Mid-Life CRISIS Yarns ~ Spinning & Knitting

When I first realized I needed to design my own yarns the big, big goal was to spin everything smooth and even, smooth and even. Well, that has all changed. I want the lumpy bumpy yarns of my spinning youth, that first 6 weeks behind the wheel, only this time I want to exaggerate it all while retaining a balanced yarn.

Seems it only took me 2 weeks to break every good habit I developed, except for the balanced yarn part. I'm not much for over or under twisted finished skeins. And, I don't believe stretching the daylights out of a yarn in the name of "blocking it" does the knitter any favors. Wool is, well it's like my hair. Do anything you want to it but remember, the first humid environment it encounters and sproing! While over twist can be purposefully used as a wonderful design element in a project it is rarely a pleasant surprise element.

Spinning on the wild side is rather addicting. (Imagine my saying so. It's such a rarity for me to become obsessed with woolen activities.) For those that have not slid down this slippery slope here are a few of the terms we young and moderns banter about: Thick and thin, Coils, Super Coils, Wrap and Roll...just a bit of the lingo of the cool spinster chick (although a cool spinster chick would not use the word lingo or call herself "cool", "spinster" or "chick").

These hats are what I like to call "Wisconsin Wild" because they're made with lots of wool and the ear flaps are built right in. (Practical and sophisticated.) I have apparently entered into an ear-flap-hat phase where the design possibilities may prove to be endless. The Treadler's Haberdashery will soon be teaming with woolen toppers. Then the gnome-like elite will line up to arrange for private fittings where they'll select one-of-a-kind statements for their heads while sipping hot cocoa from fine pewter mugs. Well, that's the dream anyway.

When I got tired of spinning little-miss-straight-and-even I found the following rogue elements most helpful:

Insubordiknit and Pluckyfluff

There are also a slew of other envelop pushers in the Ravelry group Novelty and Art Yarn Spinners