“Spinning wheel?! What kind of cockamamie Walton Family marathon are you running over there, Pudding?!” Let me explain. A dear friend of mine got a spinning wheel several months ago. I felt a slight urge to learn how to spin, but knew that I needed to start slow. With a drop spindle. And then I never bought a drop spindle, because that’s how I operate.
When I went to Camp KIP back in April, my friend from Las Vegas actually presented me with the spindle SHE learned on along with some fiber. (This is how addictions get started. Don’t EVER give me some free cocaine and tell me that it’s the same brand of cocaine with which YOU got hooked.) ((I have no idea if there are brands of cocaine. Trader Joe’s does not sell cocaine.)) (((Clarification: I am not in the market for cocaine.)))
With the arrival of my 93rd birthday in May, my dear friend with the wheel presented me with a Turkish drop spindle and a bunch of fiber. Shortly thereafter, I joined her and another spinning friend for a raw vegan meal and some yarn admiration. The fever began to rise.
Last week I received an e-mail from my lovely Vegas friend telling me that June was a special month for the wheel I had been wanting, because if you order one, matching jumbo flyers are being either given away or sold at a huge discount! And, yes! This is sort of like saying, “W porz?dku, dzi?kuj?!” Long story shortened: I did a BUNCH of research, figured out what a jumbo flyer is, and decided that it was wheel time. I called a local dealer (because I’m all about reducing environmental impact) on June 29th and bought my wheel on June 30th. (The jumbo flyer special expired at midnight on June 30th! Today I returned a bunch of library books that are due by midnight tonight! Tomorrow I’ll be eating yogurt that has a shelf date of July 8th! This is how I live!)
Here she is. She’s Polish and she’s awesome. Like Jane Krakowski.
I haven’t yet named her, but I’m thinking she looks like a Weronika. (Veronica was on the short list when we were choosing a name for Meredith. Also, Sebrina. Because of the Jellyfish song.)
I’ve spent the past five days spinning and watching YouTube videos about spinning. I’ve learned that I really like Chicks in Rubber, because I can tell that she is an expert, yet I don’t always understand what she’s saying with her lovely accent. This presents a welcome challenge. For example, I know she didn’t just tell me to take my shirt off and use my foot “just to suck on”—but really. That’s what I heard. (This will be the stuff that makes my spinning style even more swanky and unique than the next guy’s, right? (Watch this video at the 1:55 mark. Your shirt will be off and you’ll be sucking on your foot, too.)) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I see what you mean!
well, that is what she says. but I’m pretty sure this is some weird sub-dialect where shirt = socks.
groovy, foot sucking or not!
I had to listen twice, because the first time, yep, she told me to take of my shirt and suck on. But on the second pass, I’m almost certain she said to take my SHOE off and treddle with just a SOCK on.
I’m thinking the first version would be more fun. Or at least cooler (in the working-with-wool-in-the-summer way. I’m pretty sure topless spinning isn’t the latest craze in the hipster set).
Maybe her name IS Jane Krakowski!
MUAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!
I mean, yay! Welcome to the world of fiber addiction.
Are you doing the Tour de Fleece? :)
Okay, I’m gonna need all my fiber friends to STOP WITH THE SPINNING. I don’t need to spin, I don’t need a wheel, and I don’t even want to look at a drop spindle. It would also help if those dyers (*cough* Dyeabolical *cough*) could quit dying up fiber that I love. Seriously. I knit, crochet, weave, sew, embroider, & (now, again) cross stitch. I need another crafty hobby like I need a hole in my head.
I do love handspun yarn, though. :) AND I look forward to seeing all the new yarns you make.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure what she said was this:
“The way to get over this is to take your shoe off and use your foot, just a sock on, or even in your bare feet.”
I work with a gentleman from Scotland, and I’ve had to learn how to understand those lilting accents. :)
Looks beautiful! Have fun!!!
Yay, you got a Kromski! Is that a Minstrel? I feel stupid for asking, because I have one, but I can’t tell from this angle. I am SO jealous that you have the jumbo flyer – I just found out about and need to get one, but it will require cutting (!) to adapt it to my Minstrel. Mine is kind of old school, I guess.
Happy spinning!
Congratulations on your new addiction…erm, I mean wheel. :) I am resisting learning to spin on a wheel because that’s a lot more of an investment than I’m willing to make and where the hell am I going to put it? But! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Bosworth spindle in the mail.
Great. Now what am I supposed to do with this cocaine I got you? I don’t think the dealer does refunds.
I still feel like I can barely knit. I hope I don’t get the spinning bug.
The whole cocaine paragraph might be the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Lemme check.
Yep. Funniest.
Can’t wait to see what you do with Weronika.
I’m sure this is not unique, but I have a friend who spins the fur from her Malamute into the most (gorgeous) yarn. I also have a friend in So Cal who raises alpacas specifically so she can spin.
Interesting realization: I have a remarkably multi-faceted group of friends!
Sadly, I’m sure when they study *their* collection of friends, I fall far down the list in terms of “interesting avocations” (sigh)
See, you do need an alpaca. It’s all coming together now.
oooooh, its looking so good! I had my “Bye Jove, I think she’s got it” moment just now….meaning, my spinning looks less bad than it did 10 minutes ago.
onward and upward.
Yes, you’ll definitely need to get alpacas next. Maybe you should start searching for a farm now.
I have a wheel. I wish I were better at the making of the yarn part – I pretty muc just churn out slightly twisted pencil roving. VERY thick. But it’s the craft of my soul. What? I dunno. I could sit and pump the pedals on my Schact Ladybug all day long, even with no fibre. Sigh.
Phew. I am glad Kat from Slugs made it over here. Because it was TOO DAMN WEIRD for me, two bloggers buying a spinning wheel in the same week.
She sure is pretty!
“Aurora” “Flora” “Fauna” or “Meriweather”
(Walt Disney ruined my life.)
I will totally alpaca sit.
My wife has one of those. Let me know if you come across any videos that show how to spin fiber out of the DUST GATHERED ON TOP OF IT.
I’m naming her Spinderella