Spinning Standstill

Has anyone else ever reached an utter and complete standstill in creativity? I have several ounces of hand carded rolags ready for spinning but just can't seem to get any spinning done. The Christmas cards are another story...................................

First Snow

I guess winter is really, truly here. Along with the snow, we are enjoying a temperature of 18 degrees.

Yarn Winding and DIY Niddy Noddy

My first niddy noddy still gets use. It is a great little travel niddy at one yard and it collapses. I bought it a long time ago when I was trying to spin yarn on a spindle. This one came from Ebay, is hand turned and cost about $7.00 (Sorry, I looked but don't see the fellow that made it on Ebay anymore). Once I got a wheel (Mr. Kiwi), I really needed a two yard niddy. There wasn't extra money in the budget so I looked around for a DIY solution and found plans for one made of PVC. Here are the plans that I used: @ http://barefootmommy.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-make-pvc-niddy-noddy.html.


 A nice man at Home Depot cut the pipe into pieces for me and I had the whole thing put together in about two shakes of a lamb's tail. It cost under $2.00.  I have read of people drying their yarn on these as, of course, they are water proof. This one breaks down too but is a little large for travel.  I still use this one too, usually if I have just a few short yards to wind off.

Ultimately (and due to a separated shoulder) I decided that I really needed a yarn winder. A freestanding winder seemed the best solution and the only commercial one that  I really liked is made by Ashford: http://www.ashford.co.nz/newsite/spinning-accessories/32/spinning/kiwi-skein-holder/moredetail.html . This one costs about $100.00.

Well, we love old stuff and I'd seen yarn winders around so I started searching for an antique that worked. I finally found one.  It had seen some hard times.....one leg is a little short and the wood was so very dry. I'd date it around the mid to late 18th century.

The weasel almost works.  When the winder was fully functional, there was a notched mechanism that moved one notch with each full rotation of the winder. When all the notches had passed, the weasel popped  marking a set number of full rotations and thus, the total  yardage that had wound on. What a labor saver this thing is! I just move my spinning chair in front of it, put the lazy kate beside it and wind. I don't find it hard to count and it winds off super quick.  I found mine on Craigslist for under $100.00. The really refined looking ones are a few hundred. They do take up some real estate but I think they are cool looking and mine goes with the other old stuff in our old house.

This Weekend

Leaves. Oh man, the old oak tree in our backyard dropped more this year than ever (it seemed, anyhow). Husband was at home Friday so he blew the leaves into a big pile and then we toted  them out to the street.

Here's a picture. We won!  We had more leaves than anybody else on the street. 



On Saturday, we took off on a drive to find stuff (stuff is anything from a cute town to a great view to a bunch of sheep to, well just about anything). We decided to head up to Vermont.  The first fun thing:

In Weathersfield,  VT we found this historical marker in front of an antique farmhouse.  It marks the home of William Jarvis who imported the first Merino sheep into the United States in 1811.  Here's a link for a little more information:  

http://freedomandunity.org/1800s/jarvis.html

On our way we spotted some goats and, of course I had to go visit.  It's hard to see but the fence behind the goats had hundreds of pheasants enclosed.

We drove through the beautiful campus of Dartmouth in Hanover, NH, stopped for a quick lunch and headed home. On the way back, we stopped at Alyson's Orchard which has to be the biggest orchard I've ever seen. It is way up on a hill and the views.............

We bought a homemade chicken pot pie (which was wonderful) and some Macoun apples, which are delicious.  http://www.localharvest.org/alysons-orchard-M27167



On Sunday, we went back to Moore State Park to walk another path that we didn't have time to walk last weekend:

Yarn Craft

So, if you don't knit or crochet, or even if you do, here are a few ideas to use yarn in some easy projects. Most, if not all of these projects are kid friendly and great fun on a rainy day. These ideas will also show off a small hank of handspun art yarn. Enjoy!

1. Buy several styrofoam balls from a craft store and wrap the yarn around them. Display in a bowl, large glass vase or attach Christmas tree hooks to them and use them as ornaments. (secure the yarn with glue or pins).

2. Wrap a vessel in yarn and display. Anything from tin cans to glass vases to clay pots will work; start at the bottom, tape the yarn (or glue it) and wrap. Finish at the top with a dab of white glue.

3. Substitute yarn for of ribbon to wrap gifts. Hopefully, it will get re-cycled.

4. Use yarn for your scrapbook projects; outline photos, etc. for a pretty effect.

5. Make a bowl with yarn. Rosie O'Donnell made one of these on a television show several years ago as a children's craft project.

