I must be nuts

It all started as one little innocuous thread on the Spindlers list. How do you spin beaded yarn? So I read it and thought... Omigod!! that's insane. I'm NEVER going to do that!!! But then the thread went on... and I got curious... I mean... OOH LOOK!!! SHINY!!!

So I took this baby silver alpaca I was spinning.. OOH SOFT!!! and thought I'd try string some beads on it! Can you say BEAD explosion? So then I tried stringing it as I spun. Much easier. But did I stop there? No. why would I do something sensible like that? I had to ply the beads in place, then CABLE the yarn.
Anyway here are some pictures.

So I started knitting, but...

The holes where too big, so I frogged it all.

And started all over again. Much nicer :)

Too bad I ran out of yarn. Must go spin more!!!

Stone Spindle

I did a demonstration with the SCA at the Fort Tryon Park Medieval Faire. It was so much fun! It was a PERFECT autumn's day. The sun was warm but not too hot.

I almost used up my ENTIRE stash of CD's. I was attempting to teach passersby how to spin with CD spindles. It was fun.

Oooh!! lookie! Alaric made another Viking stone spindle and I got to be the guinea pig!!
Yes, it's as heavy as it looks. But on the bright side I now understand how homespun was strong enough to support loom weights. If it's strong enough to support the spindle in the spinning process it's strong enough to support loom weights!

A close up!
I am spinning some carded Jacob roving I picked up at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It's a little coarse, but wonderful to spin with. I separated all the different colors. I think I'm going to try for some fairisle or striped or panda-like SOCKS!! The fiber still has some grease on it, so the lanolin has been polishing up my spindle shaft up really nice and smooth and shiny!! It's even sort of making the soapstone a little shiny in spots. Ooops.

The whorl of the spindle pops right off. I wonder it they used the shaft with the cop, sans whorl, straight off a bobbin for weaving?

Hmm... must learn to weave so I can experiment.

New Spinning Wheel

This is the giant box my spinning wheel came in! Wow...







I can't quite reach that last box!!! Can't fall in on top of wheel...



Success!!! Tiggy!! Meet Wheel! Don't be jealous!! I still love you best!!!






Oog! Took some doing but I FINALLY wedged the treadles onto the metal bar. Hooking up the footmen was a piece of cake!





ok! now for the FLYER!!! I can do this!

Boy! did they wrap up the top well or what? Must find scissors.

Ta da! Pretty.

A frantic phone call to Paula at Woodland Woolworks (she is the best). And I've spun some yarn! Yay!!! Oh boy you can make lots and lots of yarn compared to a drop spindle. But I still think it's easier to bead on a spindle. But I guess all that spinning while walking home and spinning on the PATH and the subway paid off!!! I spun yarn!! easy as pie on the spinning wheel! Must go experiment with silk hankies!!