First real handspun yarn!

It took a few years, but I did it! I spun an entire 4 oz braid. It's sometimes under or over plied, and the weight varies between lace and super thin cobweb, but I did it! I'm super proud of myself. Here is what the roving looked like:

Here it is being spun up:

Wound onto the niddy noddy:

Setting:

And voila!

It's really hard to capture the colors just right on the finished yarn. It's so pretty in person. I plan to make a lacy shawl from it. (It's 763 yards.)

I had initially planned to do a 3 ply, but I didn't like the way that looked. You couldn't see the variation between yellow and pink and purple as well. So after a quick test, I ditched that plan and decided to leave it as a single.

My next spinning project will be a super fluffy targhee braid, which should actually be much easier for a beginner compared to merino and silk! I'm looking forward to it. I've blocked off time in my calendar for the monthly spinning circle at The Black Squirrel, so I'll get it done much more quickly this time.

PVC niddy noddy, ChiaoGoo Shorties needles

I recently purchased a 1 yard niddy noddy cut from slim wood, but I decided that a stronger, 2 yard one would be useful as well. The wooden one would bend if I pulled too much while winding onto it. This when I hung my yarn to stretch and set:

The hanks with more yardage weren't stretching evenly and still had curly bits.

Here's the new niddy noddy with the problematic hanks rewound:

In other fiber news, I ordered a set of ChaioGoo Shorties (mini circular interchangeable needles). They're hilariously tiny:

Ready for socks! And also just lace any weight projects, as I hadn't had any needles smaller than 2.75 mm.

Bunny ears marked again, 31 days old

10/15/18, 31 days old
Second attempt at sexing.
I now think the black furred kit I'd labeled with red marker is male, and the agouti kit with previously orange, now red marks is female. The good news is that that would still be two good-natured females I can keep from this litter. I'm still not 100% sure on my sexing. Some of the genitalia are obviously male or female, but a couple were ambiguous.

Captive bolt gun for rabbit dispatch

Arrived and tested today. It's simple to use and has a good reputation.

Bunny pictures and ear marking, day 24

10/08/18 - 24 days old
Cuddled by Miki and her 6 year old daughter and 1.5 year old son.
First real attempt at sexing.
Ears marked with sharpies so that I can tell them apart and watch their temperaments continuing to develop.

Males:
Dark brown - blue square
Agouti - green square
Agouti - orange square
Black - orange square

Females:
Black - red x
Black - green x
Black with white foot - pink/purple x

Everyone is pretty calm about getting picked up and cuddled, except the black female with the white foot. She has always been more skittish than the rest. That leaves me with the other two females as keepers. However I'm not 100% sure on my sexing. I gained confidence by the end but I didn't go back to check on the first few I'd sexed. I'll be double checking as they grow and it gets easier to tell.

Bunny pictures, days 16-22, lots of socialization!

09/30/18 - 16 days old
Cuddled by Chase, Andrew, Iona, Star, and myself

10/01/18, 17 days old

10/06/18 - 22 days old
Cuddled by my mother and myself.