Saturday 10 January 2009

Whatever wool be wool be

Apparently I don't have enough to do with my spare time. Or I'm not quite obsessed enough with just knitting. And sewing. Because when given the opportunity, I gleefully signed up for the Canberra Spinners and Weavers Guild's Beginners Spinning course.

I've done a teeny bit of spinning before. And I've had a wheel (thanks Othlon!) for ages, but just not the time to apply myself. And being largely self-taught, I'm not confident at all. I need to get some formal teaching. This course is the perfect opportunity.

I turned up on Thursday evening with several other local bloggers and Ravelers (big thanks to Carrie for getting us all there via Rav too!), wheel in hand, for the first session.

Two hours, lots of treadling and a lovely supper later, I departed with my "homework":

A great hunk of raw fleece that needs to be prepped for next week.

I spent a lovely (albeit greasy and dirty) couple of hours on the back today today combing.

And wound up with what I thought was a big pile of nice combed locks (see I'm jiggy with the lingo already!). I'm about halfway through that pile of fleece.

Sadly, that's only about 80 g (2 3/4 oz), so I've got a big more to go (I reckon I need about 150g if its going to worth knittting when I'm done). I ran out of puff today though.

I'm resisting the urge to start spinning it. I'll be good and wait til next week. After all, I'm doing the course so I can learn stuff, not continue on with my dodge-o-rama, haphazard approach.

It's a good thing I've got lots of other projects that need to be done rather soon, so the temptation is diminished.

But roll on next Thursday!

13 comments:

Lea said...

jeepers I had better get a move on - I haven't touched mine. who would have thought all that combine would yield so little. it says a lot for buying stuff ready to spin.

Lynne said...

Clever title!
Enjoy the course - I just can't get the hang of treadling let alone spinning anything!

amy said...

Resisting. I have no time for the things I want to do already. ;)

Bells said...

thanks for the write up. Can't wait to do my class today although that combing looks RATHER tedious.

Funny title.

DrK said...

mmmm lovely greasy dirty smelly wool, i do love that smell. youre so clever tho, so many fibre skills, i dont know how you do it!

Rose Red said...

The combed fleece looks so much nicer!! Amazing how lovely yarn looks compared to raw fleece! Can't wait to see the results of the next lesson!

TinkingBell said...

I want want want want to learn to spin - will get a wriggle on when school goes back......

What nice homework!

Michelle said...

That's rather exciting, you know! Can't wait for part 2!

Donna Lee said...

How exciting to have found a class. There is a group of experienced spinners at one of the lys and they have been helpful. But a whole class.....that sounds like wonderful.

Em said...

The class does sound great. I'm kind of teaching myself to spin, with some tips from Momolla and the interwebs. I think I might just go look around and see if there are any classes in my area. Good luck with the spinning, it's a pretty absorbing hobby.

MadMad said...

Hmmmm. It's very possible that the idea of having to comb all that out just dissuaded me from wanting to try spinning... I have enough of a battle detangling my kids' hair!

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

They are a great bunch of ladies. They were very kind to this Canuck when she crashed of of their meetings in the hopes of purchasing souvenir rovings. Maybe next time I'll give them warning and show up to a meeting with a drop spindle in hand.

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm - love spinning - hate dirty stinking wee fleece.