A couple of months ago I started spinning Tasmanian superfine merino from Malcolm Fielding’s Etsy store. This is a supersoft, luscious, slightly shiny fibre, and somehow you don’t really have to work to create cobweb yarn with it. I spun a bit before and during the Tour de Fleece. I finished a skein of a bit over 50 grams, all the samples that I got. I plied it and it came down to 667 meters, a real cobweb yarn! I so enjoyed spinning it that I ordered another 100 grams, and I also got more samples with my later spindle purchases.
![This was what I did between July and September...](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015-08-30-20.08.21-1-800x562.jpg)
![My September progress...](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015-09-15-14.23.32-800x800.jpg)
I’ve been spinning this fibre on and off during the last couple of months, and filled up many spindles in the process. Last week I finally spun the last bit I had, and it was time to ply!
![Before plying...](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSCF7045-800x800.jpg)
I decided to do a 2-ply again, and aim for more cobweb weight yarn. I would ply the balls together, and after the smaller ball was finished, I would continue plying the larger one from both ends. Sounds good in theory, but this is quite “sticky” merino, so I had to take real care that the end from the inside would not pull out too many extra layers, creating a tangle. It happened a couple of times, but fortunately I didn’t lose too much yarn.
![Next step: skeining!](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSCF7048-800x600.jpg)
I skeined my yarn on a niddy noddy which is supposed to have a circumference of 2 meters. It is slightly less in the beginning, but of course when the yarn is put on, the length of the rounds becomes larger.
![So many rounds!](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSCF7049-800x800.jpg)
After winding the skein, I counted how many rounds I had made (I really need a skein winder with a counter at some point…). There were 890. That’s about 1780 meters of 2-ply yarn total! I weighed the skein and it was 152 grams. I think I created yarn that is about the same thickness as I did in the first skein. I’m proud!
![The finished skein](http://www.meilindis.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSCF7052-800x800.jpg)
I do still need to wash both of these skeins, so the metrage will be a bit less after that, but I still have plenty to create a beautiful Estonian lace shawl! And if not, I can always order some extra fibre from Malcolm!