Year two on the road to the OHS Spinner’s Certificate. I went up only because it was so much fun last year. I had very little interest in the “learning” aspect–maybe because last year didn’t feel like we learned a whole lot, it was just fun. But I’ve come back thinking, Yeah, I could go all the way. We learned more in Beth Abbott’s Worsted Spinning Class than, I felt, in all of Year I. And we were so much more relaxed. It was just a grand time, and we learned so much!!
There was Natural Dyeing:
Our group (Team Shut Up! Just Shut Up!), lucked out with Onion Skins. True, it’s hard to go wrong with onion skins, but we went way right. And, we got double fiber, because we not only did a mordant but an after-bath. Have to weigh it to see, but it seems like enough for a project. You can see the different shades resulting from the different mordants.
There was color blending of fiber using hand cards. All these colors (thirty!) were blended from just three main colors. We did the work in class, but I want to repeat the exercise using a different palette. And then spin one continuous blended yarn.
And this is the view from our little cottage (well, across the dirt road from our little cottage was the lake), where Erica and Kathy were Very Brave, and swam, and I kayaked. Unfortunately, between the weather and extra-curricular activities (Mini Fiber Market, Thai Food, Chinese Food, Potluck, and more Chinese Food), we were only able to play in the water once.
I’ve returned with deep desire for more expensive toys: Dutch Combs and a Drum Carder. A girl can dream.
Smarty Mags 