Spinnig & Weaving

Not as much as I used to. I've moved away from Tequilia and Gin and now stick to beer. My spins and weaves are now just staggers. Sometimes in the winter (when the wives are away) we'll do it on our tractors or ATV's. It looks like this:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKy-wuksEfg]YouTube - Crazy Tractor drift on ice EXTREME !!![/ame]

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I saw the thread title and that's the first thing I thought of.

Back on subject, it's not something that I've ever gotten into. I've decided buying a lifetime supply of clothes is the approach I'm going to take.

 

mennonites down the road have a big loom, I've never seen it in operation, but it's probably pretty cool to watch. I wonder how many looms are for sale (or even free) due to lack of use in the former textile belt? anybody see any on Craigslist?

 

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

A craft that I have never tried and do not have any unfinished projects to admit to!!

My Husband will be so proud!!!

 

:sssh: Yes, I secretly do want to give it a try. But, alas, Dear Husband may divorce me if I try to bring another craft/hobby in to the house. He is convinced I had our daughter get married so I could have her bedroom to "hide" my craft stash from him. He is only partly right.

Right now I am trying to convince him that I need the treadle sewing machine from my Dads house. It is an up hill battle when I already have 3 sewing machines and a serger.

 

We went to a farm auction in '09. There was a full size working loom in the barn. It was a "no-bid" item so it's still there. There was supposed to be another auction at the same farm this year but it hasn't happened yet. You could probably get it for $0.50.

 

The cattails around our marsh and lake have gone to fluff. I picked a couple of the heads and pulled apart the fluff. It seems very similar to the cotton I picked up in the fields of Mississippi earlier this year.

Makes me wonder...can a person spin the cattail fluff into yarn? We have a huge, fresh crop every year! Of course, most would have to be picked from the canoe, but still...

 

You're trying to spin cotton? That's cool! The craft store in the town near us has started carrying spinning wheels and other spinning-related products! I want to stop in and look over what they've got. I've never tried it. It seems like it would take patience to learn!

They give classes there too, so maybe...dare to dream...?

 

Well...I guess I'll figure out how and then try to spin the cattail fluff! We have so much of it around here, and it would be a crop that replenished itself on it's own every year.

First I have to go to the yarn shop in town and talk to them about spinning and get set up wtih something to do it on. I like the internet/youtube idea for learning. It's a 45 minute drive to the little town with the shop, and even that's too far for a hermit like me!

 

well I finally bought me a drop spindle and some roving.
gosh this is fun! lol ways to go to get an even yarn but getting the hang of it.
found a gal and her hubby about 15 miles east of me who get lots of sheep and alpaca and such....so I bought a bunch of roving and some unwashed fleece also.
being an avid knitter I figured it was time to start making my own yarn! lol
me and the kids last week dyed some white roving with 6 different colors from Koolaid! they remind me of sherbet. bright and yummy!
now I am spinning them and the kids want new socks, hats and mitts. lol

I also learned about thrumming mittens. You knit roving into your pattern and it becomes super fluffed inside making your mittens super warm.
a newfoundland pattern. they are awesome. anyone else know about this?

 

I found a couple antique spinning wheels on craigslist. they look in real good shape. I don't have 500 bucks for one of those more upright newer ones.
what kind of wheel do you have andi?