Drop a Thread – A Knitter Turned Spinner

Like most knitters and crocheters, I have never had a problem finding a yarn that I could love.  Just ask my wife about my stash!  This is not to say that my standards are not high when it comes to yarn.  I can’t lie, I am a yarn snob.  Is it my fault that luxury fibers just feel so amazing that I don’t want to work with anything else?  I don’t think so.  That is why when I walk into a yarn shop my senses take over.  I am immediately drawn to bright, colorful yarns that beg me to touch them.  The feeling of silky, smooth, and cozy fibers between my fingers motivates me to cast on the next project.  This being the case, I have never felt the need to spin my own yarn, but that has all changed.  Working at such an amazing, creative driven shop has made it absolutely necessary for me to give spinning a try.  As if I need another hobby!  Armed with a drop spindle and just enough information to be dangerous, I set out on my journey.

Getting Started

It began with a blending board and brush, some sturdy soft merino, and bright shimmery recycled sari silk.  It was only natural for me to select greens as my base color, I just can’t get enough of nature’s neutral!  I threw in a pop of bright blue and hot pink for good measure.  I have to say, working on a blending board has to be one of the most amazing and rewarding parts of this process.  The board becomes your canvas and the fiber your paint.  As I created my blended masterpiece, the cheery mix of spring colors brightened my day.  I couldn’t wait to see what it would look like spun into yarn.  Stay tuned for a future post on using a blending board!

The wonderful part about giving this a shot is spinning does not have to be really expensive

Ready for the Drop Spindle

Time for the drop spindle!  I only had one ounce of fiber blended and ready to spin, so I wasn’t going to be making a large amount of yarn, after all, I was just planning on giving another facet of the fiber art realm a try.  Little did I know, this was going to be quite addictive!  Is my finished yarn perfectly spun?  Not so much, but I couldn’t be happier with it!  With some time and practice, I could see myself enjoying the relaxing elements that spinning can provide.  Just like knitting, you are getting to play with delightful fibers.  As you feel the individual fibers slip through your fingers when you draft your very own yarn you can’t help but feel the tranquility of the moment.  This is not to say the entire process felt this way, you have to remember I was giving this a go, I am not an expert.  Yet the quiet moments when everything was spinning smoothly have me hooked!  

The wonderful part about giving this a shot is spinning does not have to be really expensive to try unless you think you need to spin up some luxury with Suri alpaca, my latest fiber.  All you need is a drop spindle, some fiber, and a resource to provide a little instruction (a book, magazines, the internet, or a spinner).  Since I need to practice to get a more consistent yarn, I am excited to spin up a few different singles and ply them together to get a fun and funky art yarn to make a cowl.  If you’re looking for a way to expand your love of fiber I think you owe it to yourself to give spinning a try!  As a beginner, I would love to hear some tips, tricks, and ideas for my future endeavors from our seasoned spinners, comment below to share your knowledge with me and all our readers.