Harry the Hank

It's a ...

Rat?!

Poop?!

Hairball?!

Nope! It's Harry the Hank! Da ta da ta!




Meet Harry the hank. My first attempt at spinning and then PLYING yarn. Plying yarn is trickier than it sounds. I'm going to have to work on that. I know it doesn't look like much, but heh, it's my first attempt. Harry is un-dyed and naturally processed. He is very eco-friendly and is made from local blue faced wool (type of sheep I think) and Alpaca (type of cuddley camel). It's impossible to show detail in picture, but harry is actually brown and grey plyed together.

Yes, I know he's small, but he is enough for a coffee cup cosy. However, think that Harry will be staying as a hank, simply because I'm so proud of him, and he is kind of cute. The cat also thinks he's cute, and that could be a problem. We'll see.

Frustration

Frustration is wanting to do multiple things at once that each exclude you from being able to do any of the others at the same time.

Wet nails and knitting don't mix.

Wet nails and spinning REALLY don't mix.

Spinning and reading don't mix.

Reading and candle making don't mix.

Cats and any of the above don't mix. (Especially with the hot wax on the stove while nails are wet)

Saturday Snows, Spinning, Trance States

It just started snowing here, a bit unexpected. So I can officially stay in all day. Now the question is what to do. There are three things that I would like to do today. One is make candles, two is finish a book and paint my nails, three is fiber related, either spin or knit.

So here's what I'll do. Candles first because they mess everything up. Then clean up from that and do my nails, finish the book. Follow that up with spinning.

Yes, spinning. I am spinning fiber into yarn. And I've finally figured it out! My yarn is a little rough at the moment, but it will just take practice at this point. I had the "Ah, HA!" moment. You know, the moment when whatever you've been attempting and keep hitting a block finally clicks and you get it.

My moment came this morning while blow-drying my hair. I discovered that I had been spinnig fiber for years and hadn't realized it. How is that possible you ask? Let me explain. I have wavy/curly hair and all the frustration that comes with it. the fashions and styles are sleek and smooth. Straight hair swept up or back to accentuate cheek bones. After all, the magazines tell me that this is what great hair looks like, right? So for the past 5-8 years, I have been using a technique called blow-outs. You use a round bristled brush, blow dryer, and a twisting motion to blow straight your hair. Now, adjust the brush to a drop spindle, prettend my hair is wool and guess what you get? the same twirly motion that creates yarn. Spin and twist using your fingers to hold the twist and release it while pulling the hair, opps, wool out for the spindle to twist.

Okay, bad explanation, but the point is I get it! I came out of my repetitive motion trance with the hair dryer, rushed down stairs and grabbed my drop spindle. Yup, same motions I use on my hair to get it straight work on taking puffs of wool and making it into a yarn. So, with half wet hair falling in my face (yes, some accidentally got spun into yarn with the wool) I have had an epifanny for the day.

Pictures to follow....