Keeping track of the time is usually the last thing on my mind when I sit down to spin. But the Mike sweater came out of a conversation where he was asking just exactly how many hours it really took to spin and knit a sweater. I realized I had no good answer, other than a few vague estimates here and there. So, I’ve been logging my hours.

Today, I plied off the first three bobbins. The yarn is a worsted-weight, woolen spun, and I got 450 yards in just under 9 oz. The spinning took about 14 hours, and the plying 1 1/2.

At this rate, I’m guessing that the spinning should take around 50 hours total. Granted, this is slower than I usually spin, because Harriet’s wool is full of hay, and I have to keep stopping to pick out bits of VM here and there. They’re not such a big deal in the fluffy roving, but once they get spun into the wool they turn into very sharp, pointy little bits that would be uncomfortable to wear. (I have been making up for the constant stopping by imagining Harriet the Hungry Sheep eating her hay. Doesn’t that sound like a children’s book waiting to happen?)

The funny thing is, I think that the spinning will probably be the fast part. I am guessing that the knitting will take even longer, but I don’t really know for sure. Guess we’ll find out soon!