I won the lotto - AKA "Evelyn Strikes Again"

Last weekend, I was in the Niagra region for a wedding, and happily made it to 3 yarn shops in one day! I had just left The Fibre Garden, a spinning and yarn store in Jordan, ON, and I was on my way down the street to visit Stitch, when I got a text message. It was very alarming.

"My parents have moved out of their house. I have all of my mom's spinning stuff. It's yours if you want it. When can I drop it off?"

It was my old next-door-neighbour, the daughter of Evelyn, the woman I bought my wheel from!

When I got back in town, she came by with a truck load. When she left, I was shaking. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to call. Below is the tale of my bounty. Along with a vocabulary lesson.

The drum carder. It preps wool for spinning in a fraction of the time it takes to do with handcards. It can also be used to blend colours. I've wanted one since the day I bought my wheel, considering the number of fleece I have to process. They are prohibitively expensive to most spinners. One this size would cost me over $650 + shipping to buy. Evelyn's husband build this using drafting plans. Despite sitting in a closet for 30 years, a few drops of oil is all it took for it to work like new. It's such a masterpiece that even Nate was taken by it's non-traditional beauty. "This thing looks awesome" he says. 
And it does. 

A lovely set of handcards. You can't bring a drum carder with you everywhere!

A big, fat drop spindle. I have never tried a drop spindle, but this one is so soft and lovely and heavy that I've carried it with me for the last few days, hoping to find a moment to try it. 

A 'Lazy Kate' that holds three bobbins for plying yarn! Nate tried to make me one a few months back, but Angus got so upset when Nate turned the drill on, that the project was put on hold indefinitely. 

A spinning apron. If you look really closely you can see it says "Romney Wools Ltd" with a sheep on it. So vintage! And I feel so professional when I wear it.

A niddy noddy for skeining/measuring yarn after spinning. It's a small one, so it will not replace the beast my father-in-law Tom built for me out of an old chair at camp, but it's the perfect size for 50g skeins.

I didn't know what this was, so I posted on the Fibre Artist and Yarn Spinners Facebook group. I received many different responses from people, who all claimed to know exactly what it was, despite them all claiming it was something entirely different from one another. "I have been using one for years, it's a such-and-such" they all declared. It seems to be fairly conclusive that it is a yarn blocker, but can also be used as a silk real. Or if I were to install some mesh I could use it as a tumbler; or I think someone said something about adding pegs to make it a winder. These cost $400!

Oh my. A mixed bag of fibre, mostly unlabled, but the box says "silk, angora, mohair, camel down..." A huge mystery bin of very expensive fibre is what it is!

A Skein holder. When used in combination with a ball winder (shown below), a skein of yarn can gets rolled into a ball in moments. I have a cousin who took weeks to roll a ball of yarn (you know who you are). This was so fun, I had a dream about doing it the other night. Make all the bad jokes you want. Don't knock it till you try it.

Every issue of Spin Off magazine, from 1984 to 1990 (36 issues). Spinning is thousands of years old and the equipment hasn't evolved much, so I have no concerns about the magazines being 3 decades old. I'm not getting hair teasing and swim suit advice from a 1985 Elle MacPherson.

Or wait. Is this back in now?

So that's my lot, excepting a few more books and a doffer stick. My house is packed. I need a studio. And I haven't even written about the 1918 Finnish loom that was given to me by my friend Tuula last month! Another post for another day...

-A

Lucille

Amongst several piles of clothes sorted by size, season, and baby growing/nursing potential, sat my lonely spinning wheel - bobbin 3/4 full, and untouched for over a month.

I've been busy. My days seem to be over as soon as I realise my morning coffee is cold.

To make it up to my neglected yarn, I gave her a glamorous makeover.

A thick and thin single, plied with a commercial metallic thread that adds both sparkle and strength. 

All dressed up with nowhere to go.  

What to knit?

A Dreary Yarn with an Appropriate Name

This is my favourite yarn that I have spun so far. I finished it weeks ago, but could not post it, because I could not think of an inspiring name. I tried my best for an Austinian reference, but I couldn't think of anything so dreary with Jane. All I could imagine were exposed, snow-squalled landscapes of leafless, stunted shrubs and lichens over bare rock. And when we think of such dark landscapes, I am sure we all immediately think of Wuthering Heights.

It is a woollen spun blend of two mystery wools from my friend Linda, and my standard white Poplar Dale Shetland fleece. It is mostly fine (at times super-fine, at other times sport-weight) yarn, with under-spun "snow-squalls" strewn throughout (and perhaps a few over-spun "crags").

