Once a year I pack up my trunk and head down to the Chandler Multicultural Festival. I attend with my guild, the Telaraña Weavers and Spinners. This year I brought along a special guest, my son Wes. Wes does one service oriented project each month as part of his education. The festival provided a great opportunity to be out in the community, spending time with others and sharing our love of the arts, in this case fiber arts!
I should refer to Wes not as my guest, but my secret weapon. You see, I always take a bunch of wool and drop spindles to this event. I spread a blanket out on the ground and sit at kid level. I want them to know it's okay to touch and play. After all, there's no better way to pass on the joy of your craft than by teaching the next generation. When other kids saw my son sitting with a lap loom weaving, it really got their attention. I think it made them feel like it was okay to ask questions and try out the loom and spindles for themselves.
I spent a wonderful afternoon, surrounded by boys and girls and their parents. At one point I had two brothers and a sister all learning how to work drop spindles together. Whenever it was time for the kids to leave, I would unwind the yarn they had spun and give it to them as a little keepsake. So many people asked me if I teach classes. I don't have any official classes that I teach, but I gave them my card. If someone really wants to learn, I can't say no to that! There aren't many yarn shops or community centers that offer classes just for kids. It's a shame especially when you seen how interested they are.
It has been a fulfilling day of teaching and sharing. Days like this are rare treasures. Why can't every day be multicultural day?
I promised myself that I would take down my Christmas decorations today. For the few of you who have visited my home during the holidays, you know that this is a pretty big job. Feeling the desire to stall, I took a detour into my studio looking for a distraction. You see, I can justify putting off chores if there is fiber involved.
That's when I thought of my Turkish drop spindle. I guess I've had spindles on my mind since spending a recent afternoon with a spindle enthusiast. I have a Turkish drop spindle that I have taken on numerous outings. I've been working on this ball of yarn, bit by bit for a long time. I decided that today, at long last, I would remove the yarn and ply it.
I originally bought this spindle because I liked the idea of being able to ply from one ball using the center pull, beginning strand and the outer ending one. The wool that I've been spinning has sentimental value as it is a carded blend of some of my earliest wool purchases. It mostly began as raw fleece and I did all of the washing, dyeing and carding. This was back in those wonderful experimental days before I really knew what I was doing. Also, I had yet to come across my favorite wools with which to work. As a result, this yarn is a funky blend of Rambouillet, Mohair and I can't remember what else. There's even a little leftover grease as my washing could have been better.
Today is the first time I've plied yarn from my Turkish drop spindle. I pulled the center end out from one of the larger side holes. At first I was thinking I would put it on a lazy kate and just go for it. Then I realized that it 
would probably need to roll free. I was worried about the two strands twisting together as they unraveled. Then, as I started plying, I discovered that although they did twist as the ball rolled around, this really didn't interfere with the plying process.
Typically when I ply two singles, my I hold the two strands separately in my right hand and control the twist with my left. When I plied this ball, I just held them together and fed them right in. No muss, no fuss!
In the end, I find myself with about 95 yards of medium weight yarn. Since the colors are sort of Christmas-like and the texture is more coarse, I think I may use it to make ornaments. This year I was thinking that it would be fun to decorate a small tree with nothing but crocheted or tatted decorations. Of course one needs to plan ahead for such things. I think starting in January might give me just enough time!
The last day of my European travels was spent in Munich. I had already spent a few days in Munich earlier on this vacation. This last day was a day of rest after spending time in Italy and before heading back to the United States.
I had kind of accepted that the closest thing to fiber art I was going to find in Munich was this sheep I bought at the Viktualienmarkt, a farmer's market. He's cute, but he isn't even covered in real wool.
It was Sunday and the square in front of the Glockenspiel at Marienplatz was being set up for a performance. There was a stage, lots of tables and the local brew houses were setting up tents. My family and I were just out for a walk, stretching our legs. The day was overcast and occasionally a rain cloud would treat us to some sprinkles.
