A New Obsession

While I’ve been knitting pretty much since people used sticks and fuzz, spinning is something which I did decades ago.  Back then, I used a wheel.  Now, thanks to my sweetheart, I’ve begun spinning again using Russian and Tibetan spindles.

As always, I have to have everything possible to achieve my end goal.  So do I start out with one spindle, one bowl, and one bag of fiber - just to see if I’ll like it?  Oh no... that wouldn’t be in keeping with my wild and adventurous spirit.  So, since I got a bonus, I decided to go shopping.

Within the time frame of about two weeks, I now have 18 spindles on hand (with five more on the way), a large box full of various fibers, six bowls, and every notion available for spindlers.  Needless to say, the bonus disappeared rapidly, but it’s been so long since I’ve been able to just completely blow that much money, I had a blast.

These spindles are little works of art.  The woods are exquisite, the spindlemakers whom I’ve been lucky enough to connect with are top-notch, and the fibers - those lovely ropes and braids of cloud-like softness - are a joy to work with.

Compared to a wheel, I find the process of using a spindle much more enjoyable.  It’s more tactile, you have more control over what you’re spinning, and you can do it anywhere - the tools are portable to the point where you can spin riding in the car, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or sitting on the john.  Of course, I also had to get a suitable bag to transport the goodies I think I’ll need for whatever occasion I’m going to be spinning outside the house.

Now my house truly looks like a fiber mill - there’s bits of fiber floating through the air, all over my clothes, in my food - and combined with Tillie’s shedding makes for quite the mess.  There I sit in the middle of it all, blithely unaware of just how shitty my house looks and merrily spinning away.

It’s like being in a state of zen - time ceases to exist, everything in my body relaxes, my breathing slows (yeah, the Fentanyl has a lot to do with that, but this helps it along), and the slowness of creating yarn is hypnotic.  You can park and draft (which I do), or do a long draw, then wind on your finished single to the spindle, repeat.  It really is relaxing and fun.

If you’ve not tried it before but have always wondered about it, I’d highly recommend you give it a whirl (pun intended).  It’s not for the faint of heart, however - you’re going to spend a helluva lot more money than you ever imagined.

But so what?  The old man sends me support checks, I have a freezer full of food, Tillie has everything she needs, and I’ve never been able to save money anyway.  You can’t take it with you...