Sunday, July 18, 2010

If You Can't Stand the Heat

If you can't stand the heat, well honey, you're outta luck. It continues. The best cure that I can think of? How about some nice, wooly yarn? My palms are sweating already, just thinking about it.

I know I have been blathering endlessly about our big trip - the land and sky and knitters and suburban sprawl. But have I mentioned that I was actually spinning while driving?

In Wisconsin, it came to light that Mr. Kundert, one of the World's Top Spindle Makers (as determined by Spin Off magazine) lives right near the blogless Janine. We popped into a yarn store and there was a jar of his spindles, acting all coy and like they didn't care if I came over and felt them up and down. Who could resist that kind of playing-hard-to-get invitation? I held each one of those bad boys, weighing them in my hand, and one of them just wouldn't let go. It wasn't the fanciest one, by far, but I always did lean towards the simpler type. Who needs the complications? The drama?


A steady worker, that's what I like.

It actually has turned out to be the best spindle I own. I now understand why some people claim they don't need a wheel. This spindle is a dream. My dream. That I use to make yarn.

And here is some of that yarn:


A two-ply blend made from CVM and pygora. I thought I was spinning lace weight but when I soaked the plied yarn it bloomed, big time. I think it is closer to a DK now.

Right before Shawn and Eamon came to visit, Shawn posted a new yarn to her etsy shop, islandsweet. She called it Gannet Egg after the colours of eggs she saw on a recent visit to Cape St. Mary on the east coast of Newfoundland. It was love at first sight for me, the colours being all my favourites in one skein. Little did I know that she made an extra skein with my name on it.

Look! There it is! In my living room!




If it wasn't already 80F/30C at 7:30 am, I would rub my face in it. Someday, when the temperature drops...someday...there is fun to be had.

In the meantime, I did try to spin a little one day. Here is my proof:


But it was just too awful to hold the wool.

Someday...

1 comment:

Taos Sunflower said...

Robyn: Wish I could transport you out here to where it's actually cool (dare I say it out loud). I love that you are spinning on a spindle; I brought my beloved Dan Mongold spindle with me on this trip, along with the wheels, but have yet to get it out and use it. Thanks for reminding me how wonderful they can be and how much you can get done in wee corners of time when you're not near your wheel.