I saw a few craft tents set up on a side street. Drawn to crafts of any kind, I headed in their direction. I walked by the first couple tents as they held nothing of interest. I craned my neck to see if it was even worth walking to the end of the street when something caught my eye. I felt certain that I saw something spin. I quickened my pace, my spidey senses tingling. Sure enough, in the very last tent, sat a little band of handspinners. They had baskets of wool and samples of yarn. Some sat at wheels while others used drop spindles. My people! 
I took out one of my business cards which have a picture of a spinning wheel and sheep on them. I pointed to my name and in my best German said, "Dies ist mir." Which I'm sure you can guess means "this is me". Their faces lit up and we all smiled at each other. They each held up their projects for me to admire. One gentleman who was working a Turkish drop spindle, pulled out a stick and demonstrated spinning using nothing but a twig. I managed to share how Native American spinners sometimes use a long stick and spin it against their thigh. His response to this was to spin a little length of wool with his bare hands and present it to me as a gift.
Rain started to fall in earnest and I left to rejoin my family. My few minutes with the Handspinngilde of Munich left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It's heartwarming to know that there are others out there preserving and passing on this heritage. Even more, it's wonderful when a mutual love of spinning is enough to transcend language barriers and make you feel as though you are among friends!
I just made a new top whorl drop spindle kit. This one is called Cranberry Spice.
I make each drop spindle kit individually. I want new spinners to have fabulous fiber for their first experience. I include some ecru wool, but I also take the time to blend and card pretty dyed wools together. I add some Firestar for sparkle. Then I hand pull it into a nice roving.
All of my kits come complete with spinning instructions, a sturdy drop spindle, a leader cord and plenty of fiber. Each kit is different from the last and I enjoy making them special. It's my way of welcoming new spinners to the wonderful world of fiber arts.
I didn't take my camera, so I have a rare pictureless post tonight. I just thought I'd sit here for a few minutes and share my day.
Once a year, my town of Chandler hosts a multicultural festival. It always feels like a breath of fresh air. For one day, people come together to celebrate diversity and culture with food, music, dancing, art and education. Why oh why can't events like this be headline news?
I had my husband drop me off. I headed down the sidewalk with a blanket roll slung over one shoulder along with my messenger style purse. The other shoulder supported my tote bag full of yarn and samples of my craft. My hands were busy carrying a big African basket with display materials, a handful of drop spindles, roving and other goodies. As I walked into the center of downtown, I passed a grandstand where a new group of American citizens were being sworn in. There were big smiles in the crowd and plenty of cameras too. The pride on their faces was almost palpable. I walked on to have my senses livened by tasty aromas. I knew the food tents were near. I kept on until my own little culture came into view. Finally, the spinning wheels of my fellow Telaraña Guild members greeted me. The sun shone on this sweet little group of casually dressed women, expertly feeding roving to hungry wheels while chatting in happy tones. I felt a flush of warmth as I joined them, my people.
I rolled out my striped blanket and sat cross legged in the middle of it like the happy bohemian I am. On one side, I set out a display of my oversized tatted necklaces and bracelets. On the other, I allowed a large cloud of Blue Faced Leicester to billow out of a hat box surrounded by drop spindles. I like teaching, so I sort of come to these events prepared to interact with anyone who looks interested. I especially like working with kids. Every so often you see that sparkle, and you know you've got a real creative mind in front of you. It's exciting to think that you may be witnessing the beginning of a lifelong passion.
Anyone reading my blog post is probably already a fiber enthusiast, but if you're not, you may be surprised to learn that spinning, even with a simple drop spindle, can be a real crowd pleaser. I would even go as far as to say that people experience the "wow factor" the first time they witness wool becoming yarn. It's always the moment that tickles me the most as a teacher. I'll be instructing a young girl as her parents look on. She'll be holding the wool in an anxious pinch with one hand as she spins the spindle for the first time with the other. I like to keep my beginners in the moment so I'll say, "Can you see the twist getting tighter and tighter as you spin? Can you feel it starting to put pressure against your pinch?" Their focus will shift from their hands to the fiber. Their eyes will get a little wider as the see the twist for themselves. Then I'll have them park the spindle and slowly pull back on their pinch. "Watch the twist travel up the wool." I'll say. My student's eyes will get even larger and they'll suck in a breath as they see the twist climb up towards their fingers. One of the parents will usually exclaim, "Well, will you look at that? That's something!" I'll smile at my delighted young student and inform her, "You just made your first piece of yarn!"
