Saturday, April 23, 2011

New Beginnings . . . Again

This Easter finds me in a new home (actually, apartment).  I had to take a hiatus from my spinning in order to make this move.  I began my move in February . . . one of the most cold, windy, snowy February's I ever remember!  With the help of "very good" friends I managed to get into my new apartment on March 1st.  I've been trying to unpack and reorganize ever since. 

I parted with many things (although my friends say not enough things).  It felt good to let go of useless "stuff".   It was cleansing to rid myself of old expectations of a life never realized;  to move on with life as it is.  Okay, not everything was relinquished so easily.  One friend had a great time ridiculing  me for my insistence on hanging on to my old wooden tennis rackets (which are in damn good condition, thank you!).  I insisted that one day I will be fit and able enough to participate in tennis again.  I didn't care how much she laughed at me.  After being sidelined, crippled up and engulfed in the pain of my newest diagnosis (RA) I think perhaps she was right.  Tennis rackets, anyone? 

I moved massive amounts of yarn!  I was somewhat amazed out how many boxes I had of yarn and fiber for my spinning.  Much of the yarn was in big steralite tubs so I was able to find it amidst the other boxes.  It didn't take me long to get into it and back into knitting & crochet a.s.a.p.  I managed to knit a hat and to make some knitted dolls for Easter.  My creative mind has been churning away at all the variables I can make with this same pattern.  If I could produce half as fast as my mind comes up with ideas I would probably be able to make a living at my hobby.  Instead I have lots of scraps of paper with ideas and sometimes drawings for all the things my mind dreams up.  That will be my legacy when I die . . . scraps of paper and lots of yarn! 

Last weekend I finally got to the box with my bobbins and the fly wheel for my spinning wheel.  In the next box were bags and braids of fiber to be spun.  I could feel myself almost quiver with anticipation.  I had only intended to unpack these things but found that I couldn't resist the urge to spin.  I sat down with my wheel and treadled clockwise, stop, and treadle counter clockwise to see if I still had my treadling chops.  When I felt secure that I could still treadle well enough, I picked out an older bag of fiber to spin.  No use in wasting the good stuff if it turns out I have to learn all over again.   I was under the impression that this fiber was alpaca, dyed a dusty turquoise blue.  I have no idea what it actually is.  As the fibers are pulled through my fingers, it almost has a foamy quality I can't describe.  It felt so good to spin again.  Yes, I was rusty but since I haven't spun enough to be a pro,  it wasn't as if I had to learn all over again . . .  just resume my practice.  As I spun the fiber I considered that I had quite a bit of it and it would be a good fiber to spin as a single (not plied) yarn.  I can then use this single ply yarn to learn what is called Navaho Plying.  Navaho plying is like crocheting using your hands, instead of a crochet hook.  You get a nice plied yarn in the process and have more control over the color if you have spun a variegated yarn.  A good skill to learn.

The best thing about spinning came to me as I sat there, concentrating on my spinning.  As I watched the fiber pass through my fingers and fed the yarn through the orifice and onto the spindle . . . my mind became still.  It was so peaceful.  My mind is usually like a four lane highway, more like the Autobahn.  Thoughts & ideas, snippits of songs, worries, memories all racing to go nowhere.  When I sit down to spin, all is quiet.  I hear crickets in my brain.  And it is Good!

May this Easter bring everyone wonderful new beginnings . . . peace . . . and crickets!