Notes from Windward: #55
Handspinning wool
I find spinning very relaxing. I think it has something to do
with how each hand has different tasks requiring different
movements. In any case, spinning seems to clear my mind of
clutter--almost like meditating.
The Louet S15 is a basic wheel
designed for spinning medium to bulky yarn. I've been spinning
between 23-26 yards per ounce with our medium-grade fleeces, but
our fine-grade fleeces are more suited to finer yarn. I've
recently added a high-speed flyer and bobbins to the wheel in
order to take advantage of our champion, fine-grade fleeces.
I plyed (spinning two single strands together) some yarn into
skeins and entered them at the Fair. There are some very
experienced spinners in the area, and several fiber art groups.
I met several spinners in my Master Knitters course from WSU, and
they were kind enough to teach me the basic skills. I didn't
expect to take home any ribbons, and was quite surprised to
receive both a first and second place award.
I'm interested in
selling my handspun yarn, and will spend the winter spinning and
researching the marketplace. This is the kind of craft work that
is so well suited to living in the country, and especially at
Windward. I didn't have to invest in sheep--they were already
here just waiting for someone to take an interest. We're looking into breeding programs and possibly adding some
Rambouillet to our already excellent blood lines.
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