Spindle Party at Fibre Week

RenatePetra (her Ravelry name) brought most of her spindle collection (contained in a little suitcase that was her grandma’s!) with her so that I could try them out. We had a spindle party in the motorhome – I spun on all her supported spindles, and she tried out all of mine and then Flannelberry tossed hers into the mix too so we had all sorts of thing to experiment and play with.

And yes, if you think she looks like a very young spinner, you are right: this girl is a year older than The Boy, has been spinning since she was 13, and is one of the most talented natural-born spinners I’ve ever met. Plus she is a cheerful, courteous, thoughtful and generous young person who inspires me and gives me hope for the future of the world. Her family must be awfully proud of her.

We had fun playing with spindles and talking about fibery things. I discovered that the exotic wood phang felt ‘grounded’, like they say in yoga, like it was reaching down to the floor. The lighter wood, though nearly the same shape, danced in my hands. The Bristlecone Glindle absolutely sang the moment I gave it a twirl. The unknown maker spindle with the funky rounded base spun much like a Russian. My hands prefer a narrow flicking point and a light weight spindle, and I gravitate towards cherry wood. Absolutely fascinating. (If you aren’t a spinner, just trust me, this was all extraordinarily cool.) Most supported spindles have to be mail ordered, so you don’t get a chance to try them out ahead of time. Having someone share their collection with you so you can see what works in your particular hands is extremely helpful and highly educational.

There was also the trade of a spinning wheel for fibre (!) … a lovely vintage Norwegian wheel that was not getting much love at RenatePetra’s house has now joined my household and will be getting lots of love here, and a pretty rooed Icelandic fleece has gone to RenatePetra’s house. :) Pictures of the wheel (her name is Anne, I am told) tomorrow, as she is coming to class with me.

Tomorrow’s class is Heart Like a Wheel, a class on spinning as meditation, with Debora Behm.

Fibre Week is a great experience. I’ve met such wonderful people here, and it’s really fun to hang out with people who enjoy the same kinds of things I do. :)