A new spindle
Both Jan and Bernadette have told you about our guild sale and exhibition. Now it’s my turn. I didn’t have my own booth this year so I got to wander around and fill in and help out wherever I was needed. It was really nice to not be assigned anywhere and just enjoy the show and chat with everyone after not seeing so many in person for a couple of years.
I am not a big spender at these things. I look for new fibres and add-ons and how people are combining things. Then I go looking for the ingredients to make my own.
The one thing I do buy is spindles. I bought a new spindle from Judy Kavanaugh. https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/JudyKavanagh She makes all kinds of tools and patterns. This one is a bedouin-style spindle. It has 4 arms and is a top whorl spindle instead of a bottom whorl spindle I usually use. The wood is beautiful.
People kept asking if it was a Turkish spindle but you can’t take the arms off this one and you don’t wrap your yarn around them. this is the other way up so you can see the wool cob on it. The angle makes it look small.
I am enjoying spinning on it. and that brings up to the other things I bought. I bought 2 batts from Bernadette. I like to buy them from Bernadette because she isn’t recarding wool tops. She is using wool she processed herself and it is really nice to spin.
The Darker blue is what I am spinning on my new spindle and it’s marked as mixed fibre. It’s soft and a little shiny.
The brighter blue I am spinning on another spindle.
The wool is much spongier and I have lost the label but I am betting it’s Coopworth. It’s very nice to spin too.
This post is a bit backward because I bought the wool first and the spindle second. The new spindle is more exciting to chat about so it got top billing. It really went like this. I started to spin the bright blue batt first. Then I decided that a blue spindle that Judy had for sale really was calling my name. When I went to get it, someone had already bought it. You snooze you lose. then standing there chatting with Judy I saw her spinning on a Bedouin spindle and gave it a try and decided it was just as well the other one was sold. I picked out the lovely one at the top. So then I abandoned this lovely fibre and started spinning on my new spindle with the other batt.
All in all, I think I was very restrained in my buying. There were so many pretty things I could have bought.
Here is a picture of me spinning at the show. And yes I really did chop my hair off. It was time for a change and it will grow again.
12 thoughts on “A new spindle”
Your hair really suits you at that length and style Ann – and it must be easier to look after?
Your parsimony, when surrounded by all those goodies, is admirable. Nothing empties our purses faster than a fibre show!
The wood on Judy’s spindle is pretty and Bernadette’s wool looks fab 🙂
Thanks Lyn and Annie. It does take a lot less time to dry and I can blow dry it. but wearing a bread all the time is pretty easy too.
I am enjoying both the wool and a the spindle.
I am envious of your skill Ann.
I must admit that I love spindles, I covet all different sorts, although I don’t use them now. I own one spindle which was made by my brother in law – I’ve no idea what the style is, it’s just a Drop Spindle as far as I know. I’m afraid that it lived up to its name whenever I tried to use it.
My sister used to spin lovely yarn on practically anything, but then she taught herself on a potato and a stick with fibres from barbed wire and brambles!
Ann
I have to agree with you about spindles; they are lovely and delicate and unusable in my hands. I call them pick-up spindles for obvious reasons. It needs to be pointed out that Ann did so much more than just fill in where needed. She was on the organizing committee for this years Sale and Ex and did the lions share, thank you again Ann.
I really enjoy the spinning on a spindle. It’s slow but not to slow. I still drop them sometimes but that’s ok. Your sister sounds very determined to have managed to learn that way.
Thanks Bernadette. the wool is wonderful to spin. I am sure you could use a spindle if you really wanted too.
What a beautiful spindle. I have one that I haven’t used in years. I keep thinking I will have time to get it back out again but other things seem to top my list. One day…
Love your hair cut shorter, it really suits you.
It is lovely isn’t it . Judy does lovely work. You should get it out Ruth, you could spin odd things and put them in your tree book. I have spun some cedar bark.
I love the beauty and simplicity of the spindle. It looks so easy to use, but I’m sure there must be a learning curve to overcome. Your spindle does look so lovely. Gorgeous hair too Ann.
Thanks Marie, it is an especially pretty spindle. you can learn I suggest starting with the park and draft method so you can teach your hands what to do.
Fabulous spindle Ann! i dont know how i missed it? i was likely takeing picktures of inkle Looms by Don on the other side of the booth and got distracted. that will teach me. Your Hair dose look grate! but give it a cuple months and it will be longer than mine again!!
Bernadette is rite you did a lot of work and organized a team to pull off the show. Well done!!
It is a lovely spindle I am really enjoying it. I don’t think even my hair grows that fast. I did have a great team. I couldn’t have done it without you both.