I have owned a Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel since that day in 2010 when Jim from Yarn Barn Of Kansas helped me choose it at the Albuquerque Convergence. I use it frequently to ply my Harrisville singles yarn together when I want the colors quite well mixed. But I realized recently when I had some glitches with the wheel drawing and was futzing with whorl sizes that I barely know what the parts of a spinning wheel are called much less how to use it properly. If I hadn't done a crash review of part names before I went to visit the Schacht Spindle Company last month, I would have looked at Denise with a little bit of trepidation when she asked about my mother-of-all.
During that fateful visit, Denise mentioned that Maggie Casey, co-owner of Boulder's Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins was teaching a beginning spinning class soon. It was further impressed upon me what an unmissable opportunity this was and that the classes filled up right away. I signed up. Even though it takes 75 minutes to drive to Boulder. Even though the classes go until 9:30 at night. Even though it is winter and a snowstorm could jeopardize any of the 6 classes. Even though my proverbial plate is full to overflowing with tasks. I want to spin and it couldn't wait.
Last night was the first class. Maggie brought this Corriedale fleece for the 8 of us to split. I never knew fleece looked like this right off the sheep.
I was hooked even after hearing the word carder uttered. Somehow it hadn't occurred to me that there were steps between sheering the sheep and spinning. Carding seems to be a big one of those steps.
Maggie is a great story-teller and I left with a drop-spindle partly filled with inexpertly spun wool and a head full of sheep stories. I'm washing the fleece right now and can't wait for it to dry so I can practice with the drop spindle some more.
While listening to Maggie tell us how she scours her fleece and that she uses laundry baskets with holes all around--impossible to find any more, I searched my mental house for something I could use. Then I remembered this. The first stainless steel dye pot I bought many years ago was intended to fry turkeys. I never understood why anyone would dunk a turkey in boiling oil to cook it, but apparently many people do because Cabella's sells a lot of equipment for this pursuit. I never had a use for the inner bucket with holes... until now. I give you my new fleece-scouring apparatus, used these many years as a studio trash can.
Now if that fleece would only dry so I can practice with the carders and drop spindle! Maggie wants us to start on the wheel next week and I'm hopelessly unprepared.
During that fateful visit, Denise mentioned that Maggie Casey, co-owner of Boulder's Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins was teaching a beginning spinning class soon. It was further impressed upon me what an unmissable opportunity this was and that the classes filled up right away. I signed up. Even though it takes 75 minutes to drive to Boulder. Even though the classes go until 9:30 at night. Even though it is winter and a snowstorm could jeopardize any of the 6 classes. Even though my proverbial plate is full to overflowing with tasks. I want to spin and it couldn't wait.
Last night was the first class. Maggie brought this Corriedale fleece for the 8 of us to split. I never knew fleece looked like this right off the sheep.
While listening to Maggie tell us how she scours her fleece and that she uses laundry baskets with holes all around--impossible to find any more, I searched my mental house for something I could use. Then I remembered this. The first stainless steel dye pot I bought many years ago was intended to fry turkeys. I never understood why anyone would dunk a turkey in boiling oil to cook it, but apparently many people do because Cabella's sells a lot of equipment for this pursuit. I never had a use for the inner bucket with holes... until now. I give you my new fleece-scouring apparatus, used these many years as a studio trash can.