The fiber has been weighed, prepped, dyed, dried, and now at last it is time for Spinning, Spinning, Spinning!!!
Let’s start off with my absolute all time favorite picture of me spinning…… What could be better than Spinning, watching football, with a glass of homemade Mead, and a nice warm fire?!?!?!
This was my monthly shipment of 14 pounds of Crown Mountain Farms fiber. Remember way back when CMF first started selling their handspun Sock Hop Yarn? That was me spinning up about 60 skeins of the stuff every month. I did this for a few years along with creating singles for Tanglewood Fiber Creations, and spinning my own line of yarns. When I decided to focus on my own yarns and retired from CMF spinning it did give me a little ego boost when it took several spinners to replace me:)
Now days the picture of me spinning looks a little different. Treadling away 8-18 hours a day for years took it’s toll on my body. The tendons that connect my foot to ankle have so many tears and scars that even 5 minutes of treadling is impossible for me. Months in braces and other contraptions couldn’t get my legs back to treadling , I thought I was going to have to give up my favorite activity and walking……….
BUT this is me spinning now!
I now use Miss Mini for all my work. I tried several electric spinners, burned up lots of them, hated others, then at last I found Hansen Craft Mini Spinner ! I will do a complete review on the mini spinner in a future post, but for now go check them out!
I have a few videos on youtube and hope to make some more soon. I do 90% of my spinning by spinning across the top. It saves me from having to split fiber or do any pre drafting. These two videos are examples of spinning across the top. Spinning across the top Baa Baa Huey and Spinning across the top Bunny Patch .
To say that I Love Spinning is an understatement. From the first minute of my first lesson 18 + years ago I knew that this is what I was destined to do. The drive and need to spin has not diminished over the years, only grown stronger. Now I just need to work on making a living at it!
My next fiber show Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, is coming up soon. I am busy with the dye pots, and putting the final touches on the New Hue & Newhouse “Just Add Knitter” kits. I hope to have some pictures of the completed kits in the next posting when I chat about plying.
until then,
Happy Spinning and Knitting!
Cheryl <^..^>