Slow Going

The spindle arrived in the mail yesterday! I think I already told you that?

Back up to earlier in the day yesterday. I asked Anne about her spindle, the one I could not find to photograph along with the rovings she ordered. It actually was on the sofa, and I just missed it when I looked. I tend to forget how little it is, it makes it easy to get lost among things. Oh well.....

Her's is a top whorl spindle, and mine is a bottom whorl. We will see how it goes.






This is my spidle (laying on its side)! I will like it a lot more once I can actually use it properly. It is unfinished---I don't think they have to be finished? I am not sure about it. I don't think Anne's is finished, but it does have a certain patina from use.






Here are the two spindles together. You can sure see the difference in sizes. The red yarn on Anne's is her leader, which you attach the fiber to so you can start spinning. I am having a little bit of difficulty getting started along that line. The Spin It book suggests hooking some fiber, spinning a bit, and then take it and wind it around the shaft of the spindle, and then snake it up the shaft and through the hook. I have sort of managed a couple of times, but didn't really like the way that worked, it didn't seem secure enough. The online directions at Joy of Spinning, where I ordered my spindle from, says to make a leader by tying on some yarn, and shows how to tie it to the shaft, take it down below the whorl and wind it around that part of the shaft, and bring it back up, etc. It looks like a really good method. My problem is getting a long enough single spun, and keeping it spun long enough to do all that! I have tried, and although the spinning of the 18 inches recommended isn't a problem, keeping the spin in it to do all the rest is! Maybe it doesn't matter if the spin partially/mostly comes out of it? But I think that weakens it, and that it would make a difference. So, I am still playing with it. Anne did empty out her spindle again yesterday, after deciding to spin, and said I could try hers too, and see how I like it. It might be easier to start learning on the high whorl instead of the low whorl?

I had planned to spend some time working on it all this morning, and that didn't happen. I made a trip to the base today, had to make Anne's insurance payment, and pick up a few things at the commissary. Glad I did, strawberries were down to 59 cents a pound. I will definitely make some freezer jam, got the pectin today too.

Anyway....I have checked some more sites, have watched some more video on spinning, and I hope that once I get the leader situation under control, things might go a little easier. I did really think, I guess, that I had a very good handle on it all, after watching some online video before hand, reading the book, etc. I imagine I had this idea that I had it all in mind, under control, and that it was going to be so much easier than it actually is. That wasn't very realistic, was it??!! I don't think I am going to get around to trying today, but I plan to give it a good go tomorrow, while everyone else is either out of the house or asleep! This is definitely not something to do with an audience, even a kind one--I get too self- conscious.

Check back tomorrow!