When I first learned to spin, many things got in the way of my success including a chair too low, lack of patience, bashfulness (admitting I needed help), and practice. But lots of things made it finally happen for me: videos (especially by Judith McKenzie), classes, the support of friends and fellow spinners, and lots of practice. Of course, no matter how much I learn, it seems I just keep finding out how much I don’t know. For me, spinning is truly humbling. Nothing else leaves me as tangled up – literally – as my knowledge gaps in this art. I just have to remember: don’t be afraid to fail and practice, practice, practice…
Humble #1
About a month or so ago, I decided to spin a usable 3-ply yarn from some Blue Moon Fiber Arts roving. It contained about twice as much wool as it did a wool/silk blend, so plying 2 wool singles with 1 blend single would, I hoped, give me something pretty and usable. I was also really pleased with my singles. They had a lot of twist, but they were very pretty and consistent. I separated them onto small spindles so I could mix up the order and make the resulting yarn more uniform. (Even if you are a really consistent spinner, your work at the beginning of a session will be different than your work at the end. Drawing from the smaller spindles randomly evens everything out, especially with 3 plies.)
This yarn, as I said, had been spun with a lot of twist. I wanted it strong for warp. Perhaps I got carried away? I placed my bobbins on my lazy kate. I started plying. This is what I looked like in about 5 minutes.
At the time, it felt like an epic failure. I did manage to overcome my struggles by spreading the spindles out far enough that they couldn’t grab each other, working to relax despite the frustrations, and taking frequent breaks. I ended up with some nice, if still active yarn that made a lovely scarf. Clearly, I need more practice. I see lots of 3-ply efforts (and failures) in my future.
Humble #2
Sometime last year, I decided I needed to learn the Orenburg lace supported spindle spinning. I signed up for a class at Madrona (just this week) from Galina Khmeleva, an acknowledged expert in this technique. It was quickly clear everyone else in the class was more familiar with similar spinning techniques but I was there to learn. I just kept reminding myself of those initial attempts with my wheel: don’t be afraid to fail and practice. My initial attempts were somewhat laughable, but no one laughed. Everyone was helpful and Galina was a very knowledgable and supportive teacher.
Can I spin Orenburg lace yarn? Not yet. And I may decide that it isn’t my thing. But I am going to practice 15 minutes every day until I can do a credible job of it. I will share my progress with you. So far, with some pretty grabby yak, I can do this (a HUGE improvement over my classroom effort):
I am just going to keep reminding myself of those first lumpy yarns on my wheel and practice…
Such determination, Lisa! Nothing half way for you! And the results in record time show it.