Whaaaa....?

After nearly six years of spinning yarn,
I am overwhelmed at the lack of knowledge people have of it.
If you know me at all, you know I spin yarn.
If you know me better, you understand some of the terminology.
If you are my family,
you are bored and quite knowledgeable of  every aspect of my passion.

I took a weekend-long, how to spin class,
and came home with a Kromski Sonata spinning wheel six years ago.
Spinning had been a curiosity for me for twenty years.
My mom owned a yarn shop in Pittsburgh when I was young,
so I suppose it's in my blood.
The first time I went to a fiber festival....
where one buys all kinds of fiber for spinning into yarn,
I came home with three raw  Romney sheep fleeces.
I took a sample to show my girly girls, in a sandwich baggie.
We were at Red Lobster for lunch.
Probably not the best place to take raw, lanolin wool :)
I love the earthy farm animal smells of it!
And lanolin is a great moisturizer!
Whenever I post that I am going to a fiber festival,
I always get one response....
"for bran and flax seed? They have festivals for that?"

I'm sure they do somewhere, but not that kind of fiber!
Whenever I say that I am going to spin today,
I always get at least one person
who thinks I am spinning on a bike, in a gym, for fitness.
No.
Seriously.
Do I look like I SPIN?

This past weekend, I attended a fiber festival above Chicago.
I took a few classes there last year, but this year was strictly buying.
(I will be attending the first of a six year class from Olds College
this July to earn a master spinners degree tho....
so excited!)
On my way home, trying not to dread the drive through Friday 6pm traffic jams,
I received a call from someone who I have never met, but we talk pretty often.
He was tired from his week, as I was weary, driving tired.
I mentioned where I had been.

Totally floored and confused him.
I spent the next 45 minutes answering questions from him.
After the icky factor (for him) of where yarn comes from,
he wanted to know all about my wheel,
how I dye fiber,
where I get fiber, etc.
He was really stoked.

He couldn't get the image of the old Revolutionary War's
huge spinning wheels out of his mind's eye.
What did they spin with?.....most probably wool, cotton or flax.

How lucky my husband must be to get warm socks
that came from the sheep to begin with.
(Do you feel lucky honey?)

Before hanging up, I could tell he was excited.
He told me he was going to go home and tell his wife what he learned.
Unfathomable!
He was even going to look online about spinning
and see if there were any festivals near Santa Monica.
(Yes, I would die to live in California...the supply is staggering for product and classes!)

Since I have begun spinning, it seems as if this age old hobby has boomed.
Every state in the country has some sort of fiber event,
and the internet is full of supply for any kind of fiber!
My ride home, was exhilarating!
I bought a venti breve latte with an extra shot,
turned the GPS to no tolls,
tuned the radio to oldies.....which now days is 80's music!
Perfect for me to sing along to!
I seemed to glide through traffic,
I was conscious of other drivers and allowed plenty of room between
me and the car in front of me, for easy access.

So, if you are curious, skim through some of my older posts
for references to spinning or dyeing or vocabulary.
Type in to Google Spinning Fiber and see what you get.
I will happily show you how to spin wool, cotton, silk, milk or soy
into yarn, and then teach you how to knit or crochet.

My friends call me mother earth.
I don't mind, I am a throw back I suppose.

I am truly blessed my hubby finds joy in his socks,
and am able to continue with my passions.