Spin, Span, Spun

As you're aware by now, my life is all about my family and my fiber art, and the next logical step on the fiber side was to learn how to spin.

Yes, spin. Because as the button says “Spinning – because knitting isn’t weird enough.” I think I said that in an earlier blog post.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to learn spin. I have always been fascinated by spinners when I’ve seen them at the Farmer’s Market, or re-enactment events. Hand spinning by drop spindle or wheel spinning, I’m fascinated (there’s that word again) by it all. That you can take this:



And get this:



just amazes me. So I wanted to learn. I wanted to be awesone like that. I bought what’s called a “drop spindle” – it’s the most basic of spinning implements; there’s nothing electronic or mechanical about it. It’s a simple dowel with a weight (whorl) at the end and a hook. That’s it.

This one’s not mine, but this is what I’m talking about:



It’s not as easy as I thought it would be, but then again, what is it “they” say? Nothing worth doing is ever easy?

So let’s backtrack. I decided I wanted to learn how to spin. I bought the drop spindle (not that gorgeous one in the photo, but another). I needed fiber next. So what did I do? What ANY good fiber addict does! I dragged my family to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (http://www.sheepandwool.org/) in West Friendship, MD. I’d been told that there was no better place to go see, touch and smell (yes, smell) fibery goodness than MDSW. I was pumped. I exercised the “power of the mom” and told the family this is what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day. So guess where my daughter and I spent Mother’s Day?



Three guesses…the first two don’t count.





I won’t lie…I looked at spinning wheels. I didn’t try them out – even though I should have, but I was obsessed with my drop spindle and that I was going to learn to do this BY HAND!

I bought roving that my daughter chose. It’s beautiful. It’s a superwash merino (which means you can wash it in a washing machine), but it’s also what’s called “combed top.” This means that all the fibers are perfectly aligned (like the hair on your head on a good day), and it’s really, really, really soft.



Which sounds perfect, right? Not so much for a beginning spinner. Which I didn’t know and learned when I began to spin.

When I went to the farm for Shearing Day (see last blog post), a lovely woman named Erin taught me to use my spindle. The concept is simple – you’re adding twist to raw fiber to make yarn. In practice? Not so much. There’s a lot to remember.

Let's start with this - letting the fiber out of your hand is called drafting. It's the process by which you separate the fiber into the thickness you want to twist from rest of the pile of fiber. I only mention it because I'm going to use this word alot in the next couple rules.

Rule #1 – remember which way you’re turning your spindle, or you’ll untwist all the twist you just added. Frustrating, but not a disaster.

Rule #2 - don't let go. If you do, the yarn untwists and you have to start all over again. Frustrating, but not a disaster.

Rule #3 - don't overtwist and let it run up into the drafting fiber (the wad of fiber you're holding in your hand to spin next). OH - and don't let the tail of the fiber you're drafting get too close to the yarn you're spinning. Don't ask why...just don't. Again...frustrating. (see the trend?)

Rule #4 – you have to kind of let an even amount of fiber out of your hand so that the finished yarn isn’t all bumpy in some places and thread-thin in others. This was not my strong suit. At all. I made some really um...arty...(because I was told I wasn't allowed to call it ugly) yarn. I got better over time. It’s still not gorgeous, but it’s not as messy. If you're a semi-perfectionist like me, this is...yep...you remember. Say it with me. FRUSTRATING!

Toldja it wasn't easy.

After my impromptu class at Shearing and working some on it at home, this is my first finished product:



You can see it doesn’t look like anything you’d likely see in the store, unless you’re specifically looking for art or novelty yarn. But hey…I’m told there’s a market for that.

Next? I’m buying a spinning wheel. Drop spindle just isn’t for me – it’s a lot of (frustrating) work, and I’d rather it feel like a hobby than a chore. Besides…wouldn’t this look really cool in my living room?