| Archive for the dropped spindle An online meeting place for spinners, weavers, dyers and felters. |
| natalie |
Last weekend in AugustI hate so say it, but summer is drawing to a close (says she, ready to dive behind the sofa to avoid missiles).Anyone making plans for autumnal activities, building stashes for the winter? I'm planning to sell more hand-dyed/handpainted yarn on ebay, and beginning to build a hoard to take to a craft fair. I'm also collecting patterns for small items and starting to knit them up, to show what can be done with the leftovers from a skein of sock yarn, so if anyone has any ideas please pass them on, the more unusual the better. This weekend I'm putting a few skeins on ebay, the first one is here. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/150g-2-skei...PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem natalie |
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| wellington womble |
Re: Last weekend in August
Hurrah - I can't wait! Looking forward to lighting the fire with my knitting, hot chocolate and crumpets here! My winter project is learning to spin, and I have a drop spindle and some fleece, and far, far too much wool, already. We're supposed to be moving in the early spring, so I'm trying to finish projects and get clear out my clutter. The OH has at last relented, and says he'll build me a greenhouse on the plot, and mum is planning to buy a me a spinning wheel for Christmas (we'll see how I get on with drop spindle first!) Sadly, the farmer won't rent us any land, so I won't be producing my own yarn, just yet, but this winter looks as though it will be busy enough and you never know what's just round the corner! |
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| spinningsue |
I'm going to the Knitting and Stitching show at the NEC in a couple of weeks and there will be stash enhancement happening! 
As for winter projects, I've ordered my Kromski rigid heddle loom but they're out of stock and I've got 2-3 weeks to wait.  I'll use the time to read up and stock up so it won't be wasted. My main winter project will be to learn to weave. I want to knit up all of my sock yarn too. I never planned on having a stash... 
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| wellington womble |
I didn't read that. I don't need to go. I don't need to go. I don't need to go. |
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| ClaireUK |
I was going to go to the NEC but the Rare Breeds show at Melton Mowbray is the weekend before and I am going to that instead. Lots of fleece and soinning stuff for sale - yummy!!! And rare chickens for small son to drool over - he has 3 of his own already.
Claire UK |
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| hellomango |
I can't wait for autumn either! I have lots of spinning to be getting on with for an order so the cooler it gets the nicer that will be.
I am also knitting a new hat and flittens set for me for winter! It is always nice to be able to make your own! |
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| natalie |
? flittens ? 
warm coverings for baby birds wings? natalie |
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| Catherinechaos |
Plans for autumnThere is a little place not far from where I live where they have units for craftspeople and there is a little shopping place and a farm for children and I took one of my things to be framed and the woman there suggested about running a spinning class.I've never done anything like it before, but I have two wheels myself and could get two more from the guild. I wouldn't lose anything really because the hire of the place is £25 so even if I only broke even it would be ok. I thought just a little taster afternoon for people who just want to have a go, maybe hang up a couple of skeins of dyed wool and play some folky tunes (a bit like at woolfest) What do you all think, any suggestions? Cathy |
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| natalie |
If you linked up with Claire you could have a few drop spindles for sale and maybe some roving from fibrespace too.
I think this is a really exciting idea, I had thought of spinning for a while, and once I got my hands on a spindle and then a wheel, I was hooked. Spinning Fishwife may have some advice for you, she has done spinning workshops in schools and has been a public knitter/spindle user in IKEA!!! natalie |
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| Spinning Fishwife |
What kind of thing are you thinking of, Cathy? For adults or children? Demonstration followed by "have a little go" or a proper taught session?
One thing I do know..it can be hard on the wheels if you`re letting kids have a shot! Be careful about taking borrowed wheels along, especially if they`re ones you`re unsure about setting up. I`m happy to let folk use my Louet S10 because it`s bomb-proof, but my Mazurka? Too fiddly, too finicky. When I give chats to schoolkids, I start off with the usual intro about how you can use three sticks, a potato and a sheep to keep you warm if you`ve been stranded without clothes on an island. (It`s corny, but it gets a laugh.) I take along lots of fibre samples to pass around, sniff, feel and guess what animal it comes from. Possom is always a good fibre, for example, and some nice smelly mohair! I take a raw fleece (not for handling unless you have hand washing facilities), washed fleece and some hand carders. I show how to card the fleece, how to use a spindle (which I am terrible with but....), talk about the wheel and demonstrate how it`s used. And I have some knitted up handspun. All of this will be fingered and fiddled with, so resign yourself. Don`t take precious stuff along. For kids, you can make twisted cords more easily with fingers than teaching handspindling. It`s often enough. It`s hard work letting a lot of kids have a go on a wheel, because you have to be right there helping. Adults? I`ve only done one, and Natalie was there too demo-ing handspindling! (And I have to go out on the school run now, sorry. I`ll be back later.) |
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| Catherinechaos |
No, its definately going to be for adults for now - I go into my daughter's school now and again with the fleece and let them loose on the wheel and hope for the best but I just thought for women really, as a taster to see what interest there was. This all happened a couple of weeks ago and I've been umming and aahing about it, its just fear really, I know that I should just get on and have a go.
What do you think about blueface leicester as a good starter fleece - not too long staple and easy to use. What about charging - am I better charging say £10 to start or is it better to charge low to begin with and then raise it? |
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| DianeM |
I think it depends on what you're providing - I would expect to pay enough to cover the materials kit if I went to a workshop, and if you're doing full-on teaching then you deserve something for your effort and expertise.
I wouldn't have a clue what would be reasonable though - I don't think in pounds yet 
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| hellomango |
FingerLess Mittens. My own take on armwarmers.
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