It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but there is reason for that… I am too busy creating and being mommy to write. Which after all is a crime, as I used to be a fairly prolific, if unpublished, writer. And maybe I should post some of my writing sometime… Though perhaps on it’s own dedicated but linked blog.

In the meantime, recently I have been working on some custom and commission work, and finding my favorite methods of lace spinning.

I created a lovely merino and silk set of corsetted mitts and a toorie hat for one customer.

50% Merino, 50% silk, patterns are both from SMSS

For a swap partner there if a sweater being created featuring clouds done in intarsia (in the round) and later, a hot air balloon.

I am using a basic sweater pattern, from the bottom up. Charts for clouds are my own. later, I will use duplicate sticth to add a hot air balloon.

On the spinning front, I have a big box of fiber to soon up for one customer.  The first bobbin is almost full.

This is the first bobbin of a big spinning order- earlier this morning. it takes me about an hour to spin 2 ounces of fiber to be plied into 2 ply worsted, IF I am not disturbed. this morning, I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old helper (or they will be these ages next month)

Then there is lace spinning. I have often read about people claiming the spindles can be faster than wheels, but never really truly agreed, since I could not ever find time out be comfortable enough to spindle soon for long period of time.

I have discovered something. I don’t like top whirl spindles for spinning fine.  Pugh, they are fine to learn on, since it seems that most people just do not want to give bottom whirl spindles a chance… But for really fine, fast spinning, give me a tiny bottom whirl (turkish style if you please) or a support spindle any day.

The great benefits to these spindles are, a tiny turkish fits in my purse, and so gets way more use than any bigger spindle would, and support spindles… I can soon fine leave for hours, sitting on my couch, spindle in my lap… Comfy.

I have accumulated a small family of support spindles.

my support spindle collection

From left to right, there is- a hard maple russian from dragonfly workshop (on etsy), one of my own little toy wheel support spindles (available by request only, as they take more work than the top whorl spindles), a Gripping Yarn spindle in Kingwood (Lisa does primarily custom turning, and wonderful work), a coin takli by spinnerdude (on etsy), a black locust russian by a raveler (thebarof) who has just begun woodturning, and for whom I see a very successful future in the craft, a tiny bead spindle made by me, and a great honking toy wheel spindle made by me.

What is not seen in this photo is the even bigger navaho style spindle that I made for plying on.  it is a great spinner, but too big to phot on my little desk.

as for my tiny purse spindle, a tiny turkish- that is by threadsthrutime (on etsy) and is the cutest thing ever.  i photo’d it before spinning a lot, but it weighs .7 ounces, and when I finished spinnign the sample sent with it (about .3 ounces of fiber) the spindle was almost but not totally full, and the yardage on the spindle was about 100 yards of fine lace singles.  plyed, that was 50 yards of heavy lace singles, and I am sure I could spin finer if I chose.  for normal spining (not sampling), I would spin the singles and them wrap them on a plying ball, splicing ends as I went, for continuous yarn.  but  for sampling, this was lovely.

this is my tiny turkish sitting on the keyboard of my tiny computer (10.1 inch netbook)

I have also been experimenting with wood carving.  I modified my old clunky and not very efficient ashford turkish into a turkish I am happy to spin with, by cutting off the hook and several inches of shaft, shaping the arms nicer, and carving a little knob o the top of the shaft for a half hitch.  I don’t always advocate a notch for a half hitch, but on a turkish where you do not want to spiral the yarn, it is helpful, and far better than a hook, any day.

It used to be a clunky ashford turkish- now it is a graceful turkish. still workingout a few details, though.

That is on top of the same netbook, btw.  I am still working on things like- getting the arms to stay still on the shaft… but it is a work in progress.

So that is what I have been up to in the fiber arts world recently.

On top of that, there has been visiting family, my children getting older (the oldest beeba turned 5! this month!) and general family stuff, including a birthday party for said 5 year old to which ALL his freinds were invited, but luckily, only about 6 showed up to.

Tags: Beeba 1, etsy, knitting, spindles, spinning, woodcarving, yarn