I was Knitting Bee hostess this week and was all ready to continue with my latest commission - a green goalkeepers outfit for a Panda football player. Sam who is manager of the toy team has been fundraising for strips and I will be paid ten whole pence for my efforts. Julie and Kit, had other ideas though and they came armed with drop spindles and fleece. I had tried my hand at spinning once before but it was in a room full of people all wanting a go and I didn't do too well. This time I was left alone to make as many mistakes as I wanted and it was great fun. So much fun that I haven't really done anything else all weekend. I called up the wonderful Twist Fibre Crafts in Newburgh on Friday and by the next post they had sent me out some dyed merino in various blues, reds and purples, some Jacob tops and some flax. How is that for service - they must have heard the urgency of the newly converted spinner in my voice. The flax is particularly appropriate as our village was built around the flax spinning industry and as it was Dundee and Angus spinners who made the sails for Lord Nelson's fleet, we might even had something to do with winning the Battle of Trafalgar.
It is lovely to take up a craft with such a long, prehistoric even, history. I get a real sense of kinship when I'm knitting but this goes back even further and when I saw a picture of a 6000 year old drop spindle and it was basically the same as mine - just mindblowing. You might argue that prehistoric peoples didn't have access to old CDs and glittery stickers but the design is the same!
Another reason for calling Twist Fibre Crafts was to book some tickets for a day with Debbie Bliss. She is doing a talk and showing samples in October. Should be fun - I get to go with my SIL, Babs (hello!) and she makes amazing patchwork.
Righto, I'm off to drop my spindle again ( that must really annoy the downstairs neighbours ).
If you know any good spinning sites, let me know, I have a feeling that this might be the beginning of something good.
8 comments:
Uh-oh...I see an obsession coming on. An addiction, fleece everywhere. Look out!
I suspect that was Julie's plan, get someone else hooked then she won't be the only one with a houseful of fleece :)
Hey well done!
Looks like you're going to have hours of pleasure with that.Magnus seems to be enjoying the new hobby too
:-)
Spinning is totally addictive! Just wait until you put on your first pair of handspun-handknit socks! There is nothing else like it. :-)
Check out spindlicity.com - they are a little behind, but there are great things in the archive of issues.
What a pretty spindle! I've tried a wheel a couple of times, with disasterous results. But maybe I could manage a drop spindle....
Can't wait to see the finished product.
Cindy, the wheel things seems so technical and complicated that I can't imagine trying it. When I had time to get used to the spindle it seemed to come as second nature - it might be in the blood, my great auntie was head weaver at the local factory :)
I wan't to try spinning, but it will just be one more thing I don't have time for. I'll live vicariously through you. Thank you for the kind comment on by blog.
Popped over from Ravelry to say,welcome to the addictive world of spinning:)I too feel as though I have stepped back into my Hen Nain's (great grandmother)shoes when I spin and I find it soothing.
On line Spin Off has freebie info plus Knitty has a section on spinning and of course on Rav there are a few good groups there also
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