Like I need another hobby
Today I had a lesson in spinning. First I got to see what raw fiber looks and feels like. Then I carded it (and I'm still feeling *that* in my shoulder), then I spun on a hand spindle, and then finally on a spinning wheel. I have a big bag of raw fiber, a set of hand carvers, and a homemade spindle with which to do my 'homework' between now and my next lesson next week.
The woman giving me the lessons is I would guess between 45 and 55 (based on 2 daughters in their 20's -- one a recent graduate and the other working on her master's). She is small and wiry -- turns out she is also a personal trainer so the latter does not surprise me. She has a dozen or so spinning wheels, at least 2 looms in the enormous kitchen area (which was a wonderfully old fashioned one) and a ton of supplies.
It was actually fun, albeit frustrating. I am not going to prove a natural spinner, but I think I'll get the hang of it. My first two yarns certainly have more then their share of slubs. At least I got pretty good at laying on more fiber after a break or after finishing off a handful.
Apparently there are 2 different methods of spinning, 'S' and 'Z'. I cannot recall the specifics of the explanation, but I was doing S as that was what the wheels already had on them. However, S is appropriate for knitting, while Z is preferred for crocheting, as one untwists the yarn whilst crocheting and Z maintains the twist better. I also learned that the difference in woolen vs worsted yarn is the lengths of the fibers -- woolen has a mix of long and short fibers and worsted is all one length.
(cross posting to sharing_needles)
The woman giving me the lessons is I would guess between 45 and 55 (based on 2 daughters in their 20's -- one a recent graduate and the other working on her master's). She is small and wiry -- turns out she is also a personal trainer so the latter does not surprise me. She has a dozen or so spinning wheels, at least 2 looms in the enormous kitchen area (which was a wonderfully old fashioned one) and a ton of supplies.
It was actually fun, albeit frustrating. I am not going to prove a natural spinner, but I think I'll get the hang of it. My first two yarns certainly have more then their share of slubs. At least I got pretty good at laying on more fiber after a break or after finishing off a handful.
Apparently there are 2 different methods of spinning, 'S' and 'Z'. I cannot recall the specifics of the explanation, but I was doing S as that was what the wheels already had on them. However, S is appropriate for knitting, while Z is preferred for crocheting, as one untwists the yarn whilst crocheting and Z maintains the twist better. I also learned that the difference in woolen vs worsted yarn is the lengths of the fibers -- woolen has a mix of long and short fibers and worsted is all one length.
(cross posting to sharing_needles)