First Yarn

Midway into the four-week spin class at Modern Yarn taught by Stacey, I have pencil roving, a beginner's top whorl drop spindle full of newbie singles, a wound ball of newbie singles, and my first micro skein of 2-ply yarn. It's overspun – and yet it actually looks like yarn!



Spin class is great. Stacey is a wonderful teacher – well-prepared, enthusiastic, diplomatic, and a font of spinning knowledge. The other students add to the excellent esprit. Some have spun before; I'm a complete newbie and have managed to commit just about every newbie blunder, not least wearing black to the first class and deciding to spin ecru roving. (We won't even mention the silk coccoons that stuck to my unexfoliated fingers briefly, then flew off in an unknown trajectory.)

As my ambition 'way outstrips my ability, the learning curve has been an exercise in patience. I spent the first class struggling with drafting and parking and also was not-so-covertly coveting all the beautiful spindles that others brought, particularly the Goldings and Bosworths and Woodchucks. Because surely it's the spindle. Alas, my first purchase after class was a distinct anti-climax.



I'm finding I frequently end up with a small ring of fiber encircling the roving. An error in drafting technique, I assume. These little fiber friends are almost as bad as Tribbles in their ability to multiply and get into unlikely places.

For all that, after two classes there's been noticeable improvement. Spinning speed is up, bad words are down, singles are becoming more uniform and finer. Maybe my secret plan to spin my own 2-ply laceweight will succeed after all. Now if only I could get DH to stop singing improvised lyrics to Rawhide: Roving, roving, roving, git those spindles moving, etc ad naus.

Categories: {Spindling}