Drum Carder Blending Experiment - Yarn!

Here are the results of the drum carding color blending experiment! From left to right:

• Two plies of unblended/undyed fiber
• Two plies of unblended/dyed fiber
• One ply each of unblended/undyed, and unblended/dyed fiber
• One pass through the drum carder, with each color as a single layer
• One pass through the drum carder, alternating colors as many small layers
• Two passes through the drum carder
• Three passes through the drum carder

All the fiber is Bluefaced Leicester, spun with a short forward draw. I was going for a little bit thicker than my "default" yarn, but I didn't try too hard to make sure that all the weights were the same, so there is definitely a little bit of variation in thicknesses and ply twist. 

One thing that I wasn't expecting is that because the first three didn't get put on the drum carder at all, they retained the alignment of industrial combed top, and therefore have more luster, while the ones that went through the drum carder look fluffier. It's a perfect example of the qualities that divide worsted and woolen yarns. 

Since I typically use 2-ply yarns, that's what I spun for, which technically adds another layer of color blending. Here are the singles on the bobbins for reference:

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I do want to emphasize that none of these yarns is "right" or "wrong." It's all about what you want out of your yarn. I can think of times where I want lots of barberpoling and variegation, and other times when I would want a more even look. There is still a bit of variegation visible with the last yarn (three passes on the drum carder). It's a pleasant heathery look that I tend to love, but if I wanted complete blending, I might send the fiber through the drum carder for a fourth pass. 
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Now on to the last step - knitting and weaving with the yarn to see how that affects the color blending!