The Spindle Challenge - Part 1

Recently I have heard a lot discussion surrounding the usefulness of spindles.  There have been statements made that spindles are nice to have or collect or use for sampling, but they aren’t effective for getting anything done.

Really?

Perhaps I am a little biased, but I think spindles are very effective.  For thirteen years my only tools for spinning were spindles because I didn’t have room for a spinning wheel and honestly, I couldn’t afford a wheel at that time. I was in college and had student loans and rent. I spun a lot of yarn on my spindles.  Enough yarn to make matching hats and mitts, shawls, scarves, an afghan and may other things.

The last six years, I have spent a lot time spinning on my spinning wheel and for the last year, most of my spinning has been for homework for the OHS Spinning Certificate Program.  That is a lot of wheel spinning. 

The realization that I miss my spindles came to me while I was writing my research paper for the start of OHS Level 2.  My topic was to compare five different types of spindles.  It was amazing! I spent a few months just with my spindles, but I wasn’t spinning for an end use.

So I decided to challenge myself this year, on top of homework, work, farm and a few other events that are coming up (more on those in future posts).

Shetland wool in three colours:  white, grey and
dark grey.

Challenge Rules

1.     I chose a little knitted bag in three colours from a back issue of Spin-Off Magazine (Summer 2006).

2.     My spinning time cannot interfere with obligations or daily duties (example: I cannot skip the dishes or the laundry to spin).

3.     I can only use one spindle to spin and ply with. Not one type of spindle, just one spindle.

4.     Only spinning and knitting time counts, not the fibre preparation time.

That’s it.

I combed through my stash of fibre and I came up with 3 different colours of Shetland wool.  I am using white, grey and dark grey.  The grey is already in roving form.  The dark grey and white are washed locks, so I just need to comb them, which I will do in the late afternoon and evenings when I do my other fibre prep.

Some of the tools I am using for the Spindle
Challenge. Forrester sheep spindle, pvc niddy
noddy, spinner's control card and wpi gauge/diz.

42 grams (1.5 ounces) of each colour should give me enough for the end result. The pattern only calls for 28 grams of each (1 ounce), but there should be enough for enough for three bags in alternate colours.  (It’s September and I am thinking about Christmas presents.)

My tools consist of my Forrester sheep spindle (24.5 grams), my wraps per inch gauge, my Hawkins mini combs, my diz and my niddy noddy.

My goal with this challenge is to reacquaint myself with my spindles and make useful items for the people that I care about. My spindles bring me comfort and peace when I use them.  This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the little moments between the bigger moments of my daily life.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series where I discuss when I found the time to spindle spin for this challenge.