Spinning

Happy Festivus!

I finally got around to spinning my first yarn on 12/14 (sorry the holiday season delayed my chances of updating.)  First and foremost, I need to get used to how my machine works.  Too many times the fiber would fall off the hooks and pulleys and what not and would jam up, making some parts over spun than others.  But overall, I like the results.

I bought wool roving online and it was already pretreated and combed.  I took some parts of it and hand dyed with Kool-Aid.  I chose purple for obvious reasons (being my favorite color and all) but also tried some pink.  I originally had the idea of twisting them both together.

I waited till they were pretty much dried (I get so impatient so they weren't perfectly dry) then began to spin.  First I tried the two together but realized it was too frustrating.  I really should learn how to spin before I attempt more advanced techniques but yes, I am very stubborn and a big know-it-all show off idiot that only gets frustrated after I fail.  So I calmed myself, and just went for the basic spin with one color, purple.  As you see above, I had a little ball done.  There were many times that I had great momentum but then lost it on simple little things like the draft falling off certain parts of the machine.  I had some pit falls, but nothing catastrophic. I managed to make pretty decent yarn.

Ok the pics are rather blurry (sorry) but after I was done I wanted to crochet something up.  I started a hat but didn't have enough yarn to finish.  As you can see, some parts are very thing and other pretty chunky.  While most handspin creations have that imperfect beauty, which really is a nice inspiration from what I learned from my boyfriend from the Japanese view of wabi sabi. I do want to learn how to perfect the art of spinning, making it more even.  Then I will advance my studies into the technique I originally wanted to try with two drafts of yarn with two colors and making one unified yarn.  I will pace myself (of course having the time to attempt this would be nice but alas I will try my hardest to make room for this.)  I eventually want to be good enough to sell mine and use mine in my own shop.  Then I can truly live up to my Etsy standards of quality yarns (though I really am a yarn snob.)

And my half-ass hat smells like purple so I like it even more.

Wabi Sabi!

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