Reuniting with the wheel

Since working I have found my free time to just disappear before I have had the time to use it! I always sit in my car and knit while listening to podcasts during my lunch break, but when I get home, the hours fly by and I barely get the chance to do all I want to do.

I usually want to have a look on Ravelry and facebook, spend some time with the kids, unfortunately tidy up a bit, and then do some knitting on a home project - one that is too big or too complicated to take to work or do during the day at home with the kids. Sometimes I just want to really focus on getting through a project or starting something new.

But what I realised was lacking is my spinning. I realised that with a goal to spin and knit a sweater this year, I have to keep up the spinning, and really half an hour a night can be found reasonably easily, even if you need an extra cup of coffee to find it!

I was very pleased to realise that I hadn't lost the skills or knowledge I had gained in my almost 4 months experience (minus the month or so I neglect my spinning). In fact I found the rhythm again easily and in no time had spun up enough to feel I had accomplished something. My spinning is still not perfect, however I finally came to the conclusion that because I am spinning directly from the fleece, un carded, no matter how good I am, my spinning of this fleece will always be a bit more "rustic" than spinning from a roving would be. I am eager to purchase some roving soon, so I can truly compare the two methods and see how my spinning compares.

Until then, I'm going to go spin some more!

My First Spinning Wheel

On Wednesday I visited a member of my S'n'B group, (that I struggle to attend most of the time due to kids, life etc.) and was introduced to my first spinning wheel. It is an Ashford Traditional and came with 4 bobbins and a Lazy Kate and a bag of unwashed fleece and a bag of prepared fleece which you can see here. An absolutely stunning chocolate brown. I don't know the breed, but I love the color andd the feel of the roving. So, I got a lesson as a bonus and began spinning. I think I got the hang of it pretty quickly, and I have spent at least an hour each night spinning. I'm not sure of the quality I have spun, nor whether it will be usable, but for the most part I think I have maintained an even consistancy. There are certainly thinner and thicker parts, as well as occasional lumps, but over all I'm very pleased with my acheivements, which you can see here.

And finally, here is the wheel. I love it! I think it is gorgeous with the decorative spokes in the wheel, and the staining. The wheel is in excellent condition, works fabulously and all day I just want to spin on it. But I can't during the day because my kids are so fascinated with it that their little hands cannot resist trying to touch it everytime they pass it!

I also got given a bag of raw fleece that needs to be cleaned, carded and (probably) dyed. It is white so it should show colours fabulously. I haven't tried any of the above so I'm sure they will all be an adventure with many stories! A very exciting adventure that I'm loving already. Once I have finished this bobbin I intend to fill another and then ply them together to see if they balance each other out. I hope they do. I am having fun!