Behold Heathcliff.

Elizabeth at Pemberly Yarn

It was Anne's birthday last week, and on account of my lent-related austerity measures, I could not purchase her a gift. I had just spun my Pemberly Spencer yarn, and thought it could be a good opportunity for me to try my first "Art Yarn". I honoured the entire previously-thought-ugly outfit by plying the Pemberly Spencer with Evalyn's leftover white yarn, then added some blended tufts of dark brown and rust.

I hadn't gauged the amount of white yarn left on the spool well, and so I hope Anne can find some occupation for her slim 45 yards.

Navajo Plying

Yesterday, I filled a bobbin for the first time. I normally get impatient, or run out of fibre, and hurriedly ply something together to brag about. I was so satisfied with my full bobbin that I thought I would learn to Navajo ply.

Navajo plying takes a single strand of yarn and makes it three-ply. I didn't seem to entirely comprehend beforehand that in doing so, it would result in less than 1/3 the original yardage. My impressively packed bobbin is now a not-so-impressive 33 yards.

Single ply, before the Navajo ply

It only requires one bobbin of single-ply, unlike other plying methods where you hold two or more strands to ply together. Nate hasn't finished constructing my 'lazy Kate' yet (the device that holds bobbins for plying), so this is rather convenient for me. Plying with just the one strand also preserves the colour pattern, compared to the candy cane affect you get when you ply different colours together, and it saves from having to divide your single ply into equal amounts. You also don't have any leftovers from the bobbins not plying equally.

It was not a difficult skill to learn with the tried-and-true YouTube tutorials. It is like making giant crochet loops with your whole hand. At first I thought I must be doing it all wrong, but I came to realize that it is one of those tasks where if you focus or think on it too much, it can be disastrous. Best to just execute the motions and hope for the best.

After Navajo Plying

There is some yellow in the wool that I am not fond of, so earlier today I learned how to dye wool using tea. It is now drying and awaiting its "after" photo. Another post for tomorrow. 

Pemberly Spencer

A dear friend recently gifted me a bag of wool roving, of no mean size. Included were three rolls - light grey-brown, dark grey-brown, and the third, not so attractive, distantly familiar shade. I couldn't quite find the memory. I had been saving this roving until my spinning skills improved, as it is far too lovely to waste on amateur work. I was eager to do some spinning today, so I opted for spinning the not-so-attractive colour.

Then it struck me. Elizabeth at Pemberly.

For years, I was tormented by the scene in the 1995 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, where Lizzy tours Pemberly, under the assumption that Darcy is away. When they discover one another - him all wet, and her all humiliated - an intense romantic tension builds. A tension only amplified by the anxiety inflicted by Lizzy's ugly spencer jacket and bonnet. There I have said it! I thought they were ugly - such an awful colour scheme! I hate to speak ill of my dearest Elizabeth, but there it is.

I speak in the past tense regarding my dislike, not because my grammar is poor, but because I quite like the outfit now. Evidently my tastes have refined over the years. And I have developed an appreciation for bonnets. I am determined to spin this odd coloured, lovely roving into yarn that honours the outfit I have cursed for over a decade. I make no promises, but perhaps it is destined for a spencer jacket. 

Knitting in the Round - Do Not Knit Your Tail

Every time I discover a pattern that requires "knitting in the round", the instruction immediately following "join for working in the round" is without-a-doubt "be careful not to twist your stitches". It must be close to 15 projects that have required me to join for working in the round, and I have never once twisted my stitches. What I have done 100% of the time, and sometimes multiple times per project, is knit my gall-darn tail! Why don't they bombard you with this warning?! It is quite as irksome upon discovery as any other defect - requiring unknitting all of those hard earned stitches. Though, I'm positive it wouldn't make a difference if they did warn you - like when my mom warns us not to get in car accidents. So there you have it - for what it is worth - do not knit your tail. Clearly, I have no words of advice for how one avoids this - just keep your eye on that sneaky scoundrel.

I spun a variegated yarn last week, just to practice my colour blending. I was not trying to be organized or patterned (very unlike me), what fun.

It was just a tiny skien, and I was eager to test it, so I wanted a small project. Why not knit a decorative felted bowl?

Truthfully, I preferred the skien to the bowl. I can appreciate that I made bowl out of yarn that I spun from once-filthy fleece, but anyone who knows me, knows that I am far too gothic for this colourful nonsense. I am happy to get rid of it to the first person expressing interest in the comments. As long as that person isn't secretively thinking it would make a lovely hat (a bowl is but an up-side-down hat after all), but I assure you it would not, and with any luck on behalf of your fashion sense, it will be too small for your head. I couldn't bare the humiliation of having someone scampering about with my bowl on their head, telling anyone who will listen that Ashleigh Sauve made it. Telling people that I had the novel idea to knit a bowl is quite another thing.

