The Good, The Bad, AND The Ugly

this little find confirmed in my mind that it was time that i learn to spin.  clearly, spinning is in my blood, perhaps even imbedded in my genetic code, somewhere on chromosome number 5, next to the gene for actually choosing to eat snails and being able to pronounce a french "r."  (think coughing up a fur ball)

when i learned how to drive, i went to professionals.  so when i decided it was time i get behind a different wheel,  i scheduled a lesson with adrian.  how did it go?  with apologies to carole for stealing her "good, bad, and ugly" idea, allow me to show you.

The Good

adrian. she had the AC on full blast -- important for any wool fiber activity.  because it was hot on saturday.  and she had all sorts of wool ready for me.  and her yarn house...she really lives in a yarn house...

she was also a patient and knowledgeable teacher. if you want to learn how to spin, and like me suffer from anxiety at the thought of looking like a failure in front of many people (which is why i've never been able to learn during fiber fests), i highly recommend learning from adrian.  she even knew to praise the pathetic pupil that i am.  i haven't been in school in 12 years and yet, i still live and die by a teacher's praise or lack thereof. 

finally, she sent me home with her teaching louet (i'm renting) plenty of fiber to practice with and this great reference book .

The Bad

oh my, the spinning. and the anxiety of the spinning. and how even with the huge orifice of the louet i still needed to use the hook because i was so nervous and anxious that i couldn't thread the yarn through the orifice  and i'm babbling now which i did a lot of at adrian's and adrian's husband who was sitting quietly in the other room who must have thought i was a complete idiot.  spinning isn't supposed to be stressful and yet i was so nervous that my left hand was clenched into a claw which caused the lovely fiber to form a ball that was impossible to draft from.

The Ugly

need i say more?

but it's my first spun yarn and i love it.  adrian also taught me how to ply.  and she showed me how to navajo ply which is really just an exaggerrated crochet-like chain stitch (done with your fingers instead of a hook ).  HA!  YOU ANTI-CROCHET PEOPLE WHO NAVAJO PLY ...

anyway, i've got some practicing to do.  gotta go.