Days ever spinning...
As the year turns, it the school calendar begins to be busier, as if to fill the holiday vacuum and though the dark begins to lift far to the north, the cold seems to hang on this year.
My knitting has continued apace, but in some of the small spaces left in between, I have begun to acquire yet another fiber hobby, spinning.
I've heard it said nearly every knitter will at some point try spinning, the desire for more yarn, or specific yarn, or just curiosity will eventually tempt you into picking up a spindle, or sitting down to a wheel. I'd been resisting for a while despite a lingering interest, though I'd succumbed in a moment of weakness while I was in a yarn store that also carried spinning and weaving tools to purchase a spindle and two ropes of roving. I had a vague thought that it would be a good way to get a yarn to match a yarn I had, (though not enough of for a project).
Then due to an attack of life they languished, never making it further than my first rudimentary attempts. But then this year during the NFL playoffs I was desperate to take up something less complicated than either of the knitting projects I had underway, I pulled out the spindle and roving and figured I'd give it a go.
Suddenly, after a bit of back and forth to look up a specific question or two on Ravelry, I was spindling, park and draft mainly, but still, I was producing more thick twisty singles. I spun through the first bits of fibers I'd separated out, and though I wasn't excited by the quality I was thrilled to have made some progress. My spindle full, I wound it off and began again.
The next spindle was better, I had figured out pre-drafting and my yarn was more consistant, but I couldn't achieve the next step, suspended spindling. Luckily a spinning night was coming up at a local yarn store, and I packed myself and my spindle off to observe and practice. I observed and spun, and a kind lady let me know my pretty spindle, was "not exactly suited" for the task. (A very apologetic and polite, "your cheap spindle is cheap, and won't really work very well").
Luckilly I'd been sent a do-it-yourself spindle kit, to make another common beginner spindle. A toy wheel spindle. After a bit of harassing of my long suffering hubby, he drilled for and inserted a hook for me, and after a bit of sanding on my part I was set. Marvel of Marvels it worked!!!
I could finally set the spindle to spinning and have it continue, and it spun quickly and true. I began again with a new chunk of roving (yes it's acutually a combed top) and voila some beautiful regular singles that might actually be small and regular enough to ply. Though now I found I was not able to feed the fiber as I'd seen many of the ladies at the spinning night do, my fiber seemed to be caught on itself and needed both hands and a good deal of encouragement to draft down.
A few minutes of searching in Ravelry (truly a useful place for fiber arts), and the answer was revealed. My fiber has been knocking about for the better part of two years in storage bags in my house...it was a trifle felted, and yesterday, after a good fluffing, I finally achieved the moment in spinning that I'd been working for... Suspended spindling!
Suspended spindling is being able to have the spindle spinning as you feed (draft) the fiber into the twist created by the spinning spindle, at which point, you have a yarn single. (which you can ply with several others, in the opposite direction of twist, to create a stable and lasting yarn).
It's a simple thing really, people have been doing it for millennia, but it's a huge step forward in actually acomplishing spinning. So now, more practice.
On the knitting front, I did NOT knit for the holiday's this year... Another plan was undertaken by other bodies. So my knitting over the holidays was very modest. A Snowman, a candy can, a wristlet, and a scarft, it's after that things have been busy. I've knitted three wine cozy's, the serving pieces of a knitted tea-set, and I'm working frantically on hats for the school auction. Plus there is the un-ending socks.
Writing? That's been on hold since before Christmas. I set it aside and haven't been able to scrape together the brain cells (or any uninterrupted time) to get back to work. I suspect the extended time will do it a bit of good, and I know there are several other stories knocking about in the wings waiting their turn. I'm sure after the winter break is over, and the passel of hats is submitted I'll be back to my typewriter.
For now, must off to some cleaning and feeding the family.
My knitting has continued apace, but in some of the small spaces left in between, I have begun to acquire yet another fiber hobby, spinning.
I've heard it said nearly every knitter will at some point try spinning, the desire for more yarn, or specific yarn, or just curiosity will eventually tempt you into picking up a spindle, or sitting down to a wheel. I'd been resisting for a while despite a lingering interest, though I'd succumbed in a moment of weakness while I was in a yarn store that also carried spinning and weaving tools to purchase a spindle and two ropes of roving. I had a vague thought that it would be a good way to get a yarn to match a yarn I had, (though not enough of for a project).
Then due to an attack of life they languished, never making it further than my first rudimentary attempts. But then this year during the NFL playoffs I was desperate to take up something less complicated than either of the knitting projects I had underway, I pulled out the spindle and roving and figured I'd give it a go.
Suddenly, after a bit of back and forth to look up a specific question or two on Ravelry, I was spindling, park and draft mainly, but still, I was producing more thick twisty singles. I spun through the first bits of fibers I'd separated out, and though I wasn't excited by the quality I was thrilled to have made some progress. My spindle full, I wound it off and began again.
The next spindle was better, I had figured out pre-drafting and my yarn was more consistant, but I couldn't achieve the next step, suspended spindling. Luckily a spinning night was coming up at a local yarn store, and I packed myself and my spindle off to observe and practice. I observed and spun, and a kind lady let me know my pretty spindle, was "not exactly suited" for the task. (A very apologetic and polite, "your cheap spindle is cheap, and won't really work very well").
Luckilly I'd been sent a do-it-yourself spindle kit, to make another common beginner spindle. A toy wheel spindle. After a bit of harassing of my long suffering hubby, he drilled for and inserted a hook for me, and after a bit of sanding on my part I was set. Marvel of Marvels it worked!!!
I could finally set the spindle to spinning and have it continue, and it spun quickly and true. I began again with a new chunk of roving (yes it's acutually a combed top) and voila some beautiful regular singles that might actually be small and regular enough to ply. Though now I found I was not able to feed the fiber as I'd seen many of the ladies at the spinning night do, my fiber seemed to be caught on itself and needed both hands and a good deal of encouragement to draft down.
A few minutes of searching in Ravelry (truly a useful place for fiber arts), and the answer was revealed. My fiber has been knocking about for the better part of two years in storage bags in my house...it was a trifle felted, and yesterday, after a good fluffing, I finally achieved the moment in spinning that I'd been working for... Suspended spindling!
Suspended spindling is being able to have the spindle spinning as you feed (draft) the fiber into the twist created by the spinning spindle, at which point, you have a yarn single. (which you can ply with several others, in the opposite direction of twist, to create a stable and lasting yarn).
It's a simple thing really, people have been doing it for millennia, but it's a huge step forward in actually acomplishing spinning. So now, more practice.
On the knitting front, I did NOT knit for the holiday's this year... Another plan was undertaken by other bodies. So my knitting over the holidays was very modest. A Snowman, a candy can, a wristlet, and a scarft, it's after that things have been busy. I've knitted three wine cozy's, the serving pieces of a knitted tea-set, and I'm working frantically on hats for the school auction. Plus there is the un-ending socks.
Writing? That's been on hold since before Christmas. I set it aside and haven't been able to scrape together the brain cells (or any uninterrupted time) to get back to work. I suspect the extended time will do it a bit of good, and I know there are several other stories knocking about in the wings waiting their turn. I'm sure after the winter break is over, and the passel of hats is submitted I'll be back to my typewriter.
For now, must off to some cleaning and feeding the family.