Did I forget to mention that I bought a spinning wheel? While I was at Rhinebeck 2012? Did I forget to mention that I made it to knitters' mecca last year?
this passes for "normal" at NY Sheep and Wool
Well, in case I happened to forget, I went to Rhinebeck and had a friggin' blast. I stayed in a mansion with 12 lovely ladies, met some Internet friends, bought stuff, took a train, and spent a few hours in the city that never sleeps. And I bought a spinning wheel, the stereotypical thing to do in Rhinebeck.
applause! applause!
I only really received the wheel at Christmas because it was a gift from my parents. It's an Ashford Kiwi 2 (unfinished) so I put three coats of Danish wood oil on it before assembling it with my handy brother. As soon as it was in one piece, I sat down, put my feet on the treadles and starting spinning. It's amazing how much easier it is to spin on a proper spinning wheel when one has been spinning on a drop spindle all summer.
Speaking of the summer, I'm an interpreter at Le Village historique acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse. I spend my days in a house that was built in 1832, cook and bake on a wood stove, knit, spin, quilt, garden and talk to tourists. It's obviously the best job ever. Someone gave the Village some wool for spinning, but we don't have a working spinning wheel on site (and I'm the only staff member who spins), so I brought it home to tinker with. Instead of breaking out my good fibre right away, I decided to start spinning with some of the freebie wool from le Village. And here is the result.
It's unknown natural/undyed wool, spun to a two ply fingering or sport weight. 480 yards and 178 grams. I'm hoping to dye it at the Village this summer with some onion skins.
I wasn't 100 per cent sure how to use the built in lazy kate on my Kiwi 2. The first time I tried, my singles got royally fouled up in the treadle yoke (it was a nightmare to unfoul. trust me.). That's when I decided to wrap the singles around my thighs and up into my hands to ply the yarn. It worked well.
I have a small (it's actually minute) stash of fibre that I cannot wait to get spinning, but apparently I can't shut myself in my office/craft room while my kid fends for himself all day. Who knew?
|