I mark 2007 as the year that I became a Knitter. I think we all have our own definitions, for me, I became a knitter when I learned to knit. I became a Knitter when I began to care about and enjoy Knitting as much as a craft - the history, the cultural references & techniques, the possibilities - as I did the act of making stitches itself. My spinning has taken a backseat to my knitting ever since I picked up a spindle, and I think some of that has to do with the timing of it all - I learned to spin a little over a year ago but I am as yet a spinner, and a beginning one at that. I enjoy spinning every bit as much as I do Knitting, but I still often fumble through the act itself - my feet treadle like crazy, I’m aware that I’m overspinning but can’t seem to stop myself, and sometimes my hands can’t keep up. I haven’t yet reached the point where my brain and hands connect and I have more control - and am ready to absorb all the background technique, history, and art that are involved in making a beautiful and useful yarn. It will happen - those brief moments where it all comes together give me confidence - but I think that as with my knitting, it will take a certain amount of experience and experimenting until I’m able to get to that point.

Last fall, I stalled out with my Spun Stitches project (not with the concept, just with the spinning of this particular yarn), and felt incapable of setting it aside to work on something else. As a result, it has been on my wheel now for months, literally. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit exactly HOW long. Except for one brief hiatus to spin the local blend yarn (a very small amount of roving meant that it would be a momentary distraction and would not really divert my attention from the Ocean/Allison yarn). I’m in love with the Blues and Greens, the fiber and the colors and the concept of spinning for a shawl. But the merino-tencel, which I enjoyed spinning so much for the fire-y Kayley socks, was not playing as nicely this time around and required such extensive & obsessive pre-drafting to be able to keep a fairly consistent laceweight single going, that I simply lost my enthusiasm I guess, I can’t find a better explanation for it. I have missed my wheel though and I have been wanting to get back to my spinning for what seems like ages now. And so, finally, due to the wiles of the spinning of some very talented people, and the urging of a Twisted Threads member, who said, “Oh it’s no big deal! Just write down your settings and put it all aside for a bit! Spin something small and fun to get yourself going again! You can come back to your big project again when you’re ready.” I guess I just needed to hear it.

The antidote to my spinning ennui. 4 oz. (small & manageable!) of handpainted merino purchased at SAFF from The Sanguine Gryphon. I picked this roving because I fell in love with the colors, and it has all the depth and complexity of her yarns. Gorgeous. I realized when I began to spin it up why I loved the colors so much - they coordinate perfectly with many other colors around our home - my walls, chairs and table, pottery and pictures.

I folded the roving in half and split it apart roughly in thirds where the colors seemed to change - I’m loosely planning on a 3-ply for socks, one bobbin from each color section of the roving. The first section is primarily chocolate brown, cinnamon and blue, but also contains tiny glimpses of plum, and green which are repeated in larger segments in the third section (all the way to the right on the chair, and coiled in the picture on the lower right). The 2nd section is primarily cinnamon brown with traces of burnt orange and chocolate.

I think that my knitting will continue to come first most of the time - but for the moment, this is holding my attention quite nicely - and is drafting like a dream! One bobbin down, two to go - I think the spinning love is back, hurray!

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