  Inflate a balloon to a size you like;

  Place the balloon in a bowl (knot side down);

  Cut yarn into 6-12 inch pieces and soak them in a bowl of white glue;

  Place yarn in random, overlapping layers until you are pleased with the effect and then, wait.......it takes some time to dry;

Pop the balloon, remove it and voila! A bowl. (You can make a "glue" from flour and water...there are lots of recipes on the internet.)

6. Glue yarn around an inexpensive frame or mirror.

7. Tie some yarn into little bows and glue to plain note cards or invitations.

8. Use as a necklace for a special pendant.

9. Glue or sew yarn to a pillow in shapes, borders, etc. with fabric glue (white glue will work but is less flexible).

10.. Braid some yarn or just use some lengths and make some fun hair accessories; a bobby pin will easily hold the braid in place.

11. Wrap some yarn around wire hangers; good way to recycle those hangers and so much easier on clothes! The yarn can also be crocheted around the hanger.

12. Make a sachet; wind some yarn into a ball and add lavender oil (or cedar, cinnamon, or, well anything).

13. Frame it! Draw an outline of something fun,  glue yarn along the outline. Then, work towards the center with rows or circles of yarn.  

14. Glue yarn to plain curtain tie backs or curtains or pillows (just follow the hem for a nice straight line) with fabric glue.

Learning to Spin

After I retired, I mentioned wanting to learn to spin to Aunt Polly. Well, low and behold, she had taken up spinning! So, my first resource...... Aunt Polly lives 1000 miles away so I was pretty well on my own except for phone and picture consults with her.

So, can you learn to spin on your own? Sure, I did it. Below, are links to some of the sites with information that helped me.

1. "The Joy of Handspinning" is the first site that I visited. I highly recommend this site. There are loads of short and to the point videos on a host of topics.
http://joyofhandspinning.com/

2. I started with a spindle and there is a You Tube video by the wonderful @Abby Franquemont: "Introduction to Spinning" . Here is a link to part one and do watch all of her videos; good stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPUORvO-GZE

3. New Voyager Trading is a distibutor for Kromski and their website has a number of articles and videos about spinning: http://newvoyager.com/

4 " Spinning Daily" (http://www.spinningdaily.com/). I subscribe to this site and they have load of free pamphlets to download. Good stuff.

5. "Knitty" is another website that has good information. It is an emag and along with knitting, they have articles on spinning.

6. I looked at every single spinning manufacturer's website. Most of them have some spinning instructions and/or trouble shooting guides.

7. Dharma Trading Co (http://www.dharmatrading.com/) has some great information about dyeing wool.

8. "Spin Off" magazine is a subscription but worth getting at least a single issue. Back issues are available through Interweave Press or Spin Off.  (they and "Spinning Daily" are all part of Interweave Press, publishers of all kinds of craft magazines and etc.)

9. A general search on You Tube for spinning videos. I watched as many as I could find.

10. Ditto for a a general internet search.

11. Ravelry.  Join up! I didn't know about this site until a  couple of years ago. There are a number of spinner's groups and lots of people on line willing to help with issues right on the spot.

This list is by no means all inclusive and since I started spinning, more sites and articles are out there.  I couldn't really afford any books when I started so the internet was a boon. If possible, I do think a group or individual lesson is a very good thing (I had my very first lesson a couple of months ago).  You will hear a lot of differing opinions out there. My advice? Listen well and select what works best for you....spinning is supposed to be fun.

The Spinning Lesson

My first real spinning student! Okay, I'll admit I'm a little nervous about this teaching thing. Perhaps I'm being silly; I've taught all kinds of people all kinds of things during my many, many  years as a Registered Nurse (I'm retired now). So, what is it about spinning? For me,  I think it is the problem of trying to put sensations into words. I read somewhere that in order to draft fiber,  you need to hold the fiber as you would a fragile baby bird. That's an excellent analogy; I understood that when I read it.  But, how do I explain that little feeling, the timing, the perfection when both hands are working together to make pretty yarn?  I wonder how they teach surgical residents to make their first  incision ....just press lightly with that razor sharp scalpel?????.....  I'll admit that I tried to teach husband to spin and failed. I still don't know whether it was me or he that didn't do well but I do know that he can't spin a lick and I'm mighty glad I'm not teaching surgery

Update:

Okay, lesson over. I had fun and hope I've made a good friend. The spinning, well, I don't think she's gonna give up!!! (Kidding, I saw that "AH HA" moment and a few yards of pretty yarn make it onto that bobbin.) Will I offer lessons formally? We'll see...............