Handspun
I think I came to hand spinning in the opposite direction of most of the people I've chatted with. While idly daydreaming about our future, my partner told me he wanted goats someday, and I, being the overthinking planner that I am, suggested maybe looking at fiber goats as neither of us really want to do everything involved with dairy or meat goats. And so I got a drop spindle at our local renaissance fair and then he bought me some fiber for our anniversary a month later, and it's all been downhill ever since!
As with basically all of my physical hobbies, I had to take a break while dealing with moving shenanigans over the winter, but I'm getting back to it and hoping to get a spinning wheel later this year after some more research as to what I think will suit my needs and some patient lurking in all my local fiber arts sales groups.
Below will be some of the fibers I've spun, the yarn's I've made, and (hopefully) the cool places to get some for yourself to try!
Resources
- [BOOK] The Spinners Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson
- [VIDEO] Jillian Eve
- [MAGAZINE] Spin Off (I get it through my library!)
- [MAGAZINE] PLY
- [ARTICLE] At Your Ease: Spinning Chairs, Posture, and Finding the Right Fit by Mary Egbert
- [ARTICLE] Hand Exercises and Neck and Shoulder Exercises for Fiber Artists by Lambspun
- [VIDEO] Hand, Finger and Arm Stretches by Rehash Fiber
- [BOOK] Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont
- [VIDEO] Spin on the Drop Spindle playlist by Simply Notable (My favourite beginner playlist when I started and when I need a refresher.)
- [ARTICLE] How to Pick a Spinning Wheel that You Will LOVE Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- [ARTICLE] The Great Spinning Wheel Round Up by Spin Off (Some of the links/companies here are outdated if you want to buy new, but it's a good reference still!)
- [ARTICLE] Know Your Fibers by Northwest Yarns & Mercantile
- [BOOK] The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius
- [PROGRAM] Shave 'em to Save 'em by the Livestock Conservancy
- (not sponsored, I just love small businesses!)
- Horse 'n' Round Studio (I really like their painted spindles and was able to purchase one at my local fiber fair last year.)
- Llady Llama (I got some wonderful roving and as well as one of their Niddy Nøstys for my birthday last year!)
- Snyder Spindles (I want one of their turkish spindles so badly!! They also stream on Twitch occassionally.)
- Sunrise Grove (I love so much of her work, but I've only purchased stichmarkers and a spinner's control tool from her so far. I definitely have more purchases planned in the future!)