Woolly Mutts

What do I do with it now?

Last weekend at this time we were on our way to the Door County Shepard's Market at Whitefish Bay Farm.  It is the most idyllic location.  Deep woods across the road and acres of lush pasture surrounding this beautiful home and barn.  Down the hill was a flock of jacketed corriedale sheep frolicking in the spring sun.  Honestly, it was almost surreal.  They even had chickens.  Perhaps I was overcome by the pastoral setting or intoxicated by fiber fumes, but whatever the chosen excuse, I made an impulse purchase.  One pound of rainbow dyed mohair locks.  Look at them.  Red, purple, turquoise, green....outrageous fortune of beauteous fiber.  Soft and curly and.......I haven't the slightest clue what to do with them.  Can I just carefully separate them and spin or ply them into another fiber?  If cards or combs are needs, I have neither, but perhaps it is time to remedy that.  Any and all suggestions are most welcome.  I could probably be pretty happy just fondling them now and then, but the idea is to spin them into something funky.  Help.  Please.

Blooming today outside my studio door in the previously neglected fence border, spiderwort in the most glorious shocking pink.  Nobody does color like mother nature.

Wishing you a restful Memorial Day weekend.

Fibre Art Fair

Saturday morning we headed west to the Fibre Art Fair in Cedarville, IL.  Cedarville is best known as the birth place of Jane Addams and, if you're a local, having the most convenient gas station/mini mart east of Freeport.  I went to high school in Dakota (population 488, SALUTE!) so it was a trip down memory lane.  I can't say that many of those memories are worth keeping, but going to school in a rural community had its advantages.  For instance, I can tell you that actually tipping a cow is darn near impossible and bailing hay isn't for sissies.  I now have the utmost respect for those brave and disciplined people that make farming their lives, cause I can tell you folks, farming isn't a job.  It's your life. 

Back on topic.....the fiber fair.  We attended last year and it was through the bossiness of Susan (Susan's Fiber Shop, Columbus WI.  No website that I know of.) that I discovered the wonders of a Lendrum wheel.  She would not rest until I had sat and treadled every wheel she had.  She was back again this year, but had many less wheels, although all of her feisty, fun personality.  Toni, from The Fold, was not there and I was disappointed.  I'll have to make a Saturday trip over to Marengo and visit her.  I purchased some beautiful fibers to spin from a couple of different vendors and this lazy Kate basket from Stefania.  Looking forward to trying it out.  We came home and while Amazing Husband worked to wrestle the yard back from the hands of winter, I sat on the deck and spun.  Life is good.

While we are on the subject of spinning, here is my very first handspun, plied, dyed, and wound.  I had a lot of fun dying with Koolaid and came up with this sort of mixed mauve color.  I haven't decided what I'm going to make out of it yet, but I did knit a few rows, just so I could feel like it had made the full circle trip from a bag of roving to an actual knitted fabric.  The quality of my spinning has already changed so much that it makes this first yarn even more special.  I can definitely say that spinning has worked it's magic on me. 

I plyed.

My very first bobbin of plyed wool.  Sigh.  Ok, it's not plyed well, but I have the idea.  What this picture doesn't show is the giant spiral monster of tangled singles that I finally cut off.  It's all a learning process.  I have to say that I enjoy spinning a great deal more than I do plying, but I think practice will help a bit.  It is terribly fascinating (to easily entertained people like me) to watch the two fibers twist around each other and create yarn.  My foot really wants to keep the wheel moving in the direction of the spin instead of the direction needed to create the ply.  I wonder if having a double treadle makes that easier. 

These luscious rolls of fiber came with my drop spindle.  I've had them for almost a year now and have been afraid to try and spin it with the drop spindle.  They are 40% llama, 50% wool, 10% silk and called Beloved Blue Eyes.  These are my colors, baby, and now I am dying to spin them.  Since the fiber processed into the little rolls (as opposed to large balls of roving) was something new to me, I took them along to my plying lesson.  Sue showed me how to carefully pull the fiber apart and pre-draft it into a ball for easier spinning.  I definitely need more bobbins. 

