Observations from Fall Fiber Festival 2011...

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that so many people believe that the yarn I am making goes around the wheel inself. (I must admit, I think I had the same impression before I learned to spin). So when I explain how the wheel works and where the spun fiber actually goes...I get the 'ooooohhhh' reaction. 

It's cute, someone will stare...I notice them watching...they keep watching...then get brave enough to ask how it works. Sometimes I just say hello and that seems to put them more at ease...after all, I don't bite ;)  

I put myself out there when I demonstrate for the simple purpose of showing and teaching anyone interested, just how making yarn works,
either on the wheel or drop spindle. 

Of course my overwhelming preference is the spinning wheel.

I know how wonderfully portable the drop spindle is, I just can't
get over the stop and go associated with using it.
I admire all those who can make amazing yarns on a drop spindle!

Then comes the approach with the accompanying question,
asked as follows..."I have a stupid question"...

Now, I know we all do this...we feel like our question has to seem 'stupid' to those who make things look easy that we just can't imagine ourselves doing.
I am overly guilty of doing this myself!

BUT...I always tell people that there is no such thing as a stupid question...I think it's stupid NOT to ask...how ever else would we learn anything new?

There also seems to be interest in what I'm doing for a few different reasons...

There is the person actually interested in the making of the yarn, either because they knit or crochet and have wondered how it's made
or have been inspired to learn to spin but didn't know where to start...

There's the generally curious person who looks in wonder, doesn't do anything with fiber, but thinks it's just 'cool'...and there's the engineering type that actually wants an explanation of exactly how the spinning wheel works. 
A lot of men ask this type of question,
they have no desire to learn to spin,
but they are so interested in how it all works..

 So next time you walk by and see someone doing something that interests you...
go ahead...ask your 'stupid' question,
you'll probably be glad you did and I hope you are inspired to learn something new!

Thanks to all of you who stopped and inquired about what I was doing...I had a fabulous time demonstrating at the Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival ! :)

Coaching Day at Stratford Hall on 8 May 2011

You really had to be there to appreciate the horses and coach. They are really quite breathtaking!

Bettie Sue and I were at Stratford Hall for their Concert and Coaching on the 8th of May 2011. It started out a little rainy but cleared to be a beautiful day!  We were part of the group Backyard Revolution, the same folks who we first met at Monticello last year.

Bettie Sue's honeysuckle baskets. The bowls hold the various stages of processing the vine so it can be woven.

As well as my spinning demonstration, Bettie Sue brought her honeysuckle baskets to show all who were interested just how to take this obnoxious vining plant and turn it into a beautiful basket.

Ginny keeping watch as I spin.

It was a very busy day and before we knew it, 6 hours had passed and the day was over. It was a very good day!

2010 Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello

Gerilee using her drop spindle and me at my wheel.

Display table

11 September 2010....What a fantastic day!!!  The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful spot under a tree, to sit and play with fiber all day!!  I was invited to be part of a group called Backyard Revolution, an incredible group of craftspeople and artisans!!  I was there to demonstrate spinning, but I also put together a display showing the different stages of wool preparation. I find it very satisfying to have a bag of dirty raw wool and turn it into a usable product. My friend Bettie Sue joined me. She brought some flax and flax hackles to display. Someone actually made the comment that they had no idea that the flax fiber is what is turned into linen! I love it when people ask questions, because I love to explain and show just how fiber prep and spinning works!  My friend Gerilee was also demonstrating spinning. She loves to use a drop spindle...and I love the wheel...so between us both, we had all forms of spinning covered!  Many people wanted to try their hand at using the drop spindle and Gerilee was a wonderful teacher. We had a great time!

Learning to Spin

This is the story of one woman's journey into spinning...
    My friend Bettie Sue is accomplished at many crafts, like honeysuckle baskets, recycled candles, flower arranging, just to name a few. But when I brought up spinning to her, she just rolled her eyes at me and insisted she could never do it like I do. But I had faith in her!
    Many years ago she took a weekend course in spinning, and brought home an Ashford Traveler spinning wheel, books, and....sheep! But that weekend is where her spinning began and ended.
    Fortunately, with just a little bit of coaxing from me, she agreed to try again. She said she remembered nothing from her first adventure in spinning, so it was start from scratch....
    Being that I am fairly new to spinning myself, and I really want to teach others to spin, I had to figure the best way to go about it. Well, remembering recently how I felt when I started, I figured it best for her to start just treadling...and treadling...and treadling...I even gave her some stuff to read so her foot would learn to work independently and she then could concentrate on the fiber in her hands.
     She had initially started out on her own wheel, which is still in need of more oiling of everything...and was much harder to treadle than my wheel...so...the second day she treadled on my Timbertops wheel...she was in heaven since it spins like a dream...easy and smooth...
      The fiber I had her use is an unknown sheep wool that I had washed, hand carded and pre-drafted into little balls. I personally think that drafting should come after you learn to feel the twist coming from the wheel...so she started to learn to feel the twist come up to her fingers and feed the fiber onto the bobbin as it gently pulled from her hands.  Of course there was much overtwist, as to be expected, my own experience was exactly the same, so I completely understood and patiently helped her along...
      After a while, I let her alone and went off to do something else so she could concentrate without having to listen to me, as it does seem overwhelming in the beginning as all of the components of spinning come together...
  I was within earshot and hear "Kim, I think I'm spinning"...I wasn't surprised and I told her so...I knew she could do it, I had believed  in her from the beginning...all she needed was a desire to learn and a little patience...
   I completely expect her next spinning session to be wonderful...she is full of excitement because she now knows that she can do it, just like I kept telling her...

Moving right along...

She finally felt like she was getting the hang of it...

Just whirling along...

Until she had this...a full bobbin of yarn...

She was so happy about it, proud that she could do it...I am proud of her too....