Monday, April 28, 2008

A New Era

I went, I learned, I spun. I am a spinner! Yarn School was fantastic, and I highly recommend it, for beginners and experienced spinners. There were even a couple of husbands there! Nikol Lohr owns and runs Yarn School, and the teachers were Adrian Bizilia of Hello Yarn, Sarah Ivy Kinkaid of Maisy Day Handpun, and Jennifer Schermerhorn of Whirled Yarn. In addition to learning to spin, we learned to prep fiber, make batts and combed tops, and dye the fiber.


The first picture is of my very first handspun, two-ply.

















Up next are some singles on my bobbin. These were spun from two batts I carded on a drum carder. They were a mixture of blue, greens, yellow, some black... I think that's all.


After I spun both batts, the bobbin was pretty much full. Then I learned how to Navajo ply.


Finally, Adrian offered up some singles she had spun if anyone wanted to learn how to thread ply. I jumped on it, and learned how to make beehives as well.
Pictures of the roving I dyed and the other batts I made to follow!

5 comments:

Robin said...

OMG Penny! I am so proud of you! Don't forget to eat and go to work now, with all of this new-found distraction!
I can't wait to finish this wretched clapotis I'm knitting. I want to knit something I LIKE again!
Anyway, your handspun looks so cool, all swirly with colors and textures. And probably sweat and tears, too, I'm guessing!

Anonymous said...

That green fiber spun up beautifully. You did so great! And do you love your thread-ply yarn as much as I love mine? They were all so nice!

Kristin said...

Look at you with the coils! My wheel won't do coils. :( Yours are GORGEOUS! Hooray for Penny!

Laura said...

Gorgeous!!! isn't spinning one of the most crazy awesome happy things you ever did in your life? :)

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!! I'm impressed and happy that you've joined the spinning side. Your yarns are beautiful ... now have you decided on a wheel!