When I came home from spinning class Saturday Chris said he felt like he had a kidney stone.  He was in pain when he and Margaret put up the outside lights.  We are a strand short but we can get that later.  Shortly after they got them up the pain increased.  It takes a lot to get him to the E.R. but he was quite willing to go.  We went, they sent him home on pain meds to pass it....it was a no-go.  We went back Sunday eve. and he stayed til Tues.afternoon when they surgically removed the dear thing.  No photo of it but it was 5mm or the size of a #8 knitting needle.  Everything revolves around knitting doesn't it?  LOL.  He is doing better.  He has a stent in that will be removed soon.

 

Our daughter, Margaret, on Thanksgiving this year. 

Taken by my niece, Emily Rose. 

Attempt #2 to Spin Wool

 I spent this spinning lesson on a Lendrum spinning wheel.  I liked this wheel a little better than the one I used at my first lesson.   It seemed to suit me better than the other.  Kate adjusted it a few times to meet my needs and then everything seemed to flow. 

She taught us how to card using the Schacht carder.  I found the motions of carding to be hypnotic in a way.  Very soothing.  In this card was some dyed Border Leicester locks.  Heavenly.

 

 I was able to spin a little white Cormo wool, Shetland wool and this Border Leicester wool intermittenly .  I changed off and on to get a feel for each wool and to practice adding new wool.  At the end of the class Kate took off  two separate pieces of spun wool and wound each to a plastic bobbin.  Then we made a two-ply piece of yarn by winding them together to the left onto the wheel.  Then we wound it onto the niddy noddy shown here.

Kate then tied them at certain spots and at last I had my two-ply yarn shown below.

Twisted into a hank.

Here is a shot of the Shetland wool and Border Leicester wool before carding.

An up close shot of my very uneven wool...but it's supposed to be like that because I am only a beginner! I love it's character.You can see where some spots were really good and others...not so much.

Until next time.

Attempt #1 to Spin Wool

Yesterday I spent the afternoon learning to spin.  I was able to bring home two samples of my work. Ha!   I tried to remain calm while spinning because I knew that my efforts would not produce a nice little skein of spun wool.  Rather, I spent my time practicing the hand motions, trying to let my muscles get acclimated to the motion of pinching, pulling, holding the wool in my left hand as if it were a bird-keeping control of it but not want to squish the bird, treadling to the right, treadling at the right speed, sitting up straight but sitting comfortably at the same time. 

My first bit of spinning was done with a pretty white wool the name of which escapes me.  There was a lot to take in and I was doing good to sit behind the wheel and function with IT.  This wool seemed to want to be spun, almost as if it had waited its whole life to do it and at last here it was getting spun by a ROOKIE.  Poor little wool.  But it's plight was not in vain.....it gave me hope to spin again.

My second wool was different and oooooo sooooo soft and it seemed that the fibers were a different length so I had to relearn what I had just learned on the white wool.  It was a whole other animal-literally!  It was so very different.  I went back to finish the last little bit of the white wool so I would end my session on a happy note and not a disappointing note.

Here they are side by side...the one on the right seems to look a little happier, but it seemed to be the hardest.

If I thought I should have been able to learn to spin completely and totally yesterday, then I would be a very sad gal indeed today.  But I know it will take a while, maybe a long long while to learn this art and I am willing to make every effort to do it.  So bear with me as I do.   

I don't have a wheel yet so I can only spin when I am at class here.

It was a fun class and part two is coming up in a couple weeks. 

Our teacher was a lovely young lady who is quite accomplished and a joy to work with.  You can get to know her here. 

Trading Post Fibers provided a wheel for me to use.  It looked like this.

Next time I hope to use a different style in hopes to eventually find one that I like enough to purchase.   

Well, that was my first spinning adventure.  It was fun.

In My Part of the World

Chris and I are putting siding on my mother's house and yesterday the sky was so pretty.  I have probably seen this view a thousand times.

Sheepsdown part 3

After I ran out of wool I checked around on Ravelry to see if anyone had some for sale-cheap-like.   One lady responded.  She didn't want to sell, but should would give me a little to finish it up.  How sweet.  She lived very close to New York City and Sandy was headed their way very soon!   She said if she didn't get it mailed out before the storm she didn't know how soon after the storm they would have power and it might take awhile.  No rush....I assured her.  Well, she got it mailed off before the storm and she messaged me later and said they were very fortunate to have NOT lost power at all.  Praise the Lord for that.    The fun part about this is that the computer showed a different shade of wool, which looked like it was the same shade to me....anywhooo, the shades are off but I love it!  So I have renamed it the Hurricane Sandy hat because while Sandy was expected she certainly put a twist on things.

