03 March 2008

Whoosh!

That was the sound of me getting sucked into the spinning vortex. It's all Angela's fault. She acts so innocent, but really she's a shameless spinning enabler! She sent me a beautiful drop spindle a couple of years ago, along with some beautiful fiber from Lisa Souza. I made felt balls. I never tried the spindle. Until yesterday. Heh.

Enter Barbara. Do you see the evil look on her face?

She knows I am about to get sucked totally and completely in.

I really wasn't even going to go to her class. But I figured I really should try that spindle. So I went. First she showed us different spindles, including this funky one with beads around the edge.

Then we started spinning with pens. One person would hold the pen and twist and the other drew out the roving.

Here's my first handspun, it's the single I drew out while my friend Lynn twisted. Then I let it twist back on itself.

I may have been absurdly a bit proud of it.

It was all downhill from there. We tried the drop spindles. According to Barbara, I was apparently a spinner in another life. Perhaps it was that mad gleam she saw in my eye? I obviously liked spinning laceweight.


At that point, I had to rush home and feed the small hungry persons that inhabit my house. It's probably a good thing I had to leave. But I didn't let a small thing like that stop me. I wanted to try plying.

This was somewhat less successful. So I started on the dyed roving I have. Ooooooooooooooooooh. I think I may have eaten lunch, but I'm not sure. I found the dyed roving to be much more difficult to handle. But where there's a will, there's a way. Hee.

Somewhere around this point, I began taking the name "drop" spindle a little too literally, and broke the hook off my lovely cherry spindle.

But I was not to be denied, especially since my husband has wooden toy wheels (wait 'til I show you his train!!!) and dowel. So first up, I made one with a hook in the dowel

and a channel along the side of the dowel.

I notched it.

It is rough, but I was desperate to get my next fix.

Enter the my husband, the engineer. Here's a hook.

with a channel up the front

and through the middle of the dowel!

It spins like a dream. It is perfectly balanced. And, er, I will learn to do it justice soon. :)

I moved on to another barely successful plying experiment:

And really, I am absolutely pathetically hooked. :sigh: It really is zenlike.

Off to do some spinning! :whimper:

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32 Comments:

Blogger Cindy/Snid said...

LOL. I totally know what you are talking about! It is a good thing that I moved to the land of no natural fiber or I might have had to add on a room to our house! Enjoy it (insert evil laugh!)

12:33 AM  
Blogger Helle from Denmark said...

So now Angela is to take the blame for you being a fiber addict!! HA! If that makes it easier for you, to blame somebody, you can blame even me.......you are hooked!*GRIN*

Way to go girl.....just keep on spinning!!:-)

1:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yayy!!!! Welcome to the club!! It's only a matter of time....

3:23 AM  
Blogger Mary in VA said...

Oh my goodness, I'd say you are well and completely hooked. Already on to making your own spindles! So when will we see the first wheel, or are you just going to try and make your own there also????

3:40 AM  
Blogger Carole Knits said...

Oh good for you!

3:51 AM  
Blogger June said...

Oh be still my heart! So happy to see another FT'er join the ranks. Pretty soon it will be wheels you covet. . . not to mention all the fiber waiting for you out there. He, he, he! Welcome, welcome!

4:39 AM  
Blogger margene said...

You're doing well! It just takes practice. I spent nearly a month getting the hang of spinning...you're a natural.

4:43 AM  
Blogger Vicki said...

Another one bites the dust! :)

4:51 AM  
Blogger Lorraine said...

Oh dear, I guess when you saw the beads, it was downhill from there.

Get it?

5:07 AM  
Blogger Valerie said...

It's an addiction worth having in my opinion. You really did an amazing job by the way!

5:38 AM  
Blogger Rudee said...

Your blog just became dangerous. I have been avoiding this rabbit-hole for a LONG time. Watch out because you are going to buy the whole shebang soon. In the meantime, I plan to live vicariously thru your blog. Thanks.

5:50 AM  
Blogger Monika said...

Well there you go! :o) It's about time! Spinning is one of the best things I've learned so far. I hope you like it too!

7:01 AM  
Blogger Joanne said...

Hahhaahaha. Spinning is too intoxicating to deny!! Its power is centering. It reminds us of gravity. It makes you understand where your yarn comes from. It makes me double triple sure that we've got a lot in common, friend! :)

7:02 AM  
Blogger Angela said...

heeeeee!

I knew it - I think I must have been beaming good spinning vibes at you this weekend.

7:48 AM  
Blogger Laura A said...

Congratulations!

8:06 AM  
Blogger Susan said...

She doesn't look evil : )

8:07 AM  
Blogger Tiny Tyrant said...

Oh GR! I missed the class!

Thank goodness another of us has been sucked in my Ms Barbara.

8:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha. Ha. haha ha. snort giggle. Now you'll start coveting Greensleeves and Bosworths and Goldings and and and . . . happy spinning. :)

8:28 AM  
Blogger Ronni said...

Oh I am impressed! I still can't spin very well on a drop spindle. You are indeed totally doomed though. You'll have a wheel in no time I bet. Not to mention a ton of spindles. I'll have to get you to tell me where I can get Barbara to teach me to drop spindle. Maybe I really could learn. Anyone who puts beads on a cd spindle is my kind of teacher that's for sure.

8:41 AM  
Blogger Vicki said...

Woo-hoo! One more lured to the dark side! Once you start, you can't quit. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on fiber you can't resist! LOL!

8:57 AM  
Blogger Jennifer said...

All is lost now! Welcome to the spinning addicted.

9:34 AM  
Blogger Marianne said...

It IS addictive !!
I haven't tried a spindle yet, but I am now the proud owner of a brand new spinning wheel :-)
Your yarn looks good !

9:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, I am SO happy. :-) And look at what a natural you are: you've even started MAKING your own spindles already! That is hardcore. :-)

10:34 AM  
Blogger Sonja said...

Wow... you're either really talented, or had a darn good teacher (or both!). My first attempt at spinning was horrible!

11:01 AM  
Blogger vanessa said...

that barbara doesn't look too evil ;-)

11:08 AM  
Blogger Melanie said...

Wohoooo! I knew it was only a matter of time. Hooray for you.

12:52 PM  
Blogger Kat said...

YAY!

Next you'll get a wheel, then you'll buy more roving, then you'll be REALLY sunk and get a raw fleece (like I just did!!).....

Welcome to the club! :-)

2:37 PM  
Blogger ...Sarah said...

Well done. I love the colour of your dyed roving

5:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

*insert evil cackling here* One of us, one of us... We are spinners. Resistance is futile. You will be carded into submission.

7:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have never done a good job of drop spindling. I tried and went straight for the wheel. You're way ahead of me!

8:37 PM  
Blogger Jean said...

Good for you. I'm glad you're having fun. It's just that...sigh...remaining a spinning hold out is getting lonelier and lonelier.

7:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!!!
You will be assimilated. Too bad you didn't fall when I was your pal, I would have sent you some beautiful stuff. Please tell me that my handspun helped push you over the edge.

9:37 AM  

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