Tue 16 Oct 2007
At least when it comes to knitting, that is. I currently have 3 pairs of socks, 3 sweaters, 1 regular scarf, and 1 lace scarf on the needles. Several of these are near completion. One sweater only needs 15 more rows of garter stitch sleeve. Yet, what have I been sitting here doing all morning? Yup. Looking for a new project. I tried to defend this compulsion to myself by saying “but I just need something simple and mindless to work on at SnB!”, but uh. That doesn’t really hold up, even when I am rationalising to myself. A garter stitch sleeve! A sweater back that is nothing but stockinette for another 13 inches! Stockinette in the round for 4 inches, then 2 inches of 2×2 ribbing. Self, it really doesn’t get more mindless than that. Head, please introduce yourself to the desk, repeat until this fact sinks in. Sigh.
I think part of the problem is the fact that I want new yarn, but Chris whines every time I buy new yarn without using something I have stashed first. So then I go dig through my stash, find a single ball of insert whatever yumminess you like, then head to Ravelry to see what I can do with it. And then, of course, I get sucked into the black hole of pattern browsing, forum reading, and queue building. Which, btw, I think I have cast on ONE single thing from my queue. It’s an endless cycle, I swear.
And I haven’t even bought yarn for Christmas presents yet. Yes, I am aware that I am going to be knitting 24/7 in order to get presents sent out on time. No, this fact has not yet motivated me to get off my butt and get the yarn ordered. I have more issues than just commitment, I know.
On the not sucky, awesome but scary, and uh, how did I get myself into this side of things, I’ve been asked to teach a drop spindle workshop at our library. Uhm. This is my own fault really. I was talking to the director about knitting and that somehow turned into spinning. I mentioned that I spin. I did not mention that I am a mediocre spinner that doesn’t have the first clue how to teach someone else. I think I thought (kinda hoped) she might forget about it. However, she did not. In fact, there was a Learn to Knit workshop at the library last weekend, which my knitting group attended in order to recruit more people, and she pretty much called me out and told everyone I was a spinner and that I would be teaching a workshop. To make matters worse, I had to pick that day of all days to be knitting a hat out of my handspun, which, to someone just starting out, looks pretty impressive. So. Looks like I am stuck, and holycrapwhatdoIdonow. Seriously. I am not a teacher. I don’t spin properly, I just do it and am generally happy with the result. I mean, it would be awesome to get more people interested in the craft, i’m all for that. But does the world really need a bunch of newbie spinners taught by someone that can’t even draft properly? I still park and draft for Pete’s sake. And what do I teach them to spin with? CD spindles? How much fiber for each person? What kind of fiber? Too much pressure, brain is going to explode now.
Enough whining! Ok, on the completely awesome side of things, I will soon be an official indie dyer. I’ve done a lot of math (blech!) and a lot of plotting, and Chris is convinced. I’m going to start small…small investment, minimal amount of stock, just to make sure I like doing it full-time, and obviously seeing if my stuff will even sell. I’m still ironing out details, but by the first of the year, possibly sooner, I will finally be selling some yarn. Mostly sock and sport, since that seems to be what everyone wants, but i’m also planning some worsted to sell at the local Christmas festivals. I’m ridiculously excited.
Oh dear. I think i’ve blathered on enough. I have more I could ramble about…FOs and dyeing, but i’ll save all that for another post on a sunnier day, so I can add some pictures.











October 18th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Ok, take a deep breath, that’s good
They are beginners, you will not need anything too difficult. Do not be bullied, don’t try to teach more than a small group in one go. It really doesn’t work.
1. CD bottom whorl drop spindles, (bottom whorl is easiest for beginners) plus a cushion for the spindle to fall on. It will happen.
2. Bluefaced Leicester is a forgiving beginners wool. Buy approx 1 oz per person. That will give them enough to play with. Buy processed top or sliver, not fleece. BFL is longwool, so get them to gently pull the top lengthways, a little at at time. Return to the beginning of the top, and keep repeating until they get a pencil thin roving.
3. Use a piece of handspun yarn to make a leader for each spindle. Then get each person to stand/sit over a cushion and spin the spindle, until comfortable. Just spin in the reverse direction when the yarn gets too twisted.
4. Show how you connect your wispy end of roving to the handspun leader. Get them to practise with a small amount of roving, say pencil length. Make sure they leave the end of roving wispy for their next join. This part may well last until the end of the session to much merriment, and at least one broken spindle.
5. Get them to spin another pencil length piece of roving. Show them how to wind the yarn onto the spindle. Continue with longer but still manageable lengths of roving (say 2 pencil lengths), no yarn serpent around the arms though.
6. The end. Send them forth to practise, you can offer to show plying at a later date when they have yarn worth plying. It normally takes a beginner approx 5 spindles full to start producing good yarn.
I hope that helps!
Blessed be.