Before my students leave me, I always unwrap the yarn they spun and give it to them as a keepsake along with a little roving. Spinning is all about the connection you feel with the wool and I want them to take that connection away with them. I know that with this souvenir in hand, they will be much more likely to seek it out again in the future. After all, the only way to keep your culture alive is to pass it on to the next generation. There are always a couple students that stand out in my mind at the end of the day. They are the ones that I know will spin again. There was one woman, Alyssa, who was about my age. As she spun yarn for the first time, she became so excited. "I have to do this!" She told me more than once. I just giggled and nodded. I know exactly how she feels!
I was photographing my drop spindles for the shop and decided to place them all into a felted vase. It's a spinner's bouquet!
I thought it turned out cute, so I wanted to share it with you. While I'm at it, I guess I should also say that my drop spindles are back in stock. These spindles aren't fancy, but they spin great and are perfect for learning how to spin. It can also be fun to finish your own spindle with your favorite wood stain or acrylic paints. As for me, I kind of like the unfinished wood. They're naturally pretty!
This is a fiber arts blog, so I must proclaim to the world, or at least my handful of readers, that this coming Saturday is National Spin in Public Day.
Whether it's for 20 minutes or all day long, grab those drop spindles and spinning wheels and head outside. Set up in a park, a coffee shop, a bench in the mall, a street fair or even the grass of your own front yard. Be in a place where people can see you and where you can share your craft.
Whenever I tell people I like to spin my own yarn, I get responses like, "Do people really still do that?" or "That seems like a pretty unique hobby." When I tell them there are thousands of us spinners out there, they look skeptical. Well now's our chance to show the nation just how many of us there are!
Even better, we can answer questions, give demonstrations and share our love of fiber arts with others. This is a chance to invite new young spinners into the fold. Whenever I spin in public, I always find myself surrounded by children. If I put a drop spindle in their hands and show them how it works, they get very excited. They call their moms over to see what they can do. The spark has been ignited.
So my spinning friends, I implore you. This Saturday, find a shady palm, perhaps the good company of a sombrero wearing frog, and spin!
Here it is! I'd like to formally introduce The Wind Rose Spindle Noddy! I'm so excited!
The Wind Rose Spindle Noddy is a drop spindle and a niddy noddy all in one! Use the Spindle Noddy to spin beautiful skeins of yarn and wrap them right onto the 24" Niddy Noddy.
Singles can be placed on a swift and wound into center pull balls for easy plying. Or you can make single ply yarn that is conveniently wrapped onto the niddy noddy as you spin. Slide off your completed hank and it's ready to be washed and the twist set. You may also enjoy having the 2 foot niddy noddy for making sample skeins or short skeins for smaller projects.
The Wind Rose Spindle Noddy weighs 1oz with an 8.5" spindle length. The arms of the niddy noddy are 6" long allowing three inches on each side of the spindle. This is enough room to spin nice big skeins of yarn.
The Spindle Noddy is made from unfinished birch and comes with spinning instructions, a leader cord and a .5oz sample of roving. It's shipped in a sturdy box for safe travels.
This afternoon my studio became a woodworking shop for a few hours. I was contently measuring, sawing, drilling and sanding when I paused to look at my workspace. I decided to take a picture. It's not everyday that my little room in the back of the house looks like this.
Whenever I work with wood and that first whiff of sawdust scents the air, I think of my dad. He built wooden boats for fishing and sailing which is a pretty high contrast to my projects. Still, I can't help but think that my childhood, playing in the Virginia Boat Shop (my dad's workshop) is the reason why I'm comfortable with tools today.
I made a handful of my Wind Rose Spindle Noddys and tomorrow I'll be able to photograph them and start listing them in the shop. I'm still deciding if I should include other things in the box with them like my Top Whorl Drop Spindle Spinning Instructions or maybe an ounce of wool. It's always nice to have a little fiber to play with when you buy a new spinning tool.
