Over the weekend I took a spinning course. It was full, but I was lucky and got in due to some drop-outs. It was taught by a world renowned spinner and weaver, Anne Field. Before I even heard of the course I had picked up some of her books at the library. The class was really neat. Instead of learning spinning techniques we learned about different sheep fibers and how to spin them appropriately. We spun raw fiber which was new to me, carding each individual lock out is pretty time consuming and it's harder to spin for me compared to the roving and sliver I have been using. The lanolin did ooze from the fiber though coating and moisturizing my hands!
Here are my little sample skeins illustrating the 2 different fibers we worked with.
And because we didn't work on spinning techniques at all I have been using my evenings this week to hone my skillz on the wheel. These are the 4 hanks I spun in the weeks before the class. The 2 on the left were made and plyed on the drop spindle and the 2 on the right were made on the wheel. The green one has a nice novelty yarn look to it, but I'm not sure how structurally sound it is. I will have to learn the proper way to make thick and thin because I know for sure that wasn't it!
And this is the yarn I have been working on this week. I picked it up from a local woolery. The color choices weren't exactly to my taste, but I thought I would work with it. They are romney slivers. Romney have nice long fibers making them an easy option for beginners. So the plan is to spin up the orange stuff and then ply the 2 singles together. I think they will look nice together and maybe tone down the purply color in the multi ply (yuck to purple says me).
Other than spinning, not a lot is going on over here in NZed. It is raining for the second straight week in a row, but it isn't too cold out. I am hoping for some warm and sunny days soon. I haven't been on my bike all week!
Over and out.
2 comments:
hey - thanks for leaving me a comment, as for blocking with me new blocking wires (courtesy of Vintage purls instructions on her blog) on a cheap foam thing for use on a camp stretcher. we camp hence having these things around, it worked well, usually I block on a towel on the carpet as well, but this was an improvement. Yup 2 ply - didn't have enough fiber to do much else. your own spinning looks good, well done!
Yeah if I ever finish my haruha lace scarf I will need to go get some wires from the hardware store. There are only thermarest campmats in my house... so that won't work! ;-) I have been eyeing up those reels of bathmat foamy stuff at spotlight, but I think it is like $20/m... I don't think that is very economical. I'll keep my eye out for some cheap foam though. I haven't been opshopping in ages...
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