I spin while I listen to Cast-on

Although not with a drop spindle, so this image is somewhat misleading.  I also spin while doing nothing more than spinning.  Really.  I spin.  While it is still not consistent, it is beautiful to me because now.....are you ready?.....I finally get it.  To all of you that hung in there with me while I whined and carried on about something being wrong....blessings on you.  Wonderful Sue at my LYS sat down with me and all became clear.  I was drafting in a way that fought the wheel causing the breaking (and swearing).  I switched hands, began drafting and tenuating correctly and hallelujah.  Tomorrow I learn to ply.  I am SO happy.

I am also now a spinning maniac.  I love it.  I love the sound of the wheel and the feel of the fiber as it passes through my fingers.  I love each little imperfect slub and every little overspun spiral.  I could spin all day.  I make up little rewards for myself like "if you finish this bag you can go spin", or "fold one more load of laundry and you can go spin".  I spent yesterday afternoon in the library getting books on dying and got 20 packages of koolaid at the grocery store.  I can spin it and color it and knit it and I.am.crazed.with.spinning.happiness.  I have gone from being afraid to take the roving out of the bag to wanting to spin everything I can get my hands on.  A spinning monster has been created.  I am going to need many more bobbins.

Knitting has not lost any of its allure, but there is clearly a new kid in town.  And all that talk about knitting being the new yoga?  Spinning has it beat by a mile.  The gentle quiet that comes over me while I spin is quite amazing.  Much more zenlike than knitting.  Could have something to do with no pattern to follow or row to keep track of, but I don't think that's it for me.  There is magic in that wheel.  As it spins around it sucks away all the stress and leaves me peaceful.  I am also completely romanced by the fact that people have been spinning their own fiber since time began. 

Now, if only I had some sheep, or llama, or alpaca of my very own.  Somehow I don't think the mutts, or the zoning board of our village, would support that idea.  A girl can always dream.

Big news! HUGE, even.

Look!  What's this?  A bag of some sort.  Maybe a strangely misshapen bowling bag for a particularly hip bowler.  Or not.  Hmmmm.

And here is the other side with a big 'ol pocket. 

Handles for easy carrying and a zipper on top.

What can be inside?

Can it be?  Could it possibly be?  It IS!  It's a spinning wheel! AND....it's mine!  I am beside myself with joy.  I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't interested in learning to spin.  Sue, from my LYS , mentioned to me one day that she had a used wheel that she might be selling.  If I was interested, let her know.  IF I WAS INTERESTED?  I had saved some money a few months back to buy a wheel at the upcoming Stephenson County Fiber Festival, but had to use it to get a new sewing machine when the old one died while I was working on a commission bag.  Now I was being offered the possibility of a wheel, Lendrum no less, at an extremely reasonable price.  Be still my heart.  After it became mine the first thing I did was make it a cozy bag, cause bags is what I do. It also gave me some time to love it without using it in case I messed it up.  Sue gave me the basics when I picked it up, and I've done a little spindle spinning (poorly), but I have to admit that I was a little nervous about embarking on this adventure.  What if I suck at it? (I do, but it's alright.)  What if I mess it all up?  (so far, so good)  What if I hate it?  (ummm, right.)  The afore mentioned malfunction of the wrist makes prolonged spinning impossible, but I have done a little and I have to say that all you fabulous spinners are now my new heroes.  It is darn hard to get your feet and hands to work independently and produce something wonderful, and what I've produced so far is anything but.  When I get into that rhythm and everything is flowing right, if not perfectly, and the wool isn't breaking all the time and that lovely whirring noise is happening....that is some amazingly cool stuff. 

To say that I have alot to learn is the understatement of the century.  Laughable, really.  WPI sounds suspiciously like math to me, which is just frightening.  What wool produces what product and plying and oiling the wheel and the niddy noddy and....hoo boy.  Right now I am blissfully happy with my lumpy yarn and the happy noise of a wheel in the hands of an eager learner.  Tomorrow morning I attend my very first spinners group and plan to absorb knowledge and wisdom from those who actually know what's up. 

To any and all spinners out there....if you've got a tip for a beginner and are willing to share, I'm your girl.