Lovely Handspun

I didn't spin this yarn. My lovely sister, Lisa, did, as I prepared to talk about spinning and socks to a bunch of spinners who are probably better spinners than I. Having the yarn there gave me a little more confidence. Thanks for all of your hard work, Lisa!!!!!

A Bit Hectic

I scheduled in weaving time last night, but I ended up hanging curtains! Maybe next week, when we have a wee break from French class...

Plying: Tunis Edition

I finally had time to sit down and ply the last of my lovely Tunis. I love everything about it - the loft, the size (heavy worsted) and the color! I have no idea what I will make with it, but just the sight of that super-full bobbin makes me happy. 

Sometimes the Problem is Behind You

Spinning for Spinzilla was awesome - but I did run into a slight issue. I was being lazy and didn't want to bring up my blue folding chair from the basement. The kitchen chairs we have are about the same seat height, so I thought one of them would work well. 

Do you see the problem that I didn't notice until the second day, when the back of my left arm started throbbing? The high back + knob thingy was hitting my arm as I brought it out for long-draw spinning. OUCH!

Learn from me, kids. Don't change your gear right before the long race.

Spinzilla Sunday, in Photos

...and then both my bobbins were full and The Walking Dead was about to come on, so, I had to stop!

Spinzilla Update: The Chaos Art Batt

I studied Physics for four years of college, so I know what Chaos really means.

In this case, it means this art batt. It's lovely, but to enjoy spinning it, I've really had to embrace the chaos. I have control-freak tendencies when it comes to spinning, so I'm making myself have fun with some long draw spinning and let the bumps fall where they may.

It all started on Sunday, when I broke the batt up into fauxlags. My rule to myself: chill out. Let it be what it wants to be. (Beautiful, beautiful chaos.)

SPINZILLA!

The nice folks at Schacht Spindle asked me to join their team this year! And, they asked me some questions about Spinzilla. My answers are over on their blog, but I'm going ahead and putting them here, too.

Why you are doing Spinzilla?
I'm doing Spinzilla this year as a way to kick-start my spinning. It's had to take a real back seat to my knitting and online activities in 2014 since I was finishing my book, Sock Architecture, and, now that it's out, I'm spending a lot of time letting people know about it! Last year, I had a pretty good rhythm going of spinning at least once a week, and I hope this week of really committed spinning will help get me back to that.

What you plan to spin that week?
I know I should spin from my stash, and I guess my most recent purchase counts as stash, since I bought it 6 months ago! It's a gorgeous art batt from a local shepherdess. The colors are kind of autumnal, but there's also some bright pink in there. I can't wait to get it open and see how it spins up.

What do you plan on doing with the yarn you spin?
If I can get a nice worsted-weight yarn out of the batt, and I think I will, I will probably weave it up on my Flip into a scarf. Weaving and handspinning go so well together. I like to knit, mostly, relatively plain yarns. With weaving, I feel I can get a little more "out there". If I don't find the right warp for it, right away, I'll just display it in my home. A lot of my former art batts are now art skeins. They look lovely just resting on a bookshelf.

What do you like about spinning?
It is super-relaxing, but still creative. I avoided spinning for a long time because I thought I wouldn't want to give up my knitting time to do it, but I'm really glad that my friend finally loaned me a wheel and talked me into trying it. When everything is set up just right, and the fiber is just flowing over my fingers like water, that's just heavenly.

What are your thoughts on Spinzilla?
Spinzilla is so much fun because I love seeing what other people are doing with their spinning. Unless you happen to live somewhere that has a spinning group, it's rare to really see other people's work in an up-close-and-personal way. Spinzilla makes it easy to feel really connected to other spinners. There's that competitive aspect to it, too, and I hope I don't let my team down too much! I was a "rogue" spinner last year because I wasn't sure I could really put in the time. I'm still not sure, but I guess I can't resist the invitation to be a part of the team!

Spinzilla Day 1 results: I spun up a whole art batt! More on prep, etc., tomorrow....

Anyone Else Psyched for Spinzilla?

Oh, I REALLY am.

This is not me.

The photo above it from a museum that shall remain nameless because, I guess, it turns out that you're not supposed to take pictures there. Oops. The only information on the wall was "Cherokee Woman with Spinning Wheel." I guess "Badass Cherokee Woman with Awesome Spinning Wheel" was too long. Osiyo to all of our foremothers!

If you don't know what Spinzilla is, but you are a spinner, it's not too late to sign up as a "rogue" spinner. Get thee to the signup!

A Little Spinning

I'm still trying to figure things out, but life is getting closer to normal. Which means, when my awesome sister sends me beautiful Coopworth wool dyed with indigo from the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I can spin some of it without everything else going off the rails. 

So, I did. Hooray! I can't wait to ply it. (In return, I sent her some Ply magazines, and she loved them! You might, too. Go check them out.) 

Kitty With Spinning Bag

Please forgive me the gross rag I use to wipe spinning grease off of my wheel. Our little Travis doesn't relax well enough to sleep around us very much. When he does, it's quite an event.

A Little Plying

I couldn't resist. I finally chain-plied the singles I finished several weeks ago. I love it! I will wash and measure the skein...sometime. Right now I'm just enjoying the feeling of having empty bobbins.

More Singles

I worked for a little over an hour and made it a little closer to finishing these singles. Working with materials I like is like reading a good book - I love the experience, and I know I will be both happy and sad when I finish. Happy for the achievement, sorry that it's over!

I Got to Spin!

I finally unpacked ALL OF THE BOXES and decided to let myself spin for a bit! 

I have a different work schedule now, which means more time for myself and family at night - but it also means re-working when I will work on knit designs and spinning. Before, I always did all of that stuff in the morning before I went to work. 

The good news: even after a month off, it went pretty well. My little ladybug still rocks! 

Safety First

Always buckle in your wheel on the road! :)