My Fibery Future
You might have left yesterday's post thinking about how reserved my purchases were. Just two spindles and two small balls of roving.
-ahem-
I'm far better at rationalizing the need to buy more fibe than that! I decided that a) if I was going to spin, I wanted to see what spinning different fibers was like and b) I don't regularly encounter a lot of different fibers, so it was very important to make sure that I had at least a years supply to go home with. After all, what if sheep suddenly went extinct between now and Rhinebeck?
Once you master the art of rationalization, nothing you want is too far out of your grasp.
Claudia had several words of wisdom with regards to a beginner purchasing fiber, and they guided some of my selections.
- Spin what you love. In other words, don't buy something you don't like just because you are still learning. If you don't love it, you won't want to spin it, and you won't spin. Conversely, if you do love it, you will want to spin all the time, and you might, over time, get good at it.
- Try to select longer staple fiber. That will be easier to work with when you get started, when your hands are still learning the motions and need more time to do so.
- Feel the roving or batt. Make sure that the fibers separate easily, otherwise you will be fighting the fiber. No matter how pretty it is, it's no fun to fight with your fiber while you're still learning the basic motions.
- Stay away from inelastic fibers that are likely to be difficult to work with and control and may break easily while spinning.
Keeping this in mind, I decided to create my own personal little grab-bag of goodies and fiber types to go home with. That last rule helped to keep me away from cottons and 100% silks and angora, and the second rule made me avoid anything that was strictly merino. But it was pretty much open season on anything else.
Click on the Chips to See a Close up of the Fibers
Since I'd more or less met the "long wool for practicing" requirement by hitting the Handspun by Stefania booth, I decided to let color and texture rule my remaining choices. From left to right...
1) I had purchased some of the Stone Mountain Farm (no website to link to) mohair roving for Emma last year. I was so entranced by the rich colors that I knew I wanted a little of that this year. This is likely something that I will admire for a while before I do anything with it. It seems to have a fairly reasonable staple length, but it doesn't seem to have a great attraction to itself like wool does.
2) If I were to have my colors done, the color of this batt from Spinner's Hill (no website) would without a doubt be one of mine, and pretty close to the top. This is a wool, silk blend (I think there's either alpaca or mohair in it, too, but my notes aren't as good as they should be). The batt is beautiful, light and fluffy. When I stuck my hand into it, it was clear that it was meant to be mine. I have enough (1/2 pound) so that I can try to reach my first spinning goal: a scarf out of my own hand spun. The staple is short, but not dramatically so, so it should be a project I can tackle. It has been suggested that this goal might best be met with the help of a wheel...
3) Foxhill Farms Cormo/Silk blends. The last three bags of roving are all cormo/silk (90/10). The red and purple/blue rovings is a cormo/bombyx, the blue/green roving is cormo/tussah. You only have to feel cormo wool a few times to know how wonderful it is. Cormo is closely related to Merino, and thus on the shorter staple side of things. So as I get a little more confident, this stuff will probably get to see some time on my midi-Bosworth.
Given my relatively low amount of free time right now, this fiber is likely to last me quite some time. I have a feeling that it will also get me to start thinking long and hard about getting my mom's spinning wheel back in working order. I know it's already got me digging around the internet, pulling out my old Spin Offs and thinking about distaffs, and wondering how plying works.
And who knows, I might even get to the point of having some of my own yarn.
great wool picking tips- I'm hoping to try spinning later in the year (or maybe next year) when I pick up my Grandmother's wheel from the other side of the country.
Oh for an extra 10 hours in each day to try everything I want to do...
Great tips! I am going to the UK first Woolfest in June, and want to buy a handspindle-thing and some fiber... so you have helped me focus!
Jess
Beautiful selections. I have been spinning Cormo as a new spinner (MS&W made me buy a wheel) and I love it. It seems easy to pre-draft and I can spin it without the yarn falling apart.
I have tried to spin before on a drop spindle a year or two ago, but the roving was so compact. It was like I had to fight with it to make it slide apart. I have no idea what it was, but maybe that is why I didn't stick with it the first time. :p
Considering the Keyboard Biolgist's general goal orientation, I predict yarn.
I'm with Claudia on this.Yarn will be made sooner than you think!
Such beautiful fluff to spin on your fantastic spindles.
Fab !
i got a drop spindle (from transylvania, really, no really) a few months ago and got 4 oz of really pretty mystery roving from maryland wool and sheep and was told that it would last me a while, since i had never tried spindling before, i did it all in one night, and am jonesing for more...leaving for vacation friday, so am trying to find a local place to get more, being that none can be shipped in time before i leave...sigh, your tips are good ones though, i was told to stay away from slippery or short staple as well...also, you can get a lb of white rovings and dye them with koolaid in the microwave...any interest in doing a fiber swap in the future? i love your blog!!!
That looks like a very seductive grouping of fiber. I appreciate your sharing tips from Claudia. While you have fallen off the cliff of that slippery slope of spinning, I'm still thinking about sliding down the incline. A drop spindle may be in my future. You've given me enough info to, perhaps, insure a little more success with that fledgling attempt.
Massachusetts Sheep and Wool, here I come.
As an aspiring spinner, myself, I'm closely following your spinning voyage. I wonder if you have heard of this (pluckyfluff.com) which I have just discovered on the web.
Pluckyfluff Book- HANDSPUN REVOLUTION
Handspun Revolution takes a new look at an old craft. It presents handspinning as a highly creative, artistic endeavor.
Handspun Revolution is a simply written how-to book for very unusual handspun yarns. Addressing a growing movement of cutting edge spinners, this book discusses the role of creative thinking in the craft of handspinning. This book is purpousfully spartan. Volumes have already been written on the nuts and bolts of spinning. Handspun Revolution covers only the very essential topics of spinning, and these are discussed frankly, casually and often in the format of "tips" and notes. The driving message of the book is the liberation of ones preconceived notions of what a yarn is. It tries to teach the reader to break the rules they've learned and push their own personal boundaries in spinning. 17 original, never before published techniques are covered with easy instructions and beautiful color pictures.
oh my goodness! i was going to warn you yesterday that that smidgen of fiber you got would suck you right in and you'd be hooked - but too late!!! look at all those yummy fibers! suckah. ;)
i also have an ashford traditional of the same era as your mom's, so i can help you get it working if you need. from that picture it looks like you only need 3 things: treadle connected, drive band, scotch tension band. all super easy to fix.
"Once you master the art of rationalization, nothing you want is too far out of your grasp."
That about say it all... WHEEE! Seriously, lovely fibers. Have a great time spinning.
My DH treated me to a spindle and roving kit from the Fair's sheep barn a few years back and it kept me happy for, oh, about a month, before I HAD to get a wheel (which he obligingly bought me for Xmas. Now he has to patiently stand around and keep the kids entertained while I fondle roving every year at Fair time. Beware! Spinning's addictive! I just spun up some wool yesterday. Have fun with it!