Tomorrow I'll return with the pictures and tell you a little more about them. Night all.
I rarely allow so many days to go by between blog posts. This week however, I found myself in the middle of multiple projects. In other words, I was trying to do too much at once and so nothing was getting done.
My goal for this Sunday has been to finish some of what I have started. I now have half a dozen Vandyke Necklaces completed and ready for purchase at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. This pretty light blue version was crocheted using a bamboo/silk blend. I think the design looks very nice with this yarn and so I may have to make a few more!
In other news, I took the time to post my free crochet patterns on Ravelry a few days ago. I expected a small surge in my blog traffic, but nothing like I received. I was blown away by over 1200 page loads in one day. I just want to say thank you to the Ravelry community for visiting my little blog here at Wind Rose. Thank you and Welcome!
The Wind Rose Spindle Noddy is still in production, but I expect to have them available by the middle of this coming week. I'll be sure to let you know when they are ready.
I guess that's all for tonight. I hope everyone had a good weekend!
I've taken the day off from crocheting and pattern writing and I've done a little wood working instead. I've been planning on making these for a while now, so it was really fun to shut myself in my studio and get busy.
This little guy is the first ever Wind Rose Spindle Noddy. If you follow this blog, you may have seen a post or two on a small niddy noddy drop spindle that I purchased on a whim. It has turned out to be one of my favorite spinning tools especially when I'm traveling. The sad thing is, the place I bought mine from doesn't sell them anymore and I haven't seen them anywhere else. It's time to make my own.
I have named my design the Wind Rose Spindle Noddy because it is a cross between a drop spindle and a niddy noddy. Actually, it's both. It could be used just as a niddy noddy. Each wrap of yarn creates a 24 inch loop which has become a popular size for short skeins or sample skeins. On the other hand, it can be used just like a drop spindle.
Let me tell you why I like my spindle noddy so much. I think it's really fun when I'm traveling, to be able to spin a medium weight singles yarn and wrap it right onto the niddy noddy as I spin. When I have enough yardage, I can slip off my yarn, set the twist and let it dry. The next morning I have a new hank of yarn just waiting for me.
Once I took a four day trip to North Carolina. I spun on the plane on my way there. The second day I finished spinning and washed my yarn. I set it on the dash of my car to dry in the sun while I went hiking. Then on the third day I made the yarn into a baby hat for my niece who we were expecting to arrive any day. I created a handmade baby gift, start to finish, in three days!
I also think the spindle noddy makes a good lap spindle. By lap spindle I mean that it's comfortable to spin while sitting. It's easy to park the spindle between your legs and extend the roving to an arm's length and let the twist travel on up. It has come on more than one ride with me whether I'm traveling by car or by plane.
My spindle noddy design is very minimalist looking. I think the Swede in me tends to lean towards the Ikea school of design. I like basic shapes and simplicity. I have one more change to make before I'm ready to launch these in my shop. I need to make it just a little heavier. Right now, my model weighs .5 oz and it's feeling a little light to me. I'm going to up the diameter of my wood pieces to gain at least another half an ounce. Otherwise, it works like a charm.
When I have a few ready for sale, I'll be back with more pictures so you can see it from every angle. For tonight, I just wanted to share today's efforts. Have a great weekend everybody.
It's almost too hazy, hot and humid to do anything right now. Monsoon season is in full swing and even with the air conditioning running full blast, the moisture in the air seems to be finding its way into my house. This weather makes me lethargic.
Even so, I managed to put a new Top Whorl Drop Spindle Kit together. I've had the roving ready and waiting for some time. I like to share my new kits here on my blog because each one comes with one-of-a-kind, hand pulled roving.
This one has pretty summer colors. As you can see, there's turquoise and then a lighter shade that I call Sea Spray. These two blues are accompanied by sparkling Firestar. As with all of my kits, they come with everything you need to get started including complete directions.
Now, back to my lethargy.
