Beddis Bosa Nova
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Martin's Brook
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Blackburn Lake Bugalu
Blackburn Lake is a popular nudey swimming spot on hot lazy days.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Knight Inlet
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Booth Bay Bop
Starfish, crabs, limpets and clams make homes in Booth Bay's long channel.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Stony Plain
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Channel Ridge Charleston
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Gulf Islands Series Stony Plain & Montano Series Antique Silk
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Cranberry Calypso
Up and up Cranberry Ridge brings ocean, islands and Mt. Baker vistas.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Flin Flon
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Creekside Can Can
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Springhill
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Duck Creek Do Si Do
Duck Creek is home to the lush organic Duck Creek Farm, famous for its tasty basil and garlic.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series St. Basile
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Hope Hill Hornpipe
Hiking Hope Hill through cedar, fir and arbutus forests brings glimpses of the ocean beyond.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Arctic Red River
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Long Harbour Limbo
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Morningside
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with Handspun
Maxwell Moonwalk
Mt. Maxwell's distinctive shape is recognized from afar. The views from the peak are the reward of climbers, hikers, bikers, as well as those travelling by car.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Iqaluit
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with handspun
Morningside Mambo
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Montano Series Cozumel
Made into Silk Fusion	Knit with handspun
Musgrave Medley
Otters, herons, seals and kayakers share the waters at Musgrave Landing.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Red Earth Creek
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Rainbow Road Rock
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Montano Series Athens
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Ruckle Park Rhumba
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Rustico
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Southey Point Salsa
Standing at Southey Point surrounded by the power of the sea induces a reflective moment.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Somerside
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Sunset Swing
Spectacular sunsets abound along the rocky shore between Vesuvius Bay and Southey Point on Sunset Drive.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Kapuskasing
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Trincomali Two Step
Colourful sailboats ply the deep waters of Trincomali channel among the peaceful Gulf Islands.
Fibre	Hand–spun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Bartlett's Harbour
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Vesuvius Bay Ballet
People and goods are carried by ferry from picturesque Vesuvius Bay to Vancouver Island.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Inuvik
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun
Walker Hook Waltz
Morning sunshine on the sandy beach lures boaters and paddlers in for a picnic and beach combing.
Fibre	Handspun	Inspired by Canadiana Series Swift Current
Made into Silk Fusion	Hand knit with handspun

by Kim McKenna

All too often the colourful space-dyed slivers we are attracted to look muted or muddied-out once spun up and plied. One way to avoid this is to ply your sliver with yet another colour — one that either complements all the other colours in the sliver or one that acts as a background or "jump–off" colour. If, however, you want a plied yarn that is most like the sliver that you fell in love with in the first place, you can try the following easy technieque. It requres an extra step but the results are well worth the little bit of extra time it takes:

First off, don't spin tip to tip right from the sliver until all your silk has been spun up. Instead, split the sliver in two along its length. Then, break off 3 foot lengths from the two splits of roving. Lay the 3 foot lengths side by side. Then start spinning from one of the splits keeping the 3 foot lengths in order so you can follow the same order for the second split on a second bobbin. When spinning your singles try to keep your treadling rhythm and length of draw back as consistent as possible.

Once you have spun each split into singles on their own bobbin, wind the singles off onto two new bobbins. When you do this, you will then have the point where you started spinning your singles on the outside and where you finished the singles on the inside of your bobbin (see note below). Now, ply these two singles together. You will see that the colours line up nicely and give a yarn that is very similar to the sliver you started out with.

Winding Singles onto a Second Bobbin

For very fine yarn you can wind the singles onto shuttle bobbins using a bobbin winder. This goes quite quickly. Or, for thicker yarn, you can wind the singles around a small ball of yarn. I have made small felted balls to use for this. In the centre of each ball, I have a small pebble to give the ball of yarn some weight so it does not jump around too much when plying. Around the pebble I wound some yarn and then I felted a "skin" around the small ball of yarn. It took me about 30 minutes to make four small felted pebble balls but they have proven most useful over the years. The idea was sparked when visiting Thailand where they place a samll pebble or piece of wood in the centre of their ball of singes to make plying easier.

If my singles are spun Z, I wind them onto the bobbin or felted ball in a clockside direction so as not to remove any twist. If they are spun S, I wind them on anti–clockwise."

Salt Spring Island is the largest of the Canadian Gulf islands in the Georgia Strait at 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, situated midway between Victoria and Vancouver. We have 83 miles of shoreline, 8 lakes, 6 mountains and 225 farms. Our island is known for its stunning views, natural beauty, extra-ordinary artisans, organic farms, dairies and vineyards. Visitors come for a relaxed, reflective holiday of hiking, cycling, kayaking, swimming, frisbee golf and attending our bustling, colourful and creative Saturday market.

We are proud of our community and place on this planet and have used it as the inspiration for the colourways of our dyed tussah sliver.

Imagine dancing to the colours at the beautiful spots on lovely Salt Spring Island.

The brilliant rovings can be used for: Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Silk Fusion and whatever creative spark comes to mind!

To best judge the colours, order a sample card of the new Salt Spring Island Series!

See Treetops for more variegated and solid hand-dyed silk fibres.