My Interest in Spinning

With the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival quickly approaching I thought I'd tell a little bit about my interest in spinning. I first became interested in spinning when I took a class in college in Ancient Roman Technology and did a report on spinning and dyeing. I always meant to try my hand at actually spinning at that point, but for some reason I never did. Probably too much schoolwork and there wasn't quite as much information about modern spinning out there then. I was crocheting a bit at the time, but I had not knit in a while. Crocheting for too long made my hand hurt, so I quit crocheting and cross-stitched for a while, occasionally crocheting something. A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to knit a poncho. So I went to the local yarn store to find a pattern. I bought several magazines, yarn, and needles. I relearned to knit and found that continental was more comfortable after crocheting for so long. I never did knit a poncho, but I knit two sweaters for my girls, scarves, socks, and of course, I found lace.

Then last year about this time I heard about the Sheep and Wool Festival for the first time. I knew I wanted to learn to spin. Someone recommended Golding spindles to me as being the best, so I went with the specific intention of buying a Golding spindle and some fiber. I came away with a Golding spindle, some fiber and a five-minute lesson from a friend of a friend. After a few minutes, it felt very natural and I believe if past lives do exist, then I was a spinner in one or two of mine. I then decided I needed a wheel. Never having spun on a wheel, I bought one and was not disappointed. It also clicked with me.

I own one spindle (though that probably will change with the S&W), and it has been sadly neglected since I got the wheel. With my wheel, I've gotten in the habit of wanting to finish whatever I'm spinning. I still enjoy it, but I might have lost a bit of the process enjoyment. So, influenced by a friend at the weekly Sit 'N' Knit, I picked my poor neglected spindle back up with some BFL last night and just enjoyed the process.

My knitting has not been neglected. I have finished the Mystery Project and will show a picture when it reaches its new owner, probably sometime this week. I have also finished the fronts of my Bella cardigan. (Have you seen one of her new designs, the Krista Tee? Cute.) I'm now working on the sleeves, hopefully to be finished sometime this week.