Silvergrrl Arts

Today I spun some, finished the bobbin of Blue Leicester that I’ve been working on this week. Then I plied the three bobbins I had ready. I’m posting a little picture narrative of the plying process.

Wind it onto the ball winder to get a center pull ball.

First, wind the yarn onto the ball winder

Take both ends and fasten them to the plying bobbin. Use the spinning wheel to twist the strands together.

Next, hold the two ends together and feed them into the spinning wheel, using it to twist the strands

Next, unwind the plied yarn onto the niddy noddy. Tie each of the legs with yarn.

When that's done, unwind onto the niddy noddy

To set the spin, soak the yarn in hot water for 20 minutes.

To set the spin, soak in hot water for 20 min

Then hang to dry.

Then hang to dry

Until tomorrow.

Today was a very long and busy day, and I did not get to my spinning wheel until after 9:00. Because I’m tired, it was a short session. But very interesting. I found I was focusing on the “pinch” as a more integral part of keeping the yarn even. Holding the pinch lets the twist build up, so when you slide down the fibers the twist follows your fingers and twists the fibers together, making yarn. What I realized tonight is that I can use that pinch to control the twist better AND give myself a couple of seconds to get the drafting right. So I’m pretty happy about that little realization, and happy that I found it naturally by focusing on improving my drafting.

Until tomorrow.

100 Days of Spinning - Day 20

I had to ply it.

I spun some more Blue Leicester tonight on the 2nd bobbin, and I just HAD to ply it. Plying is where you really get to see how well you did. Sort of like when you’re cooking – it can LOOK good, but it’s the eating that tells the final story. Plying lets you see the yarn as it comes together.

And I’m really happy with the results. Especially considering that the 1st time I even touched a spinning wheel was less than 3 weeks ago.

In this picture it looks more gray, that’s just the light. It’s really a taupe-ish brown. You can see how even the plied strands are, and looking to be about DK weight. Perfect! Once I’ve set the spin (by soaking in hot water & then letting it hang dry) I’ll do the wrap test to see where it really falls.

Until tomorrow.

“The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust

What does that have to do with spinning? During tonight’s spinning practice, I was watching the wool go into the twist, and noticing how many fibers were there, and seeing little clumps and fixing them (mostly) before it was too late. And I realized that I was seeing what I was doing with a new level of understanding. I remembered that Proust quote and thought about how it applies to learning new things, as devotion leads to experience, which leads to new depths of understanding and, circularly, to new levels of devotion.

I have experienced this with metal work – learning to recognize what I am looking at, and what it means, is deeply satisfying. This work with fiber, spinning, is the same.

Until tomorrow.

Maybe it’s just this wool, the Blue Leicester, but something is happening to my experience at the wheel. I first noticed it yesterday, and today it was even stronger.

Spinning, this ancient art, is relaxing. Who knew? I looked forward to it all day today. I ENJOY it.

I mentioned that this is easy wool to spin, and that has to be part of it. The process is hypnotic – that’s DEFINITELY part of it. I finished filling this first bobbin tonight, that was an hour’s work, and it was the perfect unwind after cleaning and mopping the kitchen after I got home from work.

Until tomorrow.

Today’s new wool is called Blue Leicester (pronounced Lester) and I have to say it’s my favorite so far. The color, as you can see, is not exciting, but it’s easy to spin and very forgiving. I bought a pound of it at SAFF. I’m starting to envision a sweater that incorporates this wool, the pretty teal wool, and maybe some of the white wool that I also have waiting for me. It will be interesting to see how much yardage I get out of this.

Until tomorrow.

Day 14 – Starting the Blue Leicester