My lovely Minstrel and I are happily getting acquainted. Any questions I've had, I just had to call up the wonderful folks at Pacific Wool and Fibre who are ever so helpful and kind. Doesn't that make all the difference? Surely this husband and wife team are two of the kindest people I have had the pleasure of speaking with in a long while.
Last week, I made my first bobbin full of hand-carded wool I blended from some white Corriedale, brown and pink merino, and some decadent silk/merino roving from Ashford. Since then, I made a second bobbin to ply the two together, wondering all the while if everyone is this giddy spinning wool? Honestly, this is so much fun! Creating my own carded woollen creations opened a door for me on a whole new world of creativity. It is limitless, this craft!
Do you see this amazing little wooden tool? It is called a nostepinne and it is for winding yarn. I always wanted a ball winder, but nothing really spoke to me except these wooden sticks. I also purchased it from Pacific Wool and Fiber. The nostepinne gives you a center-pull ball of wool and the technique for winding is very soothing and rhythmic...like spinning! It is hard to tell how large my ball became, until you see it in front of my seven year old's head ~ we all laughed at how much it looked like a giant ice cream!
When I first blended the colours and fibres together, I knew what I wanted to create. I had just misplaced this woolly headband...my favourite winter headgear...and needed a replacement. Because my spinning is still in its, er, primitive stages, I thought a headband would be a good launching project. But I overestimated how much yarn I'd need...I made enough for three wooly headbands! I knit up two, one for my sweet Sunshine and myself, and I rarely take it off my head ~ it feels so cozy!
(Thanks to Papa and Forrest for the photos here)
While my yarn is still far more chunky than I'd like it to be, the more I practice, the better I'll get. And oh, the practicing is such fun!
I'm still reading the same as last week, though the book I wanted to share is The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlog. My seven year old and I are reading it together and it has been a good book, though somewhat dry at times. But as we finished, the message was so lovely and clear...essentially, a naughty, selfish boy is turned into a gnome and forced to fly all about Sweden on the back of a goose, and learns how to become human again. It definately recieves a seven year old stamp of approval.
ravelry notes here
joining the yarn-along here
Dear Jules, I love what you ended up making with that lovely yarn! And the last photo brings tears to my eyes- I can see so much in your face that is unspoken.
We also like Nils, and found it a bit dry at times. Both my oldest two read it at about age 7, and enjoyed it but didn't feel like reading it a second time.
I miss you, my dear friend! Love Melly
Posted by: Melanie | February 27, 2013 at 09:38 AM
Beautiful, Jules!
That last photo is so dear. xoxoR
Posted by: rachel | February 27, 2013 at 07:35 PM
jules i love your passion for spinning, i love how you know so much about it and make such beautiful beautiful wool. it's all a mystery to me and so makes it seem like magic, i pay close attention to every word you say. maybe someday i'll learn, and if so, i'll have a million and one questions for you. :)
i love these photos of you, well done papa and forrest, the last needs to be framed.
xxx lori
Posted by: lori | February 27, 2013 at 10:11 PM