Blue Fingers and Candlelight

Monday was a catchup day, as per usual. Also I asked fitzw to bring my spinning wheel downstairs that night -- it's been in the house, out of the way of us moving things, etc. Getting started again spinning on a wheel was a bit of a trial, and there came a point when I had to stop. Last night was much better, and I have good bit of blue indigo cotswold spun now (during the day I was at Fiona's, and she Emma and I made pennons for Crossroads at Canterbury). Cotswold is not a medieval breed, but it's pleasant enough to work with, and I like the natural dyes the lady uses - local person from the hills. I was good and mostly got a few different shades of blue, and I think a green (last October). And of course I have to spin a lot of it before I can buy any more!

Much of what I'm spinning will likely be used for modern clothing, so I'm not overly concerned with whether or not the sheep breed goes way back... but I still prefer Romney (which has one crossbreed in the 19th c., but a Romney breeder I spoke with believes it was primarily for hardiness), Shetland, and Icelandic. I like a longer fiber because it makes a smooth strong yarn -- although you don't always get that with the Shetland... I don't know if it's because of where some of them are raised or how the wool is processed. They're supposed to be dual-coated, but I find it hard to believe that sheep that are bred for generations in the southern U.S. would be as dual-coated as ones from the northern U.S.

The Icelandic is generally (unless you get some of the lambs wool) a harder fiber, so a lot of people don't care for it. But you want a harder fiber for outdoor wear and for socks and such. Lambswool socks might feel very nice, but they won't last long.

For the finest spinning I still use drop spindles, as I find the wheel doesn't spin quite as tightly and securely as I do. Also, it can only really go in one direction well, whereas doing Z- or S- twist with a spindle is no big deal.

One of the things I've noticed with spinning rovings and batts that are already dyed is that there tends to be a little excess dye on the fibers. Probably because you can only rinse it so much without risking turning the fibers into a mass of felt... so I end up with colorful fingers at the end of a spinning session :) Last night, blue.

I tried spinning by candlelight last night. Since I'd been having an awful time the night before, I figured it wouldn't be made much worse doing it by candle instead of electric light. I found it worked quite well, as the light caught on the fibers and filled out the shape of the triangle.

So, here's a little rhyme, in honor of getting back to spinning on the wheel...

Hello my friend,
good to see you again.
Fumbling at first with drafting and tension,
eventually I match your rhythm and rhyme.
Candle flame fills the triangle's dimension,
As the bobbin fills up with warmth and time.
The pleasure of a fine woolen
So much more, made by my hand.