First Yarn

Today I plied my first spun yarn, with the yarn that Evelyn had left on the extra bobbin that she gave me with the wheel. I like that it is her last yarn, mixed with my first. Her's was consistently very fine, and mine was extremely inconsistently thick, then fine, then thick again. When plied together they created a neat coiled effect. I can't decide what to knit with my very first yarn. It could be worth millions one day when I'm famous. 

First Time Spinner

I bought my first spinning wheel today! If I were a fan of writing in caps lock, I would, just to emphasize how excited I am. Alas, punctuation will have to suffice in conveying my emotions.

I've been trying to find one locally for the better part of a month, to no avail. The ebay wheels all had incredible shipping costs, and I really couldn't risk my whole estate on buying a new one. After exhausting my personal network of those who might know someone who knows someone, I had lost hope. Until last week, when I got an email from my friend Louise. She is a remarkably helpful friend to have, as she often takes on solving small problems in my life, as though they are interesting projects (I'm sorry I still haven't applied for my passport yet). Louise sent me the contact information for Evelyn, a 89 year old woman who gave up spinning years ago in favour of rug hooking. I promptly contacted her. Evelyn is an endearing woman too kind to give me an asking price. She suggested I do my research and find out what used spinning wheels go for these days. This was a challenge - online prices range by hundreds of dollars.

When we arrived to pick it up, Evelyn seemed excited and said she found some things that would make me happy. As we made our way up the stairs of the home Eveyln's husband built, I got to see the gorgeous rug hook projects that Evenly gave up spinning for. When I think rug hook, I picture shag carpet wall hangings of woodland animals or wild horses. Evelyn's looked more like lovely detailed tapestries of rich colour schemes.

She brought me into her craft room. Aside from having the largest flat screen television I had ever seen, it looked exactly like you might imagine an 89 year-old woman's craft room to be. Very tidy with a subtle floral print sofa and more lovely tapestries. But there by the window was my new friend. Gorgeous pale wood finish, looking just as new as Lorna's! Evelyn handed me the original Ashford manual and a hard cover book called "The Craft of Handspinning". Then she handed me a fat manilla envelope full of her handwritten notes from her first spinning class. Each page had little bits of fleece, roving, yarn, or knitting taped to them.

Evelyn's notes from spinning class

Evelyn had prepared a box with carders, extra drive band string, an extra bobbin (still full of yarn from her last spinning), and the treading tool that she emphasised as being extremely useful.

Extremely useful threader.

I offered her $400 for the lot. "Hmmm. No. That is too much. How about $250?" Now that's negotiating! I made it clear that she was undercharging me, but she was just happy to see it go to someone who will use it, and not just "let it sit like an ornament". It was a savings of about $400 from the cheapest one on eBay of the same model.

Evelyn is going to get in touch with me soon, when she "digs out" the drum carder that she would also like to sell me. Her husband built it from drafting plans.

At its new home, awaiting my yarn.

Once home, I sat down and examined the wheel, remembering my lessons from Mereille and Lorna yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see anyone start an empty bobbin with the "lead thread", so I relied on this YouTube video. It was as simple as tying a piece of yarn to the spool and starting to peddle, allowing the spinning lead to grab the fibres.

I was acutely aware of the stack of literature that Evelyn had given me, sitting on the chair beside me. I was just too excited to read anything before playing with it. Earlier today I asked a Facebook group of Spinners what their best advice for beginners was. There must have been 50 replies - many of which related to figuring out tension. I had to fiddle with the knobs, not really knowing what kind of effect they had, until I at last got to the point where the yarn was getting wound on the bobbin, but the drive band wasn't falling off - to my understanding, this is a reasonable tension to work with.

I was quite surprised at how easy the basic techniques were once the tension was set. I carefully worked through all of the rolags I have been preparing since I cleaned my first fleece. My technique greatly improved as I went, but I am happy to accept the challenge of life-long-learning that goes along with spinning truly fine, even, yarn.

It's lumpy and likely unstable in places (and charmingly full of twigs), but I have spun yarn for the first time! I've spun white yarn from a brown fleece that was once so filthy that even the cat avoided it.

The Fibre Enthusiast Adventure

Anne and I went on an adventure today. We were invited to "an informal gathering for fibre enthusiasts" at local artist, Mireille Gagnon Moes' studio on St. Joe's Isand.

