Dysfunctional Spinner

There's often talk on Ravelry's spinning forums about a poorly-made or requiring-repair spinning wheel or spindle, and not so much talk about the spinners themselves being dysfunctional. I mention this because a few days ago I strained my left shoulder quite badly. For two days I had a diet of painkillers and hot compresses until the shoulder healed and during that time my spinning capability went down drastically. I couldn't spin suspended at all, and I lacked the motion to use a wheel. I could only spin supported, and then on my slowest tibetan, with big rest breaks. But having the ability to do that was a lifesaver for a spinning-addict like me.

It really made me think. I don't just have quantity in my spinning life - I have variety. If I sustain an injury that might make it impossible to use a wheel, I can use a spindle. If I can't bear the weight of a drop-spindle, I have a choice of supported spindles. I have russians and tibetans and turkish spindles. I have my wheel. And I have a range of fibres in a range of preps. When I think that it was not so very long ago at all that I had just one beginners topwhorl and a bag of undyed tops I feel astounded at how far I have come and how much I have accomplished.

Spinning isn't just something I do for pleasure. It's a part of my daily life. And having the options to always keep it a part of my daily life is very precious to me.

Wash-N-Whack Days

For the non-spinners, wash-n-whack is what you do with a skein of yarn after you've spun and plyed it. You plunge the skein first into a basin of very hot soapy water and then into a basin of very cold water. This shocks the fibres and finishes the yarn

I love wash-n-whack days. It feels like the culmination of my efforts. Today there was a 19g mini-skein of natural brown corriedale 2ply, a 4oz skein of rainbow leicester longwool single, and a 100g skein of respun Hipknits silk in chocolate cherries. That last one was a freebee from its original owner who was frustrated over the breakages it had which I feel is because it wasn’t spun tightly enough for a single-ply yarn. So respun it all together and then set it with the other two skeins. Good thing I decided to set it too because it leaked dye terribly! 2 hot rinses and 4 cold before it got to a point I was happy with! Now they’re all drying and I feel very accomplished.

Since there is plenty of day left and since I've already got the wheel out, I think I'll continue on and see about spinning up the 2nd Gotland batt Malinky sent me from Sweden. The first one is already finished. I love spinning batts but they do take up a fair bit space, which is somewhat at a premium in my room right now!

Luceteer

The lucet has been out again today. Actually, it's been in overdrive. Started out by finishing the full length of embroidery silk I was doing last month. Then I worked up a bracelet length in the handspun corriedale I did yesterday on the new Mama Turk from Enid Ashcroft. I played with clasp designs for a while, not settled on one I like yet. Then I went through two shorter lengths of embroidery silk. And now I'm working on more handspun, this one a random minihank made up of leftover singles in navy english wool and lime green acrylic. I'm thinking once I've luceted this one I'll try luceting it over and see what it looks like.

New In The Shop

So, like many crafters, I find it chronically difficult to sell the things I make. Not the actual selling, but the photographing, pricing, and listing. Being able to say that I listed FOUR items in the etsy shop today is a bit of an achievement! Lets hope I can keep it up.

Stash

I am trying not to buy stash, bid on stash, win stash, or in any other way accumulate stash until the stash I have fits in it's darn boxes!

The one who dies with the most stash wins.

I don't feel guilty about my stash, because I know there are people with bigger stashes.

I have come to terms with the fact that hiding three bags of yarn in the bottom of my wardrobe does not count as "not adding to my stash".

But spinning fibre takes up more room in my stash than the same amount of yarn!

I'm saving up for the Zombie Apocalypse when there won't be any chances to get more stash.

I've picked out my pattern, now to go stashdiving.

What I love most about Ravelry is that I can list all my stash in one place where I can see it and keep track of it. That is, when I remember to list it.

Stash. It's not a term, it's a lifestyle.

Cough and Spindling

I only developed this cough on Friday and it's only Sunday now but I feel like I've been coughing for weeks. My body is completely exhausted, mostly because I can't sleep properly at night. And the motions required to use my spinning wheel or suspended spindles are a little uncomfortable, occasioning another coughing fit. So I've been working on supported spindles. Specifically, one of the new russians, the ever so handsome cocobolo who is now named Mr Darcy. :-D