You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Handspinning' category.
Okay, I have been silent for awhile, but I had to break the silence to let you know about the wonderful spinning app for your iPhone or iPod touch that has just been released in the iTunes app store. When I found out that Michael Golden of Ashland Sky was adding a spinning tool to his already impressive set of fiber apps (iKnit Needle Sizer and KnitGauge), I knew I just had to get on board! I was lucky enough to get to be a beta tester for this app, and I can tell you right now, it is worth every penny and much more!!
iSpin Tool Kit is a combination of a technically accurate spinning reference and an assortment of tools, including ruler, wpi tool, twist angle gauge, tpi gauge and numerous calculators. My favorites are the wpi tool, twist angle gauge and the niddy noddy converter !! The tpi and twist angle gauges have the option of both light and dark backgrounds for easy viewing. The app is flawlessly executed and the seamless interface is a joy to use. Run, don’t walk to the app store and nab an iSpin Tool Kit of your own!!
Or, you are probably thinking unexpected post since it has been so long. I have jumped on the Facebook bandwagon, and posting to a blog seems a bit redundant these days.
However, a recent generous gift by one of my husband’s coworkers prompts me to show it off.
At least 29 years old, made and signed by Jerome Rooney, Littleton, MA, I give you (drum roll)… the newest spinning wheel in my collection…
A Country Craftsman in mint condition that spins like a dream!! It has a 24 inch drive wheel. It’s drive band is even in great conditon.
It only has one bobbin. Fortunately, the bobbins are still being made (as are other parts), even though the wheels themselves are not. I have 3 on order, but they are currently backordered.
I feel as if I have won the lottery!
Anyone growing up in the 50s and 60s, living in the South and who did any car traveling will likely remember being on the lookout for those rare, but highly sought after, Stuckey’s signs. A chance to get out of the car, get some candy or something else to eat, a hot dog, maybe even some breakfast, use the restroom, and most important of all to a kiddo under 10…. TOYS!!! Once in awhile, though, if you were traveling through Georgia or South Carolina, you would be fooled by a pretender to the kid-mecca, Rawl’s. I would always be so mad every time I saw one of those signs. The main reason was they used the same color scheme and a similar font to the Stuckey’s signs. My hopes gotten up sky high only to be dashed. Rawl’s did NOT have TOYS, or not that I know of. They most likely had heavenly candy… Who knows. Anyhow, for the first time since we have been living here, I notice on US 17 about 8 miles south of our house and about 2 miles north of Woodbine, GA, this hiding in the woods.
How could I have traveled this road numerous times and NOT noticed it? Beats me. Some research indicated that the Rawl’s factory was located in Woodbine. Now, how about that? The building also still stands, but no vestiges remain of its former occupation.
Funny thing is, the same week I took this picture, I also passed by Stuckey’s original headquarters in Eastman, GA, now occupied by the Standard Candy Company. See, that competition is still in place, I guess.
Switching gears, here are my yarn singles from the Fiber Candy.
Here is a skein of it, 3 plied. Truly now yarn candy. I spun it semi woolen and fulled it and whacked it around to stabilize the neps in the yarn and to open up its woolen character.
The turquoise/green is more of the same fiber in an alternate colorway.
If you are interested in tracking the fiber I dyed, here’s what’s going on with it now. I haven’t used the green, purple or turquoise yet, but I made the warm colors into Crazy Batts – the dyed corriedale, some mohair locks and some silk noil.
I may go play with the cool colors this afternoon!
Also, if you’re on Facebook, check out the new application I made: Send Beach Stuff! I figured we needed some beach fun to cheer up the winter.
Maybe it is because I have only been spinning since 2002, but I never got the concept of putting yarn against a penny for reference.
Case in point. Here is a sample of 3 ply merino sock yarn I am working on spinning:
Yarn looks humongous here.
Bet you think I zoomed in to get this shot.
HA, fooled you. The first picture was actually taken against a very tiny penny gotten from my nantucket basket charm. Here’s the yarn against both:
So, what I really want to know is why don’t people put something against the yarn that is more the shape of yarn, such as:
Angel hair pasta with 3 ply yarn side by side. Now, that’s better!
Glad I got that off my chest. 
Seems I have not blogged in a long time. Not only have I been AWOL from blogging, I also went AWOL immediately post Bill’s neck surgery. So, now what would induce me to leave my husband the day after he came home from the hospital (but never fear, my stepmother came down to sit with him for a week) and brave the 1 digit temperatures in North Carolina? 
(You can see the cold, can’t you?)
Well, only one thing could have done that. Lest you think I was being mean, let me remind you that I had this event planned for 6 months, and Bill’s surgery only came up for discussion within the last month or so. He definitely did not want me to miss my class at Folk School.
The class was “Spinning Colorful Yarns” and was taught by fiber/spinning/weaving expert extraordinaire, Judith MacKenzie McCuin. If you look closely, you can spot her in the classroom.
I just knew, knew, knew she was the best ever teacher, but I was also delighted to discover just what a wonderful lady she is as well. And, oh, the stories she regaled us with!!
Here are the goodies she brought along for us to play with:
Color wheel of 80s merino for us to experiment with. We learned how to spin the perfect sock yarn.
This is really the first time I have actually enjoyed spinning merino.