Space Saver

Between the fridge and the wall shelves is a lovely spot that needed to be filled.   We find it a perfect place to put up the magnetic strip to hold knives and such. 

Curtains

We finally got the curtains in the living room up. The windows are still needing replaced but the curtains will prevent people from seeing in at night....which they have done since May :)
But now....they can peek no more.

Margaret saw an idea on Pinterest to use drop cloths as curtains.   We bought brand new ones that we 6 ft by 9 ft and used those handy dandy rings with clips to attach them.  We folded over the top 2 ft.  We took them to the laundromat to soften them up and run them through the cycle with fabric softener.  

Sheepsdown part 2

 Shaping for the earflaps.

 Both earflaps done...could also be a swim suit top.

 It is knit out of sheepsdown.

 It will keep someones ears and neck warm.

Here is precisely where I ran out of wool.  :(

So the little hat will be in this holding pattern until I acquire more.

The Maltese Fisherman's Hat.

Sheepsdown

This beautiful creature is Oxford Gray Sheepsdown purchased from Schoolhouse Press.  I have wanted to knit something with it for a long time.  I decided to knit the quirky little hat known as the Maltese Fisherman's hat from Elizabeth Zimmermann's book, which calls for this same wool.

The Sweater is Finished.

I just need to block it and then it will be considered DONE.  :)

19 years

Margaret turned 19 on Tuesday.  She also took her driver's test and passed and now has a "license to drive"!   She has also booked passage on an Amtrak train to meet for the first time her two sisters and one brother in California! 

Alpacas

 I visited an alpaca farm today near Peru, IN.  Cute!

This is a fella.(to the right)

 Those
 in
 the
 barn
 were
 ladies
 and
 babies.

 A beautiful Indiana Autumn day.

Books on Spinning

While visiting the spinner/weaver guild yesterday, a very kind lady gave me the names of a few books that would help me in my 'learning to spin' journey.  I am going to list them here for future reference because there is a chance that I will misplace the list. If you are wanting to learn to spin maybe these books will be of interest to you as well.

If you are going to learn to spin on the drop spindle these books were recommended:

Spindle Spinning from Novice to Expert by Connie Delaney {ISBN: 0-9660952-0-0 Kokovoko Press}

High Whorling, A Spinner's Guide to an Old World Skill by Priscilla A.Gibson Roberts {ISBN: 0-9668289-0-9 Nomad Pub.}

Respect the Spindle, Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool by Abby Framquemont {ISBN 978-1-59668-155-2  Interweave Pub.}

Good fiber books (both highly recommended):

In Sheep's Clothing 

Fleece & Fiber Source Book { Carol Story Publishing}

A recommended website:

Oklahoma State

The same kind lady gave me tidbits too:

• All sheep will flock together except Shetlands.
• Use a woven fence to keep fiber animals in.
• In some sheep you will get better wool when feeding just grass, no grain.
• Shetlands are relatively new to the United States and therefore are more susceptible to certain diseases than other sheep.
• Have an idea of what types of things you want to knit with the wool you grow so you can pick out the best type of sheep to produce the product that you want.
• Make sure you worm your sheep and have a good vet.

Wool and Wheels

 I took a trip up north today to Columbia City.  I was privileged to attend a spinning/weaving guild meeting.  I found the place o.k.  It was out in the country a bit but I had good directions.

She was spinning alpaca.

 This lovely lady was plying wool.

The alpaca spun and plied and put into a lovely hank. I got to let it sit on my lap.  It was so soft and pretty.

 There were several different brands of spinning wheels.  Kromski, Lendrum, Sickenger and Ashford.  The above wheel is the Kiwi model made by Ashford.

 I was lovingly corrected when I called these goats, sheep.  :)

 I asked a ton of questions and the ladies were all so gracious in answering them.  They were very knowledgeable about all things woolly and spin-ish.

The one question that I asked that didn't get a direct answer was this..."What (used) wheel would you recommend a beginner start with?"    Each person I asked said..."You must spin on the wheel as much as possible before you purchase it to find out which wheel works for you".

O.K.  I appreciate their honesty.   But are you thinkin' what I am thinkin?

I don't know how to spin.  I want to learn to spin.  I can't  try out a wheel until I learn to spin.  But I shouldn't buy a wheel until I try it out.  

So, which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Ha.

It is all great food for thought and I will think about it a lot!!!!