learning by doing.

For a while there, I thought that if I just imagined that I was a good spinner, then I would become one. Finally I came to my senses and started practicing. I made this:

into this:

which today became this:

The wool came from Adrian at Hello Yarn (yes, I am in love with her and all her stupid good colors). It came to me as 4 ounces of Blue Faced Leicester wool top, color ‘Girlish’. Then I spun it up – technical terms still lacking – plied it, then knit it. I could not wait another minute to see what it would look like knitted up.

The pattern is EZ’s Ganomy from Knitter’s Almanac. I used my math skills and some guess work to size it down to fit Maggie. I did not take notes. The major modification I made was to add a third line of decreases at the center top to minimize the bumpy nippleage that happens when you knit the pattern as written.

I think it was Friday night that I spun the ‘Girlish’ and I took a break from spinning on Saturday. Sunday night something clicked, I slowed down the treadling, and I think my second try is much, much better.

This is also from Hello Yarn, Corriedale wool top in ‘Trodden’ this time.

Practicing works! It feels like this spinning thing is going to take me a while. Years, I mean. For the first month I had the wheel I wanted to make yarn immediately! But staring at the wheel hoping it would magically produce yarn didn’t seem to work. I feel better now that I’ve actually made yarn, and I don’t feel rushed anymore. Just from my first few tries I have learned so much.

Now all I need is a niddy noddy, extral bobbins, a crock-pot for dying, books about spinning, and a sheep. Or a flock of them. That is all.