I plyed the first skein of the year on St. Distaff’s Day, and now I have a photo. This is Mermaid’s Wool, a blend of 70% Bluefaced Leicester and 30% Seacell, from a roving hand dyed by Frabjous Fibers in Vermont in a colorway they call Moulin Rouge. I had been wanting to try Seacell, a new cellulose fiber derived from seaweed, since I first heard of it two or three years ago. I found this roving at the Fiber Event in Greencastle Indiana last April.
It is loosely blended and the Seacell absorbed less dye than the wool. I spun a two ply thick and thin yarn to preserve the contrast between the two fibers so there are lighter shiny spots of Seacell throughout. It feels soft and bouncy, and the long staple of the BFL should help it to wear well. I think I will make myself a hat and see how the blend behaves when knit and worn before looking for more of this fiber.