Thursday, January 31

slowly spinning

Some of you might have wondered whatever happened to my spinning wheel and all that roving I received for Christmas. Well, I've been working on it. But it's slow going.

After receiving the roving and book, I read a little and then just set to it. Somehow I don't feel like this spinning thing is that hard, but what I'm creating isn't high art, either.

A month later, I want to ply my singles. (Translation: I want to twist what I've spun, so there are two pieces instead of one. This will make it stronger and thicker.) In order to do this, I need to have an equal amount of spun yarn on two bobbins, which I will then spin together into one yarn. One bobbin is rather fat with wool, but the second one needs more and since I ran out of yellow superwash I've grafted on some of the merino top that Christopher gave me. It doesn't really match, but I don't care. At this point I am just learning how to spin, and the merino is fairly easy. The color combination also reminds me of Harry Potter, so maybe it will be fine. I'm also missing what is called a Lazy Kate, which would make plying easier. A Lazy Kate attaches to the wheel and holds the bobbins with my singles while I'm plying them onto the bobbin that's on the wheel. It keeps the singles from tangling. (Does it feel like I'm speaking a foreign language? I certainly feel like I am.) Anyway, I'm missing one of them, and I could probably rig something up, but I'm slightly unsure of what I'm doing and so I haven't.

I can do it! I can do it! (Right?)

2 comments:

JenniferB said...

YES. you can. Listen, I just about gave up trying to do applied i-cord today but I finally got it. So yes, I think you can.

Anonymous said...

yes!

This is all a mystery to me. I am in awe.

And...! there are some new parts in the mail that your father - helpful old elf himself - made in his woodworking shop. I don't know what they are called!

your mom