Last Saturday and Sunday mirln and I went down to the south end of Shetland to learn how to handspin – and what a revelation!
we are both hooked!
We spun from raw “greasy” fleece and learned how to select the right wool…Ican’t wait to go to the brokers, close my eyes and feel amongst the fleece for what feels just right!
It really was quite amazing to watch the fleece become thread (or thread-like, it was quite bulky to begin with!) and with your own control you can make a really quite fine thread (but, not to begin with as i said!)
After spinning onto the spindle we then learned how to ply the wool and, wih the help of a niddy-noddy, make the yarn into a hank.
It was quite a thrill to have something to show – ususally there is only a pile of kit kat wrappers around my feet on a day off!
Once I got home I duly washed my hank (low sudding liquid – I used the niece’s 2-in-1 shampoo – perfect!) and hung it up with a weight on the end to stop it curling.
On Sunday it was more of the same, but we had a go at carding, rolling, combing etc too. The instructer also brought some different types of Shetland fleece as well as some combed tops.
I loved working with the Shetland moorit fleece, its a chocolate brown but with blondey/coppery locks which makes the lovliest effect.
Mirln and I, by now, were getting quite adept at controlling the draw, or pull of the fleece, to achieve a thinner yarn.
Some of the fleece and parts of the fleece are easier to work with than others – we found the portion near the back legs best and refered to it as the bum stuff which raised a few giggles!
Once I got home, i signed us up for the beyond beginners class in two weeks: I’m a complete convert!
And when i was home my first hank was dry. It’s too small to knit anything of great size, but i think i’ll knit a square and frame it!
I’m becoming addicted to the Possibly Related Posts – PRP – you do attract some very interesting ones morroletc!
Lovely photos, purrticularly the last one which is a work of art in itself; the yarn seems to be enjoying a view as fine as the one TT saw🙂
Fpu has been known to pick hentilegets off the wire while walking, start a twist, attach to a stone weight and twirl whilst strolling. Just to complete the effect, you can knit the resulting tiny (lumpy) yarn on toothpicks. That would need ever such a small frame!
That sounds amazing, morrolsocks, really tricky though! suspect I will stick with Hob Nob eating instead- you don’t have the wrapper problem at the end of the night….
That is VERY impressive, morroless, it certainly doesn’t look like the work of a beginner. If you made a bit more you could knit a beautiful cushion with it, a suitable showcase for your efforts!
its not as tricky as it sounds hey! if Mirln and i can both produce something then its not rocket science LOl
I have alerady begun collecting Hentilagets KC haha! The instructor said that these can easily me combed and rolled. Its really interesting actually the different colours and grades of wool available on local fences – it would be very unique spun. I even got a bit of rabbit fluff yesterday! Its recycling too of course.
Apparently you can even spin bog cotton! who da thunk!
I highly recommend you give it a go, its one of those things that’s easy to pick up and once you do you’ll never forget
…and it is the same view you clever cat!
Great blog and super photos as well. I’m glad you both enjoyed yourselves. Do you know if “Jamieson and Smith still have their woolen mill?? I used to order my wool from them,but stopped about fifteen years ago?
*purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* *preen* *smugmode*😆
…and…I just noticed your brilliant headings in the side-bar. I love Cast on/Bind off!!!
needles and pins😆
ooh Taddoe! i like it…i’ll maybe change my blog roll to that…notions is another good one! And Yes JAmieson and Smith are still on the go and online now…that’s where i’ll be going for my fleece!
http://www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk/
thanks for link mls;thinking about “needles and pins” I was at the market in Anduze this morning and came across a secondhand record stall,after about an hour(much to P’s anger) I found an old “searchers” single–He’s got no love/So far away:your too young to have heard of the searchers but i’m a big fan,so i’m feeling really chuffed:proud:
drat smilie didn’t work😦
P? Not manwith?😯
Dear taddoe, :proud: didn’t work because it isn’t on the WordPress list! But it did come out in nice bold purrint;lol:
😆
*sigh*
who else??😉 still “only mates”
Morrolesssocks – how did you change the name ‘Blogroll’? I can’t change mine and am despurrate to call it Meaty Chunks…😥
WHAT ?? SOMETHING YOU CAN’T DO, KC???😯
Yuss…I know its shockin’ ain’t it.🙄
very shocking😯 😯
aha!
Ok, on your dashboard go to links and somewhere there you can change the name..possibly change category name, beneath the list of links??. but when you add another chunk then make sure that your category name is highlighted in the drop down list or it’ll create another one.
I was trying to figure out how i get the PRP but God knows, maybe its something to do with my theme??
Thanks very much. For some reason Blogroll/Links was the only one I couldn’t see how to change…then I lost it from the Front Page altogether…then got it back again with its new name, but still not sure how…
Its a minefield in here😀 *prrrrrrrrrrrp*