Adventures in Spinning, Part IV
Time for another episode of . . . Adventures in Spinning!
I haven't added to this saga since August - but I've been a busy little spinner. I found a teacher here - PatsyZ - and I must tell you that learning to spin is way easier if you have a live person next to you rather than a book. Not that there aren't very good reference manuals for spinning - check out Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning, by Judith MacKenzie McCuin - but having a true expert sitting next to you - teaching you, demonstrating exactly what drafting is, explaining the difference between worsted and woolen in a way that makes the lightbulb go on for you - well, you just can't beat that with a stick. :-D
PatsyZ is a great teacher - if she's teaching a workshop or class near you, don't hesitate to sign up. I am getting more and more consistent in my spinning, and learning more every lesson.
So - what have I been spinning, you ask? All sorts of stuff! Right now I'm working with locks of Blue-Faced Leicester and learning to comb and card correctly. Lots of practice with my own new handcards, and my Forsythe mini combs - I should have two full bobbins of woolen and worsted very shortly, and will ply that yarn up and see what I get.
I've also been spinning the Colonial wool I mentioned awhile back. I'm nearly finished with the green and will start on the blue shortly. These will be plied together to make a sort of "Black Watch" yarn. I hope to have enough to make some socks.
Most of my spinning has been at approximately DK weight. I've been working on being able to spin finer singles. One of my homework assignments is to spin the 4 oz of combed Merino superwash top that I got at YarnCon. I'm to spin it as fine as I can, with an eye toward 3-ply, fingering weight yarn. Wish me Luck! :-)
And what of the Iona sweater?? Well, that project has been put on hold for a little while longer. Why?, you ask. Because, the more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn. So far, I've learned that I want the fiber I use to be combed top so that I can spin a strong worsted yarn. I hope to make it 3-ply, which means finer spinning. I know that I want to be able to spin consistently enough and finely enough to get good, sturdy 3-ply worsted for this project. And I'm going to need a LOT of it. Cables take up a lot of yarn. I'm getting closer all the time!
This week holds an exciting adventure - a 3-day workshop taught by Anne Field! I'm so excited about this - and nervous, too!
Check back later for the next installment of Adventures in Spinning! I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress ;-)
I haven't added to this saga since August - but I've been a busy little spinner. I found a teacher here - PatsyZ - and I must tell you that learning to spin is way easier if you have a live person next to you rather than a book. Not that there aren't very good reference manuals for spinning - check out Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning, by Judith MacKenzie McCuin - but having a true expert sitting next to you - teaching you, demonstrating exactly what drafting is, explaining the difference between worsted and woolen in a way that makes the lightbulb go on for you - well, you just can't beat that with a stick. :-D
PatsyZ is a great teacher - if she's teaching a workshop or class near you, don't hesitate to sign up. I am getting more and more consistent in my spinning, and learning more every lesson.
So - what have I been spinning, you ask? All sorts of stuff! Right now I'm working with locks of Blue-Faced Leicester and learning to comb and card correctly. Lots of practice with my own new handcards, and my Forsythe mini combs - I should have two full bobbins of woolen and worsted very shortly, and will ply that yarn up and see what I get.
I've also been spinning the Colonial wool I mentioned awhile back. I'm nearly finished with the green and will start on the blue shortly. These will be plied together to make a sort of "Black Watch" yarn. I hope to have enough to make some socks.
Most of my spinning has been at approximately DK weight. I've been working on being able to spin finer singles. One of my homework assignments is to spin the 4 oz of combed Merino superwash top that I got at YarnCon. I'm to spin it as fine as I can, with an eye toward 3-ply, fingering weight yarn. Wish me Luck! :-)
And what of the Iona sweater?? Well, that project has been put on hold for a little while longer. Why?, you ask. Because, the more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn. So far, I've learned that I want the fiber I use to be combed top so that I can spin a strong worsted yarn. I hope to make it 3-ply, which means finer spinning. I know that I want to be able to spin consistently enough and finely enough to get good, sturdy 3-ply worsted for this project. And I'm going to need a LOT of it. Cables take up a lot of yarn. I'm getting closer all the time!
This week holds an exciting adventure - a 3-day workshop taught by Anne Field! I'm so excited about this - and nervous, too!
Check back later for the next installment of Adventures in Spinning! I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress ;-)
Comments
I hope all goes well on your trip for the workshop...gosh, I'm nervous for you.