[Fleecewife]

I keep seeing this thread go past and thinking you mean an hour of indoor cycling / vomiting set to music. I wonder if the two could be combined? 

Good grief - is that an advert for amphetamines?  The woman's insane.  Fortunately I missed the vomiting.

Fibre spinning is the complete opposite of that - majestic and relaxing (when it's going right) 

[Fleecewife]

[quote


I am a complete novice, so we'll have to compete!  I was given these fleeces and then went to Woolfest and bought a drop spindle and I mostly blame Fleecewife and some others here for enthusing me so much, so it's great to have passed some of that on!  Going tomorrow to meet with my fleecemaster (as I like to call him) so looking forward to it!
[/quote]


I'm so glad to have been of service          make sure you keep us in the picture 



Sallyintnorth - that is one serious fibre addiction 

[SallyintNorth]

Sallyintnorth - that is one serious fibre addiction 

lol - I didn't mean I went to all of those meets every month and week!, just that they are there if I want them

But spinning and fleece-related things are now a BIG part of my life, for sure - and I blame you and jaykay for that!  (And will never stop being grateful to you both  )

[Somewhere_by_the_river]

From my point of view (or perhaps more accurately OH's!!  ) I think that's the only problem with TAS - so much enthusiasm, so many ideas... I've never known when to stop or how to relax as it is!!  You may have created, or at least encouraged, a smallholding monster 

I am a complete novice, so we'll have to compete!

Oo'er, perhaps egg each other on, not least as I've really yet to start, you're beating me already! (Having grown up with 5 brother's I think I'm cured of competition forever!!)

Fleecewife, I'm guessing the buck (or sheep) doesn't stop there - what got you started? Same question to Sallyintnorth and Jarkay? Love your avatar pic by the way Fleecewife (really must get round to doing mine), that's one spectacular beastie I'd love to draw!

Happy spinning all (though I definitely mean the kind involving wheel and fleece Womble - the other makes me feel sick just thinking of it!!)!

[Fleecewife]

What got me started?  Well, my aunt had been spinning and weaving for years and I'd always managed to avoid her teaching me - too much else to do, job, young family, loads of other hobbies, two allotments and so on.  Then we bought our smallholding and my health plummeted so I couldn't do the physical work (we had planned about 6 acres of market garden supplying restaurants)
So, we got three Jacobs to eat all the grass we were left with (Obviously not going to be enough, but we were novices and so innocent).  The first time they were shorn I had these bags of wonderful, soft, colourful, gorgeous-smelling, and above all exciting bags of fleece.  I knew then that I had been dragged in to spinning so I just submitted    I bought a spinning wheel and simply practised til I could do it.
My first Jacob jumper for my husband was so heavy he could barely walk around in it 
Sheep are even more addictive than spinning, so we added Hebs, Shetlands, and a variety of 'fleece specials' and I was hooked forever.  Now I'm heading down the weaving route, using my handspun.
I never expect to be 'good' at fibre crafts in a competitive way which is just as well because I always have been disobedient, so if there's a 'right way' to do something then I will always find a different path 


I've never been as totally committed to spinning as Sally is though   


SbtR - look at my website for more multihorn Heb pics.  It would be lovely to know Gladstone Laughing Boy or one of his progeny has been the subject for your drawing    We'd need to see the final pic though 

[Somewhere_by_the_river]

I always have been disobedient, so if there's a 'right way' to do something then I will always find a different path

Hmm, that sounds familiar - at last, I've found somewhere the square peg fits!! 

What a great story, thank you. Weaving... oooh, one step at a time me thinks... 

And what a great website and lovely pics... think I'll have to PM you so as not to totally hijack this thread - looking forward to more updates on spinning... (OH's new obsession is Facebook, so at least I'm being more practical with mine  ).

[SallyintNorth]

I wouldn't say I was committed ... maybe I should be committed lol

I'd always loitered wistfully near people spinning at agri and country shows, hoping one of them would talk to me, maybe invite me to have a go - but no-one ever did.

