Remembering how NORMAL feels . . .

I optimistically hoped knowing HOW to spin on my Ladybug Spinning Wheel might be a little like "riding a bike" once you learn. Several years have passed since the deaths of mom & dad. During many years of eldercare, spinning was my personal form of mental therapy. She moved into their house with me. I spun constantly. Then I knitted: mittens, shawls, bags, bears - Jacobus Monkeys! Knitting everything with as much of my own handspun as I could. Partly to control the stash. Mostly because knitting with your own handspun tells you how well you're doing. Tells you if you don't like knitting with it you might need to change something.

When I finally came home for the last time my wheel was placed safely on top of a bureau. Waiting. Waiting for NORMAL to return. Waiting for as long as that took. Turns out it took a couple of years.

Knowledge has come back to my hands almost like forgotten muscle memory. But after a very long pause since touching anything spinning, there seems to be a bit of a "remembering" period - where things are a little shaky. And like riding a bike, sometimes you tip over!

The drafting triangle is still occasionally "locking up" or splitting off into a bit of a clump. (I've practiced rejoining ends way more than I really wanted!) I forgot to oil the center spindle so my wheel made more noise than I EVER would have accepted before. I was just happy to be feeding slightly over/under twisted wool onto the bobbin again. I was afraid to stop to take things apart and risk my wobbly progress.

After the 1st bobbin was full-enough, it was well past time for a good wheel-cleaning Spa Day. A glug of Murphy's Oil Soap in warm water soon became chocolate-colored. Embarrassingly, cruddy brown! After getting all the parts cleaned, oiled (properly!) and put back together, the 2nd bobbin is full-enough now for plying.

I've decided to let them rest and spin a couple more bobbins. The fleece I'm spinning with is one that I bought at the Common Ground Fair. It was washed and dried as soon as I got it. But then it waited as well. It may have more "grease" left in it than I thought when it was washed. Part of my "remembering to spin" issues may be that I'm also "remembering" to prepare fleece for spinning.

I should probably practice plying on some of the left-over bobbins that collected their share of dust as well. Fear my hands won't remember might be part of the reason for filling more bobbins first . . .

I've accepted this 1st yarn I have spun in a long time will probably not be knit into a fine shawl. But feeling like more of my NORMAL has returned is comforting for now.

Another New Year ...where was I?

Spinning and other things.

Mostly spinning!

I make pretty good yarn now :) 

Yarn I don't mind knitting with - although deciding what to knit takes ages as I seem to go round in circles deciding what would make a good match.  
Is there enough? (usually NOT!) 
Is it too thick or too thin?  
It's been thick & thin more often than not. But it's getting better.

I started AND finished a pair of socks this week in some merino I bought from Bountiful last April. They are really more like croc socks or slipper socks as I spun it last summer and was still doing 2-ply. Not sure how well they will stand up with wear. They should make nice, warm spinning socks as I don't wear shoes EVER while treadling my Ladybug.

I decided to save towards a drum carder for Christmas 2014. 
My beautiful daughters took the $400 I had built up and added the rest. It came a week before and I dutifully left it right in the box until Christmas day.
Once again I chose a piece of equipment sight unseen. I had never touched a drum carder but I decided I wanted one. Once I picked which one a family friend tried to talk us into driving several hours away to test some out. 
It's winter in Maine and driving tends to suck quite often. There were blizzard like conditions at the time and so I convinced the girls NO.  
I want what I want! 
(Free shipping, no taxes if comes from out of state AND there was a sale!)

I LOVE IT!  
I've spun 3 new skeins in 2015 already. 
Two of them I processed through my new Ashford Drum Carder!

I was afraid it was beginner's luck or a fluke that my first test run through the carder was spinning so nicely. The next batch is spinning nicely as well. 

I  had grabbed some dyed purple locks from One Lupine and after finger picking and putting through the carder it was like spinning cotton candy!  I told Tom I wanted 4 purple sheep in whatever breed it was. Turned out to be Romney. I didn't to ask at the time I bought it but a quick email solved the mystery.  

Tom gifted me with 2 big bags of washed fleece also from One Lupine. All he remembered was that it was washed once and came from a farm in Lagrange. I bought my first half fleece at the Common Ground Fair in September 2014 ... also from Lagrange.  Turns out the lady farmers are next door neighbors. I WANT TO BE THEIR FRIEND. Or volunteer apprentice :)

I also discovered NEEDLE FELTING a couple of months ago! Lots of snowmen were made, complete with knitted scarf and hats.    
And the frog from Woolbuddies.  I borrowed the book from the library and decided it was a keeper. Sara gave it to me for Christmas!

I have made a few New Year Goals including reviving my African Violets (down to 2 trays) and blogging occasionally. PLUS Finishing more of the things I've started. 
More to come...  Happy New Year!

So, where was I . . . ?

Catching up with myself!

(There's been spinning... eventually.)

During the winter of 2013 the great Fox Project was begun. Fox Mittens were knit madly, in time for the holiday shopping rush. Every order that could be filled in time for Christmas gift-giving would be knit. 


There were many pairs sold, as well as the pattern on Ravelry! 

It paid for my new spinning wheel, and then some, for which I'm so happily grateful.  

I was also exhausted by the time this big box arrived. Plus, there were still mittens to be sent before learning to spin could begin.

And then something most unexpected, and a bit frightening, happened in January and part of February.  There was a bit of a delay before I pronounced myself ready to learn to use my wonderful new spinning wheel.  Exhaustion from not sleeping well and worry over several older relatives, combined with holiday blues and the never ending winter left me as close to a nervous breakdown as I ever want to get. It didn't help that I gave up caffeine and was experiencing withdrawal symptoms I didn't even recognize for several days. I actually went to the internet to see if it was a "real" thing. It was suggested symptoms could last a week or two. I couldn't see straight half the time and went so far as handing over the car keys and refusing to drive or be responsible for anyone's care besides Tom and myself.

(And the dog!)  We did a lot of snowshoeing, although half the time my surroundings were a blur as I focused on one step at a time. My spinning wheel sat on a desktop, safely out of harms way until I was ready. I watched lots of online video for beginners and went to the library fiber festival February 22nd just so I could stand behind a lady spinning to watch what her hands were doing. It was helpful. Drafting is a bit of a mystery until it finally clicks and just starts happening.  That was the morning I officially began teaching myself.  I got off to a bit of a shaky start, but always kept it in my mind learning how to spin could take as long as it took.  Even as I muttered laughingly to myself several times "I might really suck at this!" I never believed I would not figure it out.  Happily, I am now making "yarn"!

Okay... the first couple of skeins were more like rope! 
This was my first 2-plied carded Romney from the Woolery, spun quite thick in some places; too thin in others.  I made myself knit with it, using the thickest skeins as the bottom layer of soles for my favorite felted slippers. My arms ached from knitting with it, but it might have been a good lesson: I needed to spin thinner and more consistently so knitting would not hurt!  The slippers are finished - using all my own hand-spun! They still need to be washed to see how well they felt.