Sunday, October 6, 2013

Spinning Yarn

I tried spinning with a drop spindle years and years ago. However, because I was relying on YouTube for all the instructions, the first attempt went badly and I gave up. About a week ago, I suddenly felt the urge to do it again. This time, I took a lesson at Woolie Ewe with Laurie and everything just kind of fell into place. Sometimes, you really just need someone to give immediate feedback and to break things down for you. Instructors... I will never doubt you again.

Because it was so fun, I fell into this cycle again. We'll call it the "Ukulele Incident". Years back I got an incredible urge to play the Ukulele. I wanted to play it so badly I was dreaming about it every night and talking about it every day. I ordered one off Amazon because I was looking for a bargain but could barely wait for it to come in in the meantime. So I borrowed a friend's daughter's ukulele, much to her chagrin, and played with a toy ukulele for a couple days. It was terrible because it was just a toy. Then I thought about driving to Mesquite to meet the delivery truck, and eventually gave in and bought on at Guitar Center. I ended up returning the one from Amazon.

It was a really nice ukulele.

What that told me was that I have no patience. If I want something, I'm going to go crazy until I get it. However, common sense is still part of the equation, and I eventually tired myself out of a four to five thousand dollar loom. 

But spinning wheels were a different situation.

I got one this Saturday. 

I went to White Rock Weaving Center and Anna helped me choose a wheel. She's the best! She helped me pick a table loom when I went through the loom phase.

I got this.



I love it so much! It's a Schacht Matchless, and as far as I know, it will be good for me for the rest of my spinning days as long as I don't body slam it.




Here are some I'm working on right now. The one in the center I have four oz of it. I think that will definitely be my first finished project. I don't actually know how to ply yet, but I've never let those kind of things get in the way.

I can't wait to start blending colors.


1 comment:

Mel said...

Fun!!! Plying... you just have at least two singles and then spin the opposite way you spun the singles (i.e. if they have Z twist, ply in the S direction...). A lazy kate is a good tool for plying, but you can make one - stick some fat knitting needles through a cardboard box & suspend your bobbins on the needles. YAY!!!