Then, she brought all this other wonderful stuff to play with. A lot of it came from our friend Jennifer from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. Yum!!!
She also brought a mixture of Cotswold wool and wolf fur, which I enjoyed experimenting with immensely. Well, who would have thought I would enjoy spinning wolf? Who would have thought you could even spin with wolf? And who was brave enough to gather its fiber?
Another goodie was some of Judith’s hand dyed singles, with which I learned to make boucle yarn.
Those who know me well know I have always been stumped by novelty yarns.
Here are some practice yarns:
Boucles and knot yarns.
Novelty mohair slub yarns.
4 ply cabled yarn. 
As well as 6 ply cabled yarn, which I love, love, love.
We carded crazy batts:
And spun crazy batts:
Dyed wool:
We also learned yarn control. Yay!!!
Judith was extremely generous with her time and quite patient with us. What a lovely time we all had.
I also had the very amazing opportunity to watch Lyle Wheeler make a chair, using only hand tools. No glue, no nails, no power tools. This is the man who made my great wheel and my spinning stool. I now have a greater appreciation for these treasures after seeing him work.
I ate well and met some awesome ladies in class!!
It all made up for the cold weather, as I left with a warm heart.
So, that’s my January in a nutshell. I hope you have had an interesting month as well.
I wove this little number using bulky handspun Jacob wool as the warp and a thick and thin single from space dyed roving. Little did I know I would resemble Kureyon to the extent it did. This is a gift that will be wrapped within an hour and delivered to a friend tomorrow.
And, because I’m loving the selvedges:
And “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” at the new “Old Homestead!!
Yesterday, I finished 2 small projects. First, the scarf:
All washed, fulled and brushed and ready to go!! It is nice and fuzzy and soft. This was my first weaving project where I had to fix a broken warp. Worked out fine, and I am glad to have learned a new skill.
Here’s a closeup of the weaving:
Then, I used my Elsbeth Lavold Baby Llama to knit myself a cowl.
Mmmm… it is soft!!
This morning, after having been inspired by the Spin-Off I got yesterday, I decided to start a woven scarf. Yikes, not only did I start it, it is more than 2/3 woven!! How did that happen? I tried something I heard Judith MacKenzie McCuin mention on WeaveCast. She said she always does her “color stuff” in the warp, so I thought I would give it a try. The colors are quite muted, however, since this was gray Border Leicester fiber that had been overdyed and then spun by me. The weft is handspun Jacob. The picture does not quite show how pretty it is, but the colored warp really punches up the brown Jacob.
It will be fulled somewhat when finished, and I think this time I will brush it some. If it turns out well, it just may end up being a gift for someone.
First, lest Bess think I forgot she awarded me a lovely prize, I will start with this:
I am truly honored that Bess gave me this award for several reasons: she is a dear friend, a true artist with fibers and someone who truly sets a high standard in blogging, fiber related and otherwise. Her blog was the reason I started blogging in the first place!!
Now, comes the passing of the torch. This time of year is incredibly busy for everyone, so I am passing these awards out without expecting the recipients to pass them along to others, unless, of course, they have a burning desire to do so. These are “freebies”, girls, so just bask in the glory:
A bloggy ribbon goes out to Ruth, a great designer of user friendly, but interesting (and beautiful) sock patterns. She is also a talented dyer, check her Etsy shop, which, hmm… at this time seems to be on hold, but I know why. She is doing a small version of a trunk show today. Way to go, Ruth!! She is also a great friend and spins marvelous novelty yarns (not the fiber type, at least not yet, but the kind made of words! You haven’t really lived until you have read one of Ruth’s tall tales!!)
Next I award the ribbon to Donna, my neighbor just to the north of me in South Carolina, who proves you can have it all… she is a successful professional with a delightful teen aged daughter and adoring husband who actually dyes yarn for her to knit with, a backyard with chickens and now, sheep!!, and she has a loving and giving nature and is kind hearted to boot!!
Then, one to Sally, who is an enthusiastic knitter and upcoming talent who isn’t afraid to take risks!! She wanted to know if she could ply commercial yarns together, so I told her to come on up and we would do it. She ended up with some gorgeous mohair stuff that looked like the luscious filling of a raspberry/blackberry pie, and all I wanted to do was pet the yarn. She is also a great friend, awesome gardener and talented cook!
I do not know Beverly nearly as well as I would like to, having only met her once at SAFF, but she is one talented and prolific knitter. This year, she took the sweepstakes award at the South Carolina state fair this year!!!
Now, on to other things with a warning!!! If you get offended at the abuse of knitted objects, you may want to avert your eyes, block your computer from displaying images or take some such action!!!
So, does The Swifty from the second Mason-Dixon book really work?
Okay, so this is the picture of a pristine one which has not been dirtied yet.
You can see for yourself, they DO work:
Ewww… And, no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. The first was a Swifty I made for my stepmother.
The dirty one is mine, which does prove that I do work on occasion around the house.
Next, is what I have been doing with my days off:
Crockpot dyeing, my favorite way to dye fiber. This is BFL/Alpaca 50/50, which is about the most amazing fiber to spin that there is. I have a pot of polar red/lilac simmering out in the studio to complement this batch.
Recent Comments