Handspun Integrity

I saw a sign at a bakery that urged people, those concerned about the organic integrity of the loaves they buy, to slice their bread at home because the bakery slices both organic and conventional bread using the same machine.

I thought that was a bit much.

I asked the baker and he said yes, there are customers who have expressed concern to him about the integrity of the bread.

You, you who have read this far and who understands this blog is about handpun yarn, know that somehow I am going to bring the conversation around to the inedible sort of fibre.

Let me describe handspinners to you.  The ones I know are eclectic.  They'll make items from only handspun and they'll make items from commercially-spun yarn.  They'll undo sweaters, dye the yarn, and knit new things.  They'll spin a strand of yarn by hand and ply it with commercial thread or yarn rather than more handspun.  They are very knowledgeable about the fibre they spin and the yarn they buy, and they keep different types compartmentalized and separate for their projects unless blending to achieve a particular purpose; however, there is not the same attitude of, shall we say, alarm over the prospect of commingling as there seems to be regarding rogue crumbs at that bakery.

There's at least one sweater pattern, King of Confidence on Knitty, that cleverly uses commercial yarn for the body of the sweater and handspun yarn for the circular yoke.  The colourful thick and thin handspun creates a decorative accent near the face.