Fibery goodness
Ok, so it's been a few days since I last posted. Things have been keeping me busy - like homework.
Anyway, this past weekend I went to the Fabric, Fiber & Fighting IV event held by the Shire of Nithgaard in Aethelmearc. This SCA event has it's focus on the fiber arts (as if you couldn't tell by the event name). This was my first time at this event. Fiadnata, my protegè sister, convinced me that it would be a good event for me to go to as I am a fledgling fiber fiend. "I am but a seed." *grin*
I had a wonderful time. True, the drive from my house to the site was somewhere around 7 hours, but Fiadnata had a 10 hour drive to come by my house to pick me up to go to the event. She felt it was worth it.
Anyway, I took a couple of classes - Introduction to double-faced tablet weaving (and promptly got lost because my tablet weaving skills aren't all that great right now anyway), Supported Spinning (where I got a 2 ounces of spun silk to play with - woohoo!), and a demo/class on silk reeling presented by Maistress Emmelyne, which was a trip because I had done her Evergreen (mid-level arts award in the Middle Kingdom) a couple of years ago.
I also picked up a new top-whorl spindle from the Spanish Peacock, a supported bead spindle & bowl from Anne Grout (can't remember her SCA name). The top-whorl spindle I got at the event is now in use with some fleece/roving that Fiadnata gave me - and is keeping my Kundert top-whorl spindle happy.
I've been reading that some spinners, once they learn to use a spinning wheel generally don't go back to using a spindle, but I find that I'm enjoying using my various spindles more than the wheel. 'Course, it could have something to do with the fact that my wheel isn't working very well right now. It's either a problem with the wheel (remember, I had to restore it to working order), or it's a problem with my 'technique' such as it is.
I hope to soon have my three skeins spun up to send in to the Company of the Silver Spindle in Atlantia for the Apprentice level. The amusing (to me) thing is that I tend to spin thinner yarns...I'm going to have to work at spinning a thicker yarn. Perhaps with my Ashford spindle.
Oh, and my Mom is enabling me to get my own inkle loom, which will help me to finally warp and do/finish a tablet woven belt that I've had on the cards for over a year. I have the best Mom ever (best parents ever, really). *big grin*
Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to put up of some of my yarns. Oh, and I'm also in the process of re-learning how to crochet. I figure I've got to have some way of using up all the yarn I'm planning on spinning.
Oh! I just remembered that I was given a fleece to work with - more or less 'fresh' from the sheep. It's a Romney cross (with what I'm hopefully going to be finding out soon). Even though it still has to be scoured, I can see the crimp in some of the locks and I'm actually looking forward to the whole process. (Yeah, I'm nuts. And your point is....?) *wink*
Rowr, baby!
Anyway, this past weekend I went to the Fabric, Fiber & Fighting IV event held by the Shire of Nithgaard in Aethelmearc. This SCA event has it's focus on the fiber arts (as if you couldn't tell by the event name). This was my first time at this event. Fiadnata, my protegè sister, convinced me that it would be a good event for me to go to as I am a fledgling fiber fiend. "I am but a seed." *grin*
I had a wonderful time. True, the drive from my house to the site was somewhere around 7 hours, but Fiadnata had a 10 hour drive to come by my house to pick me up to go to the event. She felt it was worth it.
Anyway, I took a couple of classes - Introduction to double-faced tablet weaving (and promptly got lost because my tablet weaving skills aren't all that great right now anyway), Supported Spinning (where I got a 2 ounces of spun silk to play with - woohoo!), and a demo/class on silk reeling presented by Maistress Emmelyne, which was a trip because I had done her Evergreen (mid-level arts award in the Middle Kingdom) a couple of years ago.
I also picked up a new top-whorl spindle from the Spanish Peacock, a supported bead spindle & bowl from Anne Grout (can't remember her SCA name). The top-whorl spindle I got at the event is now in use with some fleece/roving that Fiadnata gave me - and is keeping my Kundert top-whorl spindle happy.
I've been reading that some spinners, once they learn to use a spinning wheel generally don't go back to using a spindle, but I find that I'm enjoying using my various spindles more than the wheel. 'Course, it could have something to do with the fact that my wheel isn't working very well right now. It's either a problem with the wheel (remember, I had to restore it to working order), or it's a problem with my 'technique' such as it is.
I hope to soon have my three skeins spun up to send in to the Company of the Silver Spindle in Atlantia for the Apprentice level. The amusing (to me) thing is that I tend to spin thinner yarns...I'm going to have to work at spinning a thicker yarn. Perhaps with my Ashford spindle.
Oh, and my Mom is enabling me to get my own inkle loom, which will help me to finally warp and do/finish a tablet woven belt that I've had on the cards for over a year. I have the best Mom ever (best parents ever, really). *big grin*
Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to put up of some of my yarns. Oh, and I'm also in the process of re-learning how to crochet. I figure I've got to have some way of using up all the yarn I'm planning on spinning.
Oh! I just remembered that I was given a fleece to work with - more or less 'fresh' from the sheep. It's a Romney cross (with what I'm hopefully going to be finding out soon). Even though it still has to be scoured, I can see the crimp in some of the locks and I'm actually looking forward to the whole process. (Yeah, I'm nuts. And your point is....?) *wink*
Rowr, baby!