Spindles

When I first had a try at spinning years ago (I lost count - is it 5 years already?) I bought an inexpensive Ashford spindle for about $12. I had gone to the NH Sheep and Wool in search of some yarn and found myself wanting to learn how to spin. I had nobody to teach me and I just kept at it for a while. And got extremely frustrated. I didn't pick it up again for another 6 months. At that point I had found some people online who connected me with a spinning group in my area and went to a spin in. I saw all the wheels and I was hooked. I came home and told hubby I wanted a wheel. Now this was 3 weeks before Christmas so I was hoping he hadn't bought me anything yet! The rest is history, but I did come back to my spindle and wanted to be able to make some nice consitent yarn with it. I heard from alot of people that the trick to spindle spinning is in the spindle. The better the spindle, the more it will turn and therefore, easier to use. I bought my Golding at Rhinebeck in 2008 and haven't used another spindle since.


I spent some of Sunday spinning some Shetland I had gotten a few years back at Adams Family Farm in VT. It is another nice soft yarn and is a pleasure to spin on my spindle. I am strange - spinning to me is a way to relax, as I sure it is for alot of people, but I won't sit down to my wheel to spin unless I have completed what I need for the day around the house. I just can't spin with chaos around me. Weird? I can, however, take my hand spindle and spin for a bit and get very relaxed. It takes the stress away.

Speaking of chaos - how do you like that mess in my back yard? That was what was left of my gazebo after last weekend's windstorm. The good news is that hubby can fix it so I will have it back next year. One of the pitfalls of living on the bay is the fierce wind gusts we get. I always say that it's a good thing we have a great water view because I can't hang anything else outside to make it look pretty!