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!
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