Thursday, July 31, 2008

My first handspun!

I'm so excited about my spinning I can hardly contain myself!!!  I know understand why others love it so!  (there is no wheel in my immediate future...trust me....small apartment....grad school budget....ain't happening)   Let me show you how it went!

First night of spinning at Knit Night (about 2.5 weeks ago)  N (my super teacher) sent me home with more roving to practice.

I took my spinning back the next Knit Night.  N was so pleased she sent me home with more roving and said we could ply the following week (this last Tuesday)  At this time I thought I had a lot....ha ha what was I thinking?

Now when N sent me home with more roving I naively thought it was about the same amount she had sent the time before. WRONG!  I had budgeted the same amount of time and it just never seemed to end (I kinda did a marathon spinning day on Tuesday....I wanted to ply so bad)  Here is what I got.

Then I wound it into a cake to begin plying 2 strand of it together.  Yeah!  Oh isn't the bottom of the spindle N sent home with me so cute!!!

So Tuesday we plied!!  I was so excited that last night I finished it!  I then wound it into a skein (using the backs of 2 chairs because I lack a swift....now I realize the chairs should have been further apart for a prettier skein)  and here is my yarn!!!

And a close up of the strands.  I was really pleased with how even it came out!  Now it just needs a bath!! and then I can knit with my own hand spun yarn!  (Bet you couldn't guess that I've been looking at roving online trying to decide what to spin next!)

Do you think I'm addicted?  (But I really don't want it to eat into my knitting time too much....but it sure was fun!)

16 comments:

Stacy Kraus McDonald said...

You are totally addicted! I can't wait to see what you make out of it.

Jennifer said...

I'm super impressed. How many yards is there?

Suzanne said...

That looks amazing!! I sooo want to learn to do that!! Looks like you do an awesome job, its beautiful!!
Suzanne

Lovs2Knit said...

Love your new skein of handspun! I can't wait till my oldest goes back to school so I can have more then a few minutes of peace to spin on my wheel.

Grace said...

that is awesome!

Anonymous said...

It looks great!!

Aunt Kathy said...

Nice Job Leah, spinning is another thing I wonder if I will ever try

Anonymous said...

Fabulous handspun!

Turtle said...

wow, really nice! Good job!

Marti said...

I always say "Whatever works for a swift works" I found a large lampshade works great for winding onto my ballwinder. Great looking handspun!

Tracy Batchelder said...

A spinner is born! You're a natural! Just wait until you knit with it. You'll love the way it feels to knit with yarn you've spun yourself.

Davene McBride said...

Very impressive! and beautiful and what fun for you.
Love,
Mom

Keowdie said...

Congratulations! That's a pretty cool accomplishment.

Anonymous said...

GOsh--I love that spindle, but I just can't imagine getting aything to come out with my trying it. id ont' have one, and I love to see others come up with beautiul yarn, but I think it's beyond me. SOunds lke you have a new addiction@

Share said...

Wow! That looks great! Can't wait to see what you do next! :D

Suzie said...

Thanks for reading my blog! I just discovered yours...it is really interesting to read. I like the yarn that you spun...I have some roving and wish I could figure out how to use my drop-spindle..