BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Spinning the best intentions!

I'm still de-stashing, slowly, but I just had to brag..........
I found my tahkli and tried the Optim on it - wow! I never thought I could spin sooooo fine, it was like a thread from a spider's web! Seriously this Optim could convert me to using commercially prepared tops!
For those who don't know, Optim is Merino that has been processed and stretched in a special way until its 14.5 micron or thereabouts, and is said to rival cashmere. I don't personally know, as I've never spun cashmere, but I have spun bombyx silk and this is what it feels like. Its possible to get a very smooth and fine yarn from it, ideal for lace, embroidery, etc, and I've been able to do this easily on my Spinner's Choice spindle which weighs in at 1.7 ozs. Using my tahkli was probably overkill.
Keeping my hands off my stash until I have shifted the yarn mountain is going to be very very hard, oooooh, the temptation!!!!!

Sorry to tell you but iI absolutely hate the stuff myself. More power to you and those that love it though. I just gave 500 grams of it away as I hate the dead feel of it. I prefer fresh fleece or tops and luckily have no trouble spinning fine.

I've never tried it. Mostly because I feel guilty buying new fibers when I have a humungous stash.

AussieSpinner, can you tell us more about the characteristics of the Optim? If it's stretched in processing, is it still as elastic as regular Merino? If not, does it recover its elasticity when wet finished? Or, is it permanently stretched? super wash treated?
How do things made from it wear?

If you type Optim into your computer it will take you to some info on it. Thats what I did originally.