Way back in October I took a spinning class. What? A spinning class? Didn’t you already take one of those? Yes, I did. Along with about 50 other women (yes, they were ALL women). It was not a very well organized class, and I think the interest overwhelmed the instructors. So when I saw a spinning class was being offered through community schools I jumped on it.
It was fantastic. Very organized. It was still taught by the local spinning/weaving guild, but this time I had a mentor who worked with me one on one and taught me how to really spin. Now before I was kind of struggling and muddling my way through with a shortish draw. My mentor showed me how to do a long draw *heavens open, angels sing*. She demonstrated how the wheel can draft the fibers for me using the twist. She showed me how it is not all bad if the twist enters the drafting zone as long as you keep it from the fiber supply. In short, she taught me how to spin. She also taught me how to ply. Oh.my.gosh. My plying SUCKED. Part of it was my singles were not great, but mostly I was just plain doing it wrong.
Look. See? Balanced yarn! Before when I was done plying, I would hold up the yarn and it would twist back on itself HORRIBLY. Really. I don’t think you could have called it yarn it was so twisty. Not any more. Just the mere sentence of, “You take out half the twist you put in your singles when you ply” changed it all. Suddenly I felt as though it was okay to put quite a bit of twist in my singles since, you know, I was going to be taking it out. Whatever it was, I don’t care for now I am spinning balanced yarn.
One of my favorite things about the class was we got to try lots of little bits of different fiber to get a feel for how the staple lengths of the fiber changes the spinning. From furtherest away from witch to closest to witch: merino, yak, and some undisclosed-wool-but-it-was-medium-length. I liked the end result of the merino but enjoyed spinning the yak best.
Since I finished up the class, I have not spun much. I am seriously lacking spinning fiber. I spun up about 4oz of merino my parents gave me as a gift a couple years ago. See above. It was great fun. A large number of evenings just spinning. Honestly, I love spinning more than knitting. You really get your money’s worth. It takes quite a bit of time to spin through not too expensive amount of fiber THEN you get to knit it. Spinning is very relaxing too…meditative. I just need more fiber. Which I ordered. It is on its way. Don’t tell Terry, okay?
7 responses so far ↓
Jeanie Farley // 02/06/2010 at 10:58 pm |
I didn’t know you were spinning too. What type of wheel do you have. I find the same thing, spinning is exciting and seems so affordable since you get to touch the fiber for more than one project. I can’t wait to see more and more of your spinning projects in the future. I was going to try to get into the class you went to but it was full. I ended up taking a 4 to one class with Northern Lights Fiber Company, Pamela. It was great. Do you belong to the guild. A friend and I are going to attend the next meeting and join. Maybe I will see you there and we will get to meet. J
hjnknits // 02/09/2010 at 1:54 pm |
I have a Louet S-10DT. I like it. I wasn’t sure what to go with and someone said even if you do outgrow this wheel you will always want it for plying. My boys are FINALLY old enough to stay away from the thing so I don’t have to hide it all the time.
I do belong to the guild. If anything, I love the newsletters. I haven’t been to a meeting because the speakers have been weavers, and I just don’t want to be tempted by weaving.
Kristina // 02/08/2010 at 6:12 pm |
Yay!! I am going to pretend that you didn’t make that sound so exciting, since I truly do not need another hobby.
And… you changed your blog! and moved it wordpress!
hjnknits // 02/09/2010 at 1:51 pm |
It isn’t that exciting.
No fun. You don’t want to spin. 
I did move it. Not sure why, just did. I am feeling very, very restless right now so I find myself frantically cleaning, organizing, and streamlining everything. I really like wordpress’s comment stuff and layouts. Blogger just feels old school.
I do have to pay wordpress for my domain name in additional to what I pay for the name already. Oh well. I think it is like a $1 a month. 
Imene // 02/09/2010 at 8:14 pm |
Spinning …. You make it sound so interesting. But i am already having a hard time with finding time to knit. No no i can’t start something new….or maybe i can ;0)
Heather / "Arctic Knitter" // 02/11/2010 at 6:26 pm |
Slippery slope!! Wow – it seems like you speak a whole different language when you speak “spinning”. I think I’ll just watch from a distance. Pretty yarn, though!
Katrina // 02/11/2010 at 9:12 pm |
It’s beautiful, Holly Jo! (Everything you do is beautiful. I feel like a broken record…) And no, I don’t want to spin, either. Still working on knitting mastery….