I'm a spinner. Not just a spinner, but the kind who revels in the task of start to finish, sheep to shawl, raw fleece to finished product. Not it's not just enough to go from yarn to hat, nor from roving to yarn, but I have to feel the grease between my fingers, spreading it out with glee onto my drying rack, content with the knowledge that nothing is wasted, even the gray water will nourish my roses.
And if that's not enough, I am a weaver. I spin to weave.
My power over textiles has turned me into a fiber snob. Yes I can buy those gloves at Walmart for $5, but I can make my own from scratch with 100% natural fibers, and a pattern you will never see on the shelves.
The downside? Time. It takes time to spin, and a lot of time for really big projects like some shawls, sweaters and large woven scarves. Time means $$, and places my finished items at the high end of the market. Sometimes I out price myself. But this is for love not money, right?
My latest project is probably my first project from 2015. I purchased some gray Alpaca from Vintage Alpacas last year. It took a lesson in the difference between Gray, Rose Gray and Silver Gray to finally get what I wanted. Coupled with some true black, I'd like to make a poncho type shawl. The black was carded and promptly forgotten. In the meantime, several projects later, and in the midst of spinning for a friend, it came up again. There is nothing like a new project to spark ideas for an old one.
I've never been one for calculating yardage needed for weaving. I nearly spun the entire pound of gray, worsted weight, and came up with a little more than 524 yards.
The bulk of my efforts this coming year will move towards spinning massive amounts of yarn for late summer/early fall projects.
Comments
Post a Comment