There's nothing like the blend of old technology with new. This is especially true when the new helps us out with the old. Sometimes it's little things like niddy noddy calculations. I have a niddy noddy on which one wrap is 60 inches. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do a math question like (60 x 113) ÷ 36 = ? to find out how many yards of yarn I have.
Spinners are always solving math problems. If I spin a yarn that has 18 Wraps Per Inch, approximately how many yards will I have in an ounce? How many ounces do I need to spin to have enough yards for my project? How do I achieve my desired twist on a wheel ratio of 1:6 with a short draft of about 4 inches. It goes on and on.
Well guess what? Today I stumbled onto what I think is a seriously cool iPhone/iPod Touch app for the spinning community. It's called iSpin Toolkit. You can measure the angle of your twist, find your WPI or TPI and calculate a myriad of things from WPI to grist, niddy noddy figuring and even the number of treadles needed to create a certain TPI. I've been playing with it this afternoon and I have to say, it makes the calculations fun. You can choose a light screen or a dark one, whichever is easier on your eyes. There's even a ruler to check your gauge.
There are a lot of craft apps that look cool, but I can't really see myself using them. This one is loaded with practical tools. I think iSpin Toolkit is worth checking out.
This beautiful Navajo spindle was made by Hokett Would Work. This was one of my purchases from the Fibers Through Time conference. I was admiring Jim Hokett's lovely woodwork when I noticed these spindles in a stand hiding in the corner. My memory immediately flashed to some of the first spinning I had ever seen.
When I first started to explore the fiber arts beyond my lifelong crocheting, I began by weaving and worked by way backwards. I used simple frame looms to teach myself weaving techniques and it wasn't long before I came to respect and admire the wisdom of the Navajo Weavers.
After weaving for about a year, I knew I wanted to make my own yarn. I received an annual dose of education on my visits to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It was at this event that I stood and watched a Navajo woman spin on a spindle like this one. Her spindle was aged and I could only imagine how many thousands of yards of wool had been spun on that stick. It looked more like an appendage that a separate tool. I stood entranced for the longest time as people brushed passed me. I have always learned best by seeing and doing and my eyes were memorizing her every move.
That being said, I'm not sure why my first spindle was not a Navajo spindle. I'm sure cost and portability were factors. I've never actually spun on a Navajo spindle, but that is soon going to change. If you have never had the good fortune to see a demonstration, here is a wonderful link to an excerpt from a Wolf Creek film. Master Weaver Clara Sherman teaches how to card and spin.
Just cruising by with updates today. On the left is my latest Top Whorl Drop Spindle Kit. This kit comes with super soft, hand pulled roving in Sapphire Blue, light Brown and Cloud White. It's full of Sparklying Firestar too!
On the right is my progress so far with my weaving sticks project. I got quite a bit done last night. I just put on a DVD and wove. It's looking pretty good. I'll be able to smooth it out more after I'm done. This endeavor seems like it will go quickly. It's nice to have a fast project!
Good Morning and a Happy March 1st to you! I have plans, I tell you, many many plans for a productive Spring!
I am kind of a crazy planner type woman. I make all sorts of goals for myself. It could be said that I'm ridiculously self motivated. All big ideas aside, what I really need to do is dye. All of my recent pattern writing focus has translated into less time dyeing fiber and that just won't do!
In addition to that, my drop spindle kits seem to be flying out of the shop. I just made this new one last night with some very pretty Raspberry Merino, Silver Alpaca, Orange Wensleydale and tons of Orange Firestar. It's soft, pretty and very sparkly! This Top Whorl Drop Spindle Kit is ready and waiting at Wind Rose.
I'll be back in a bit to share today's project with you!
I always like to share with you when I make a new Top Whorl Drop Spindle Kit. Each one I make is unique in that I design two ounces of hand pulled roving for every kit. I pick beautiful colors and textures and I always add tons of sparkling Firestar.
This kit has a super soft blend of Merino wool in burgundy with blues and purples. There's just a tiny touch of grey Mohair for contrast and it's loaded with hot pink Firestar.
The kit also comes complete with directions, a leader cord and and ounce of ecru wool to give you everything you need to begin your spinning journey!
