I would love to give it a try. Also I have really enjoyed reading the blog every since I found you all on facebook.

  6. I just saw this post on Facebook, the yarn is adorable, and SO creative!! I love the idea of incorporation such unusual stuff into the yarn! Like some kind of survivor challenge!

  7. Love this yarn. What a neat and appropriate idea. Congratulations to Gabi on the new grandbaby and also to Arlene on your upcoming marriage! Thanks for the shout out on Facebook. I really enjoyed seeing and reading about this yarn.

  8. Longtime fan – you know I love this place & all that goes on here (: I send fiber fiends here and to the facebook page almost weekly! Love to share spinny madness!

  9. Patty Crossan McWhorter

    I found Spin Artiste on Facebook and since I am nuts about fiber, became an instant fan. I am now settled on my 19 acres which was bought with the hopes of getting a few sheep and alpacas all for the purpose of spinning. I have done some drop spindle work, but am saving for my first wheel and I can hardly wait. In the meantime, I am knitting, basket weaving and finishing the inside of our little cabin we bought for living in until we have enough money to build a house.

  10. What a wonderful memory yarn and it looks divinely soft. Came on over from facebook and so glad I did 😀

  11. I haven’t entered into the world of spinning yet but have wanted to learn for a while.. I never realized how many things you could incorporate into it. I was directed here from facebook (Spin Artiste), as well.. Looking forward to exploring this site some more!!!

  12. Just found out about you from facebook via wool wench.. I am new in spinning etc… and I love what I have seen so far on your page… 🙂 have to make some more exploration!!

  13. Thanks everybody for reading my little summary of why and how I spun this. I love Arlene’s site, too; she is a she’s a SpinArtiste as well as a true spinning artist and boy she knows how to challenge people. I wish everybody who wants to enter the challenge good luck, and have fun. And most of all thank you Arlene for everything, it was great.
    I liked to be mentioned on facebook as well. And how I would love that inspiring book!

  14. I just love this sweet yarn! How appropriate as well. Can’t wait for my name to come up on the list! I so love this site and look forward to every post!

  15. Christine hart

    Hi there, I returned for a second look because of the Facebook competition (I already subscribe to the blog) this yarn is beautiful and so imaginative. It’s a lovely idea for a keepsake for this fabulous event.
    Congratulations on reaching and going over 2000 fans on Facebook

  16. Always good to see what other spinners are working on. I sure do like it, and Facebook makes it so easy to follow. Thanks for posting

  17. How creative! When I saw the small sweaters lined up in rows, I did not expect the outcome. Looks great! 🙂 I’m glad I read Facebook tonight and saw the post. I am hopeful about the book as well – it looks really interesting…

  18. Yes, Gabi can spin this!!!
    I love the yarn, and I have seen it in live, it is so soft as it seems!
    Great job!

  19. That is beautiful! What a creative idea! I work in law enforcement and every 5 years we get new body armor. Well after a demonstration of how bulletproof they are/or are not, I noticed how the Kevlar actually frays into these very short-staple, zig zag crimpy fine ‘hairs’ much like a microscopic Merino staple…well you guessed it…Yes I can spin that! It is cool! Who else has ‘bullet-proof yarn’? And they ask why…? …just because I can!

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