Beginnings

My maternal Grandmother taught me to knit. I remember how hard it was to master the purl stitch. I'd knit at home until my scarf was a hopeless mess. Then I'd ride my bike to her house and she'd straighten it out. Teaching me to knit was a priceless gift. One of the many things I learned from her was to knit with the best yarn I could afford. Although we could have gone to a local discount store, she took me to a yarn shop to buy yarn for my first sweater. I chose cranberry red wool. Gram loved pinks and purples and soft blues so buying red yarn was another gift of love. I knit the cardigan in pieces, she sewed it together, and I took it to college. 

Now I am learning to spin. New learning is humbling but also a bit magical. Last month I spun some Blue Faced Leicester natural colored fiber on an inexpensive Turkish Spindle. I threw away a great deal of my first attempts. Eventually I spun a very wonky little skein that I keep as a record of this beginning. Following Gram's advice, I ordered one braid of roving in colors I enjoy. 

I also ordered three top-whorl spindles from Greensleeves Spindles. Crafted from cherry wood, they are beautiful and lovely to use. I think it so interesting that throughout history, makers have crafted beauty into practical objects. I look forward to shopping for spindles in person at a fiber festival. 

I spun three little skeins of widely varying weights on the Turkish Spindle. To say that the yarn is thick and thin is an understatement. I found a skein of Montera in my stash and together with this handspun made a pair of fraternal mittens. I unraveled the top of the second mitten three times. I couldn't get the hands to match in length. I thought the handspun was causing the discrepancy and kept counting rows above the thumb stitches. Finally I noticed I had knit fewer rows of cuff ribbing in the second mitten. Oy. Normally I'd redo the mitten but when I pulled the yarn through the last few stitches at the top, I turned the mitten inside out and wove in all the ends. Sometimes being tidy is not so helpful. I wove the handspun in by hook and by crook because of the thickness and I wasn't sure I could pick it out and reknit it. I decided to leave these as fraternal mittens. Honestly the slightly off-kilter row arrangements matches the handspun. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

 

Now I am spinning from a different section of the same roving. Ever so slowly the singles look more consistent and the process is quite peaceful. Watching the spindle turn is mesmerizing. Plying isn't so natural but yesterday, I tried to relax and let the fiber be what it wants to be. I can throw away what isn't useful or keep it as another benchmark of progress. Thankfully I am not spinning to keep my family warm during the winter. The latest yarn is drying and seems more balanced although somewhat thick and thin. 

I am reading the same books I wrote about last week, The Warmth of Other Suns and The Book of Longings. I am also listening to The Grammarians, the next month's book selection of my book group. The word play is fun and interesting but I feel like the plot is slow to develop. 

Thank you to Kat for providing the link-up. Are you beginning any new projects this week?

Mitten Ravelry Link

Handspun Ravelry Link