I mentioned that I had just purchased a spinning wheel that week and was not doing well. Her response was, "Oh, please come and visit and I'll help you. I'll even feed you lunch!" So I took her up on her offer and went to visit last Saturday.
Sue lives about 50 miles away. The drive is through beautiful lush, velvet greet farmland. When I arrived I was in awe. Sue has a 17 room house with 5 fireplaces. Every room is filled with crafts, whether it be quilts, rugs, cross stitch, hand-made baskets, etc. There are many, many knitting antiques such as a "Pop Goes The Weasel" yarn winder. (I hope I have that correctly.)
Sue invited another friend, Candy to join us. We had a wonderful lunch and then spent the afternoon spinning and enjoying great conversation. I must tell you that Sue is the town historian so there was a lot of interesting information to be shared.Sue helped me with my spinning and plying and was most encouraging (as have some of my blogging friends!)
I spun more when I returned home and this is the results. Getting better at it all the time!
Don't have a niddy noddy or any of those gadgets yet to wind my skein properly. The visit I had with Sue and Candy was exactly what I needed. Sue has invited me to return and I look forward to it.
You see, I have been taking bridge lessons and those folks can be downright nasty if you don't play correctly. It's as if the mortgage is on the line for crying out loud. Because bridge really is no longer fun and I really value what free time I have, it will be spent with crafting friends. There are two spinning groups that I am joining. One meets all day, one Saturday per month and has a pot luck dinner. The other meets one Thursday evening per month.
Happy Knitting!
Your yarn is gorgeous! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteA niddy noddy is really easy to make out of PVC pipe. You just need one pipe and two Ts. Cut one pipe length of about 18 inches. Cut four of about five inches.
Sand one end of each of the four to make it smooth. Put one of the rough ends of the five inch lengths in the T at each end of the top cross bar.
Put the 18 inch length in bottom of the two Ts and and twist so the tops and bottom are 45 degrees to each other.
If you need pics, let me know and I'll send you some of my PVC Niddy Noddy. It'll run you less than $10--cheaper if you can find some shorter lengths of PVC at Home Depot or wherever.
Oh how wonderful! I am so glad you've found some like-minded and fun people to be with. I played bridge only a tiny bit when I was very young and had a bridge-playing boyfriend. You're right, people take it waaaay too seriously! No fun in that. Your day sounds lovely and I hope you have many more. And your yarn looks fabulous, too!
ReplyDeleteThe less something matters, it seems the more easily people get all in a twist over it. Being creative does matter, and people who have learned to make something beautiful come out of their wheels and needles tend to reflect that joy in their daily dealings with others.
ReplyDeleteEven if they rant self-righteously about it from time to time (see paragraph above).
So cool that you found such a good new friend!
A Job well done, and Lizzie beat me to the Niddy Noddy. I made my own too after seeing a friend of mine's that she got with her first wheel (A babe)
ReplyDeleteThe yarn is gorgeous and it sounds like you've made a great new fiber friend
Sue sounds like a wonderful and fascinationg person! How exciting for the two of you to have happened apon each other.
ReplyDeleteYour spinning looks wonderful! and you are going to be amazed at how quickly you learn to exert more control over your finished product, but remember not to underestimate the beauty of the highly textural yarn (even if it's not exactly what you are aiming for).
I'm so glad to hear you have found some local groups!
Fantastic news! Fibre people are just a cut above the rest at times. So pleased that you are enjoying your wheel.
ReplyDeletehmmph. and i only live minutes away from you! i guess i'm not good enough for you!
ReplyDeletenow, i had a candy over with some other women for a tea party about 7 years ago. i wonder how many candys there are in vermont?
i've been a member of the sat guild (fifth wheel spinners) for over 15 years now, although i haven't been in awhile as i work saturdays. great group of laid back women!
c
great job!!!! It's funny how when you're doing a craft to go the people you meet. When on the beach by the one light house I was working on my flag banner, I had a bunch of people stop and comment. Hubby's comment was Betsy Ross is alive and well in Portland :p
ReplyDeleteJoansie, how great to link up!!!
ReplyDeleteSee going to docotr is good for. Great spiining -- congrats. SOuns like you has a wnderful time and meet someone new.
ReplyDeleteI haven'theardd form you in awhile so glad to hear all is well.
Your yarn looks so lovely!!! You are getting good at it and you are sooooo addicted now :P!!!!! I'm glad that you have someone to spin with while you learn and that you are enjoying the spinning, it is such a peaceful process. :) I agree about the bridge players. My parent played bridge and my dad didn't really enjoy it, he just played because my mom loved it and he loved my mom :). Tho my mom was a very good player, if she hadn't been good I'm sure she would not have enjoyed it because of the nastyness of some of the players.
ReplyDeleteYour yarn is looking good. That is great that you were able to go over there and get some help with your spinning.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you'ld nix the bridge. I'm not a card player; but it's suppose to fun, not serious.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a wonderful day with your new spinning friends. What a great opportunity. Too bad more people aren't open like that when they first meet someone...you can have the most amazing connections with people.
Sandy