Serious driving

Several details made it a "real" adventure.

1. Neither Anne nor I had ever met Mireille. 
2. It was out of town (and anything involving a journey is an adventure). 
3. We didn't have an address. 

We were confident that we didn't need one. We knew the road it was on, and assumed if she were a "real" artist she would have an obvious mail box.

I think it is a smiling air plane

I tried my best to protect Anne from the very excited dog in the parking lot, Mandy, though Mireille (in her lovely French accent) kept calling her "ya twit". Anne is not fond of dogs, but the dog was fond of her.

We made our way inside to discover that we were the first to arrive! Mireille greeted us warmly and set about giving us a tour of her studio. There was beautiful wool roving everywhere, and several looms occupied the centre. She showed us a few of her projects. She has made wrapping paper from the back of chip bags fused together by heat. Watercolour paintings over old topographic maps. Pudding stones out of felted wool. Wide braids made of recycled t-shirts. Gorgeous felt pictures. I couldn't name them all - her art was everywhere. She is remarkably creative and talented. I wish I had taken more photos, but check out her Flicker photo stream Fleurdefibre.

The next guest arrived with a spinning wheel in her arms. I had been particularly hoping to talk to a spinner, as I am purchasing my first wheel tomorrow, having never touched one. I though it was a hair-brained-scheme for me to declare myself a spinner under such conditions, but Lorna had a hair-brained-scheme going of her own. She doesn't know how to knit yet! What was she planning to do with all her yarn?! Today she was working on a three-ply yarn from bluefaced leicester roving. She has a pattern for a nice sweater from Spin Off magazine that she would like to complete one day. She has a great attitude - no timeline in place.

Lorna spinning

Lorna and Mereille were excellent teachers. They taught me the difference between roving and rolags, between woolen and worsted, between single treadle and double treadle, between single drive and double drive.  They taught me about drafting and pre-drafting, the importance of  holding "the triangle" of wool during drafting, the proper length of pull, and how to ply the yarn. Yes - today was quite an education in terminology. After watching Lorna spin for at least an hour, I feel so much more prepared to give it a go on my own tomorrow.

More guests had arrived, including Calna, who brought several coats made of recycled sweaters for show-and-tell.

Anne is very excited about this super steam punk, shabby motley, sweater coat designed by an NYC desiger from Amber Studios. 

Here Anne is modelling a Calna original sweater coat - such gorgeous blues! 

There was so much to talk about that I didn't remember to try the spinning wheel, or make the felted soap that Mireille was going to help me with. Time was cut short when the clock struck 3:00pm. Baby Angus was an hour away, about to turn into a pumpkin (or at least start to miss his milk supply).

It was a snowy drive home while we made plans for this year's Jane Austen Tea - another post for another day.

-A

By Way of Introduction

I first created this blog 3 months ago to keep track of projects, good recipes, favourite books, and gardening ideas. Then something happened. I didn't write a single post because I was too busy doing the things I intended to write about!

This Jean-Marc Nattier painting, of  Madame Henriette as Flora (1742) resembles how I imagine I look while I knit.

In the last few weeks, I have started and ripped apart countless projects, and have even completed  a few!

I knit a collar for Angus using the last of an old ball of my grandmother's yarn I remember playing with as a child. 

I knit a B in memory of Baby Blake. 

I knit Christmas presents.

The Log Cabin Washcloth for Anne

3 out 6 Felted Bells for Ange

Angus's Christmas foot. If all goes well, by next Christmas he will have a Christmas Stocking!

I ordered fancy expensive wool online.

I knit my sister a bracelet - now she wants a whole line to sell at her studio.

My husband’s family has farm. One night I began to wonder what the MacLeod’s do with their sheep fleece.  Now my front porch has the clippings of 12 sheep partially blocking my front door, and the inside of my house smells like manure. I have been teaching myself how to process raw wool and have a serious lead on a spinning wheel.

One of 12 very dirty Shetland sheep fleece. There are  12 more at the farm. And 12 more in the  coming in spring.

I joined “The Craft Guild of Sault Ste. Marie” Facebook page and have been personally invited to a party on St. Joes Island for fibre enthusiasts this weekend.

I now host weekly Occasional Knitters Society (OKS) meetings.

I have pulled all-nighters feverishly knitting away (“just one more row!”)

I needed a professional massage to help work out the knots in my neck and shoulders caused by my too-tight stitches (I have since loosened up).

I created a Pinterest account. I repin often.

I started a cork collection.

I am tanning a rabbit hide tomorrow.

I`ll keep you posted!






-A