Introducing Freyja!

I learned to spin on a second-(actually I think it was third?)-hand Ashford Kiwi.  I named her Felicity because she made me happy and just so happened to appear at just the right time in my spinning adventure.  And while I think the Kiwi is a great wheel, and everybody always has a special love for their first, I also knew almost from the beginning that it was just a fling.  Someday I was going to move on.  I am a little sad to see her go, but she'll have a new home with a lovely friend who is also just starting out.

Which means I get a new wheel!  I considered many options, and eventually settled on the Schacht Ladybug.    They are a bit unconventional looking, what with the bright red plastic drive wheel, but they spin like a dream, and I like that the parts are compatible with the other Schacht wheels.  Just in case, you know!

I chose the name Freyja for two reasons.  One, it is Norse for "Lady".  Appropriate, no?  Also, Freyja was a Nordic goddess of (among other things) sorcery, and when I was first learning to spin I watched many videos and just marveled at how magical the whole process appeared.  Even now, two years and much technical knowledge later, I still find myself a little bit mesmerized by it sometimes.

So!  Here is my new friend Freyja.

We have been spending a lot of quality time together the past couple of weeks, as I have had to re-learn to spin just a little bit.  And here is the result - the first skein we produced together, Purplemint Swirl - because what else would a gal who goes by Shrieking Violet spin her first time out? ;)

I think it is the start of a beautiful friendship :)

A New Project, Wherein we learn Patience (and several new Swears)

The other day I found some old Lion Brand Homespun yarn that I bought back, oh, around the turn of the century. The nineteenth century, that is. It wasn't as much fun to crochet with as I thought and even worse to knit with. So I shoved it in the back of a closet and wrote the yarn off as a waste of shelf space.

And then, earlier this year, entered the rigid heddle loom. A new toy! And suddenly there were possibilities for all kinds of things I'd always overlooked before- the funky, textured art yarns or the wild variegated ones that look so pretty in the skein and so awful worked up in a pattern- these guys had a new lease on life with weaving.

So for the Homespun, I thought weaving an afghan in panels and sewing them together might be just the thing for it. It took me ALL afternoon to wind the warp and get it on the loom (by which I mean I finally finished about 9:30pm!) This was my first time warping cotton and while it looks ok now, it was quite a challenge and I'm worried what may be in store for me under that roll of paper. It's too soon to tell if it is turning out like my vision, but either way I think I'm getting some valuable insight into weaving with this one. And I do like the way it looks, so far at least. :)

The New Kid on the Block

Oh hi!  Welcome to my blog.  That sounds so weird; I never thought I'd be one of those people who have a blog.  I always hated those assignments in school where you had to keep a journal.  I freely admit that I talk to myself sometimes, but I always felt pretty silly recording it for posterity.  But at least this way I can pretend like I'm talking to someone :)

So, for those of you reading because you already know me - thanks so much for stroking my ego!  If by chance some stranger is reading this, then welcome! Pull up a chair, show me what you're working on, tell me what's on your mind about textiles.  Or whatever.  I promise to stroke your ego a little bit too.