Drop Spindle Spinning

Have you ever been mesmerized by the vast knowledge

of someone and their talent?

Renee was someone I had never met & was kind enough to

teach me how to spin using drop spindle.  She showed me different 

dying products (some of which I've used on fabric:) and the

processing from a fleece to a fiber - so to speak.

She got me started with a spindle made from a couple of CDs

and a dowel and even provided me with some prepared 

fibers (both wool, but of different sorts) to get start on.

Yes, here you can see my very uneven yarn.  I was doing okay

the evening she showed me... then... I waited a few nights

before trying it again.  Aaaah- I had to re learn so the yarn

went from really chunky to pretty fine as I remembered just

what I was doing. 

 The white is really long fibers and the 'old man green' as I like

to call it is regular ol' wool.  In addition to showing me all

of these fun things, she introduced me to her spindle collection.

Oh, some of them were just beautiful.  A Turkish one that

came apart so your wool was in a ball when you were done, and

one with an ebony spindle and a wooden (can't remember what type)

of whorl.  I just love the terms as well.  They sound like words

from a faerie tale.

Anyways~ I had these clay discs that I got in a box of "stuff"

at an estate sale.  I hung onto them because they were

kinda interesting.  I thought, "I'll find something to do with them."

Well, I did.

The first I left the dowel plain, the second cherry stain, third oak, 

and last walnut.  I thought I might as well play with stain too.  

I love how they turned out.  

I haven't used them yet - I won't tell you how long

it took me to do what is on the spindle in the picture above :)

But, I am looking forward to using them.  I love the

long wool that I have started with - will have to find out

what it is.  I'm curious to see how I do with the green.

Don't you love learning 'how to' things.

I would eventually like to learn how to use a spinning wheel, 

but right now, it would be a waste of fiber.  I need to get

better at drafting (pulling the fibers to feed them into the yarn)

More words - love it!  A whole new world to me.

Again, thank you Renee. 

Until next time,

Even Stitches and Nimble Fingers