Wow wow wow. I have so many things to write and so little time to do it. The babies are overdue to wake up from thier nap so this will be a flash post.
Remember last Friday's sunflowers? The package called them Evening Sun. I knew there should be some slight variations to the coloring by the picture on the package but I didn't expect to see this!
The colors of this sunflower make me think of my SPICE colorway - a great combination of natural spicy colors. I dyed a skein of SPICE sock yarn for a special order earlier this week and soon will be dyeing six more skeins in worsted weight for a special order - the buyer is planning to make a sweater with it! I just can't wait to see how that turns out! This slow re-entry to yarn dyeing is making me anxious to get more yarn ordered and work on some new colorways that are swimming around in my head.
Last night I finished reading Spinning in the Old Way around 9:30 pm. I went to the kitchen to retrieve the new spindle and wool then I sat down - picked it all up - and spun. It was that simple. Like wow- an extension of my body or something. I had imagined, all through reading the book, how my posture would be, what I imagined would feel comfortable, etc. While reading the book I occasionally picked up a bit of fiber and felt the texture and pulled it in different ways imagining how it might feel to be drafting it out to spin. I used the "supported" method described in the book, which Margene called "parking" your spindle. After a while I was comfortable with the "suspended" method of giving the spindle a good twirl and then letting it hang down as I carefully controlled the spin and draft. This would be better if I was standing (or sitting on a tall stool) because it goes pretty fast and the spindle is nearly down to the floor before you know it.
After spinning for about two hours last night I put the spindle and wool down and picked the book back up. The entire time I worked with the spindle and wool I never glanced at the book - I just did what seemed to work for me. I checked through the "spinning technique" section of the book and said "wow - I'm doing it right!" My greatest worry was that I was winding the spun wool onto the spindle in the wrong direction.
This morning I got up and while Emeline and Lila were busy with Elmo on Sesame Street I couldn't resist the wool. The colored wool. That I dyed the other day.... remember that? I pulled it apart into a very thin strip and combined it with undyed fiber so it would last longer - I didn't dye very much. It soon became this...
The more I do this the more comfortable with it I get.... but I've only begun. When I run out of wool or when this spindle gets full... or when I just can't take the suspense any longer... I will have to get the book back out and figure out how to ply the yarn. All I know so far is that I can twirl this thing and make the yarn twist - and I can roll it onto the shaft of the spindle. Beyond that, who knows. At this point I still don't know if I'm really doing it *right*. I have taken a long piece and let it ply back upon itself. That's nice. But is it *right*? We'll find out. I will learn more as I go but for now I've got the basics under control and the rest is just perfecting the basics - like whether I need more or less twist. That's the big thing now.
Isn't it weird? I'm so glad that the "big thing now" is whether I'm over or under twisting the yarn I'm spinning. Other "big things" will surface soon enough. In the mean time I'm hooked on spinning. But I can't let my knitting languish - I have knitting goals. And I also want to get back to my yarn dyeing. This is good.
In the past I've enjoyed SO many different types of needlework. I like to quilt. I like to crochet. I like to do Hardanger work. And cross stitch on linen. And embroider. I like to sew. And that's just needlework - I love to do a lot of other things too. But within the past year (less than a year actually) I've branched out the fiber interests from knitting to yarn dyeing to spinning - hopefully I'll continue to spin and enjoy it. The wheels are turning for me - I can definitely see adding rovings to my shop for dyeing. And I look forward to experimenting with silk caps and silk hankies for dyeing and would like to have those in my shop too. Oh the possibilities.
So after the bit of colored wool was mixed with undyed wool and I spun that bit, I sort of forgot about adding the undyed wool into my drafting fiber and it became this....
Gotta run. The babies are awake and need lunch. Have a great day! :)
The sunflower is just amazing! And your first spinning puts mine to shame. I have been at it for a little while now (several months on and mostly off) and I still have to park. I'll have to pick up that book next chance I get. Happy spinning!
Posted by: Vicki | August 10, 2006 at 01:39 PM
Wow! You did much better with your first try at a spindle than I did! That looks absolutley wonderful. Now, where are you planning on keeping the wool stash? You better figure it out now, because I guarantee a fiber stash is in your future, LOL.
Posted by: JanG | August 10, 2006 at 01:52 PM
ohhhh now that sunflower is awesome! That crimson red is soo unusual, I didn't realize they came in different colours.
Look at you go with the spinning, your a natural girl!
Posted by: Kelly | August 10, 2006 at 02:15 PM
I echo that "wow". I bought a drop spindle and tried and tried to spin, without luck. It definitely did not feel like an extension of my body.......
Beautiful sunflower!!!
Posted by: christine | August 10, 2006 at 02:23 PM
Wow...that's beautiful! I can't believe you're a beginner!
Posted by: Imbrium | August 10, 2006 at 02:41 PM
That is so awesome. I ordered that book, and I just got some roving, a spindle, and another book today.
Beautiful sunflower.
Posted by: Vera | August 10, 2006 at 05:27 PM
your spinning is wonderful.
Posted by: judy | August 10, 2006 at 06:06 PM
Amazing! You're magic with fibers, obviously. :)
Posted by: Laura | August 10, 2006 at 06:19 PM
Looks good! I don't think most people have that kind of success the first time out. This could very well be your "calling" in the fiber world. Have fun!
Posted by: wool winder | August 10, 2006 at 07:00 PM
You are a natural! It is truly in your blood, your dna, your fingertips. In no time you'll be making the most beautiful yarn. If the fiber doesn't fall apart it's spun well. You really can't overtwist it as it unwinds when you ply. I use the center pull ball method to ply as it is very easy. There are many others described in the book and I want to learn them all.
Posted by: margene | August 10, 2006 at 07:04 PM
That sunflower is GORGEOUS! And your photo really captures the colors and textures nicely. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.
Posted by: Dave Daniels | August 10, 2006 at 07:57 PM
OMG, that sunflower is just amazing!! Love it!!
And your spinning is lovely. I really like the pink and natural together!
Posted by: Leah | August 10, 2006 at 08:17 PM
Yay, my spice is coming home soon! Your handspun looks like cotton candy, and it's making me want some.
Posted by: Kyra | August 10, 2006 at 09:20 PM
That sunflower is STUNNING. How much can I pay you for a couple of those seeds when they mature? I'm serious.
Posted by: Norma | August 10, 2006 at 09:55 PM
i love sunflowers and that one is just gorgeous. i'm trying to grow my own but the flowers haven't come up yet.
and yoru spinning is so pretty.
Posted by: maryse | August 11, 2006 at 06:32 AM
Simply beautiful :) You definitely are gifted when it comes to fiber arts. I didn't realize you quilted as well. Do you participate in the Central Kansas Quilt Shop Hop? Three quilting friends and I have gone every year since it started - I think this will be the eighth year coming up.
Posted by: Penny | August 11, 2006 at 09:06 AM