Spinning Yarn

Quite some time ago, I got a big ol' box of roving (unspun wool) from Destash! for $10. there was a ton of roving- orange, red, purple, natural, and a beautiful bluey-purpley-green bunch. Included was a very basic drop spindle, and I decided to try spinning. Well, it sucked. I could not get it. Frustrated, I shoved the whole box into my closet and left it there to marinate for a good long while. I really didn't give it another thought. Fast-forward to last week: I've been becoming increasingly jealous of the gorgeous handspun yarns I've seen all over bloglandia. The box in my closet started to call to me, "Hey, you know I'm here! All the tools you need to make some beautiful handspun of your own! C'mon..." I resisted a lot. I went in and punched the box a few times, and told it to shut up before I tossed it out. The box called my bluff, though, knowing I would never be able to bring myself to toss out perfectly good wool. The most that would ever happen is the box would be relocated to a new home, and be happily emptied of it's pretty contents. I finally gave in. I solicited some help from the ever-so wonderful Eva, and on her recommendation, picked up a book. I flipped through it, intrigued, and found some great tips for beginning to spin. Armed with new found knowledge and an idea of what I wanted, I excitedly voyaged to the Local Yarn Store. Upon arriving, I headed straight for the little nook dedicated to spinning, and started to look at the spindles. (I did hear the siren call of the already spun woolens and silks and alpacas, but I resisted. I was on A Mission.) I checked the balance of a few that caught my eye, admired the beauty of the Navajo spindles. A very helpful and friendly employee helped me make a decision, and talked to me a lot about the process. I finally decided on a beautiful low-whorl, perfect for drop or supported spinning, and able to handle lots of fibers and spin a good range of yarn weights. The spindle was handmade by a woodworker in Magdalena, New Mexico, and really is a work of art: Armed with my new spindle, book, and the aforementioned box of roving, I sat down on the couch. I sighed. I read through the instructions on starting a few more times, and cautiously started. I sucked still! What the fuck?! I went out and smoked a cigarette, and could hear that stupid box laughing at me. Determined not to let the box make a fool of me, I went back in. I took a deep breath. I read the instructions some more. I started to spin. The beginning was iffy at best, but I was doing it. I was spinning! Progress was made, mistakes in technique slowly corrected, speed increased. After only a few nights, I could fill my spindle in less than an hour of spinning time. I still have a huge bag of this red roving to work through, but so far I have a nice 60 gram ball of yarn. That I made. That I made. The process is a lot of fun, but still very soothing and relaxing. There will definitely be more in my future. I've already been browsing Etsy for hand-dyed roving in beautiful colors, and daydreaming about a collection of beautiful spindles and someday having the room for a spinning wheel. All in all, I'm definitely feeling the spinning love. See you tomorrow!