While we wait for the shearer to visit (soon!), I continue to spin through the lovely bits of roving that I began with and that have been gifted to me. All in the name of 'practice,' I am (obviously) loving every bit of it. The wool - the twist - it feels like magic happening in my hands, and the knowlege of the names of the sheep to whom much of this roving belonged to is a complete treat. I wonder when I'll ever feel like knitting again with yarn that doesn't have a sheep's name attached (but of course I will...).
To answer a few questions popping up in the comments yesterday:
I haven't dyed any of this fiber yet. Anything of color arrived that way to me. Though, on that note, yesterday, in lieu of weeding my vegetable garden, I did clear a spot in which to begin a dye garden next year. Oh yes. (Wild Color lives at my bedside table currently.)
I'm using a top-whorl drop spindle. I was shown bottom whorl as well, and have watched a few videos and given it some time, but the top whorl just feels better in my hands.
I haven't been 'setting the twist' yet. I've really just wanted to play with the yarn, and get a feel for the spinning (and of course, make a few quick little hats to assure myself that it is indeed yarn I'm making!).
I'm looking around for a drum carder, but haven't decided upon one yet. A spinning wheel on the other hand, I'm not ready for. I have hopes and plans of sitting at a few and trying them out before I make the commitment to one. But truth be told, all of this drop spindle spinning is feeling just right for me right now. The portability, the simplicity, the way I can pick it up (and put it down) after just a few minutes when my attention is called elsewhere - that all works with my life and my days right now. And besides, there's this joy to be found so easily in sharing the drop spindle...
