05.19.06

You Spin Me Right Round

Posted in Cleo, Photos, Spinning, Yarn at 7:19 pm by delipics

Yes! I am learning to spin! (Do you see Cleo lurking in the background? She has to be involved in everything.)

I started Spinning I class this week at The Yarn Tree, taught by the talented Caroline. After a brief discussion on the syllabus and looking at different examples of handspun skeins, we got started. Caroline passed out the drop-spindles, showed us how to tie on the lead yarn, and did her spinning demo. She makes it look soooo easy. And like with anything new, you have to just go for it and see what happens.

I am fascinated by spinning. One of my goals is to understand the yarn-making process from the sheep to the finished product so this is a big piece of it. I have been doing this for three days now and I am beginning to understand how to coordinate the speed of the spin and the whole pull or draw of the fiber as it spins into the yarn. (The best analogy I can give is this is like learning to rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time.) At first, I might have three seconds of getting that spin / pull combo right and then bam - big ol’ slub of yarn! I am at the stage now where I may have several inches of a consistently spun, yarn weight and then all of a sudden it is too thin or too thick. Plus I am trying to figure out how much of a handful of roving should I pull out to spin. I am very aware of my sense of touch with this process - what just feels right. This is difficult to explain - it’s not like I can say, add one teaspoon of fleece, spin until mixed. There is a kinetic and touch experience that magically happens and voila, a strand of yarn is spun!

After class finished, I did a *little shopping* because The Yarn Tree is having a 20% off sale for the month of May (you still have time to buy - in person, online or on the phone). I asked Linda to set me up so I can learn how to knit socks so she directed me to the Koigu shelf while she went looking for a pattern.

Now, I have looked longingly at Koigu for some time now, thinking, “Oh, Koigu, I am not worthy of you!” I stood there, unable to select a color - I wanted them all! I tried to choose a color I do not usually go for and decided on this variegated KPPPM skein of creamy yellow scattered with blues and reds.

Then I discovered the 30% off basket . . . I told myself not to add more to my stash but come on, 30 percent off! I grabbed the last four skeins of the colorway, La Petite Fleur, Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio Handpainted Yarns by Lori Lawson (to the right in photo).
Aren’t these luscious?

I will not start the socks until I finish my spinning homework. I have to spin all that roving that you saw in the first photo — in the next five days - daunting!!!

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