New Yarn!

Spinning yarn is incredibly relaxing, as many of you know. I never ever thought I'd be spinning my own yarn, that's for sure. I used to play with my grandmother's spinning wheel (she didn't spin, it was just a decoration) when I was a child, but spinning was something they did in the old days, not in the present. I did love to crochet (and quilt), not knit, though, in spite of my nana's wonderful instruction. Knitting took too long, I could crochet something in record speed, LOL.

Many, many years later, I got a few sheep. I had no idea what I was going to do with their wool, but I wanted a couple pet shetland sheep. I enjoy shetlands tremendously. But- then I had all these bags of wool stocking up. So, I bought a little antique spinning wheel, got it working, and decided I was going to make my own yarn! But, how? Well, I figured if women, and young children I found out, for centuries were able to do it, so could I. Those colonial women didn't go to the yarn shop for spinning instruction- they just did it! So, that was my plan.

First- okay, you have to wash the wool. No problem. I skim the info, got it- you put the wool in a pillow case and put it in the washer on cold. I should have read further to find out that I didn't want it to go through ALL the cycles (like spin). But- it gets better. How do you dry the wool? Apparently NOT by throwing that wool filled pillowcase into the dryer!! My first, beautiful, deep back, shetland lamb fleece...became garbage. Went back, reread entire instructions, and now know how to wash wool.

I bought hand carders, carded the next fleece, and sat down at my wheel. About a week later that wheel went into the basement and the wool back into a bag. I could not do what a 6 year old colonial child could do!

A few years, and many more sheep later, it was time to learn to spin. This time I bought another wheel, hated that one, bought yet another wheel (this time and older Ashford traditional) and woo-hoo!! I learned to spin yarn! I now use that same wheel, and also an inexpensive electric wheel (the least expensive of the babe NW flyers, that runs on a sewing machine motor.) I love that little wheel also. I am hoping to fix and get running my aunts big antique wheel (a classic Canadian wheel) in time. Spinning is just such fun! I am so proud that I can spin as well as a 6 year old colonial girl (at age 41,LOL)

My latest batch of yarns include some lustrous dyed and natural color mohair skeins, a few soft and fluffy alpaca skeins, and some various wool skeins from our many breeds of sheep. I hope to try spinning some angora (bunny) yarn later this week...a first for me, I have't yet spun straight angora. I also have plans for using some colorful cotswold locks to make some "fun" yarn. I can't wait!