Then jaykay started and enthused on TAS, and BH said would I like some rare breed sheep so I thought I maybe should look at using their fleeces... and between jaykay and fleecewife encouraging me, and our lovely local Guild (I joined the same Guild as jaykay) - well, I loved it and even though it did take me quite a while to get the hang of it, I knew I would enjoy it enough for it to be worth the effort.

And that history of loitering wistfully is why I came to be at Spinners' Corner at the inaugural Scottish Smallholder Show, with a spare wheel and offering everyone who was interested a go

And now I am committed to doing a 'Sheep to Shawl on the Wall' challenge on Hadrian's Wall in July...    Anyone who can spin, knit, crochet, knot, tat, weave, peg-loom, create a square out of yarn in any way whatsoever - please come along and give us a hand, even if only for an hour!

[Fleecewife]

I'd always loitered wistfully near people spinning at agri and country shows, hoping one of them would talk to me, maybe invite me to have a go - but no-one ever did.

Now that is a very familiar story Sally      So, I take a wheel, or if I can't carry that then a spindle, to livestock shows, hospital O/P departments, and other public places I attend.  I sit and spin away quietly to myself and the crowds start to gather.  I love letting people have a go - funnily enough it's boys from about 10 to 14 who are most fascinated.  But there have been lots of people who have become hooked this way     But even if I don't persuade folk to have a go, then at least they are seeing spinning     being done in public and start to understand what it is.  The same goes for knitting 

All it takes is for me to look up when I see shoes around me, smile at whoever's watching, then I start to talk, they start to talk, more people gather and soon I have a little class.
One year at the Highland Show I had my little group of about 20 gathered around, bursting with questions, whilst my husband was giving a shearing demo close by.  So people were able to watch the shearing, then I would sort the fleece on a tarp and bring it over to my wheel for the next stage.  Great.

Why do some spinners guard their skill without passing it on?  I am basically quite shy, so if I can share then so could they.  Here's to spreading the word.

[Lesley Silvester]

If skills aren't passed on they die out. I can never understand people that don't want to share their knowledge but that's probably because I was a teacher. Or maybe it's why I became a teacher.

[Bionic]

I'm still without my broadband    and am currently in Llandeilo library.  Somewhere-by-the-river are you going to Wonderwool?  I think its the last weekend in April at Builth Wells. Lots of stuff there to get really addicted to 

[Somewhere_by_the_river]

Hi Bionic, sorry to hear you are still having issues with broadband, what a pain. If you get really stuck PM me, we're not far from Llandeilo and only about 25 minutes from you...

Oooh, Wonderwool....  My sister-in-law goes every year, so I've heard of it, but have yet to go myself (she practically passes my door to get there, but she's said nothing and is so busy I don't like to ask). Think I'd have fun trying to persuade OH to take me, though the good news is he's all up for me trying spinning, so we're one step closer to getting sheep too 

To all those who try to pass on the knowledge - if only the world were more full of the likes of you, what a wonderful place it would be!

[Bionic]

In the library AGAIN as we still don't have broadband and now don't have a land line either.
BT told us yesterday (while the land line was still working) that our broadband fix is scheduled for 19th June. You must be joking, doesn't even go close to what we said.  Just after that the land line went down. We have suspicions that they might have done that on purpose so that our fix could get brought closer. Anyway, they have now agreed to mend the cables next week and we should be ok by Wed evening. I'm not holding my breath though. 
If you need a lift to Wonderwool let me know as I will definitely be going.

[Lesley Silvester]

Sally, that's ridiculous. I hope they do get it fixed now.


I'm not going to Wonderwool this year. I would like to be daren't as I still haven't used what I bought last year and I know I'd have no will-power if I saw something I liked.

[Greenerlife]

I have my very firs hanks of wool that I HAVE SPUN!  How exciting is that?  Now just have to dye them and get knitting.


My other half is being very rude about them being uneven and a bit slubby, but I don't care.  (Although I am concerned that my second hank is much more even than my first!    ). Perhaps I will have to knit it on alternate rows.

[Bionic]

Well done  . My skeins are still uneven and slubby but who cares. It's a feature, not a problem.


I love the dyeing bit. Are you going to use natural or acid dyes?