I Made Yarn!

I have wanted to learn to spin almost since I first learned to knit. It was an idea I toyed with for several years. I'm not entirely sure when I got serious about it. Perhaps it was when I saw the book "Respect the Spindle." That book planted the idea in my brain that I might be able to learn to spin without investing a small fortune in a spinning wheel. I could get a spindle, some fiber, and a book or a lesson, and for under $100, I could give it a try.

Still, it took the right atmosphere for me to take the plunge. A weekend knitting retreat with my favorite fiber fanatics, a trip with a feel that combined adventure and indulgence, set the mood I needed. When we found a yarn shop that specialized in spinning supplies, it seemed like a sign. I bought the supplies and the book. The shop owner gave me my first brief lesson in spinning, and I ran with it.

Like any newly acquired skill, spinning felt awkward at first. I wasn't sure how to get the spindle spinning and keep it moving. I didn't know what to do with my hands and the fiber. I kept at it, figuring that, like knitting, my body would figure it out eventually. My first spun single is not consistent in diameter. It has some "slubs" in it. It took me darned near 3 months to spin in. The second one is much more consistent and didn't take quite so long. Still, I wasn't exactly impressed with my skill. Neither of these singles looked like something I would want to knit.

Then, I plied the two singles together, and it was like magic or a chemical reaction: I got a product that was completely different from the input. I got a yarn that actually looks pretty nice, feels pretty strong, and that I am excited about dyeing and knitting up!

Two more miracles and I can apply for sainthood.