spin a yarn

these are the skeins i spun in the pluckyfluff class last weekend! i'm very proud of them, because they show that i achieved my goal of breaking out of my spinning rut. basically i've been churning out the same stuff over and over. but now... spinning will never be the same again! above right was our first project: beehives, coils, loops and twisters...


...'mohairy', spinning with strips of fabric alternated with wool, and super slubs...


... felted nubbies, and spinning biddles and bobs into the yarn...


...and this one was the result of my 'crazy batt'.

also, i forgot to mention that lexi's new book is out! i can't wait to get my hands on a copy. i have her first book and it's great but the new one is supposed to have more detailed instructions and diagrams...

we plucked, we fluffed

do these faces look happy? we were all exhausted by this point, but only in the best possible way! thanks, lexi for an incredibly inspiring and energizing weekend of mad spinning fun!

here are about a million pics (editing is not a skill i possess) and i'll try my best to explain what's happening in each:

this is the 'sharing table', stocked by lexi and augmented by generous classmates. all kinds of treasures (doll parts, peacock feathers, paper flowers, tiny bananas) could be found here and spun into our yarns... on the right is pam (resident spinning teacher at Brooklyn General, where the workshop took place) and her beautiful wheel.

we learned how to make 'crazy batts' by repeatedly sandwiching five or more assorted fibers into the drum carder...

we learned how to spin our own homemade felted nublets (technical term) into our yarn...

mary made us all jealous with her brand-spankin' new country spinner. the size of the bobbin promptly inspired anne to name it jeff stryker, and jokes about mary's huge 'orifice' (technical term! swear!) ensued for the entire weekend...

lexi's demonstrations defied every rule of traditional spinning...

...she showed us how to incorporate bits and bobs of ribbon, lace, sequined fabric...

there was talk of spinning gertie into a yarn...

tiny vintage paper flowers were one of my favorite add-ins...




...but the fantastic needle-felted heart, mouse, and bear from FeltStudio UK were definitely the biggest crowd-pleasers!





i think we were all amazed by the yarn we produced!

if you feel awed and inspired, a new session of beginner spinning begins february 4 @ brooklyn general. you'll have to get your basics down before you can take one of lexi's workshops, but she had so much fun here in nyc, she's already planning her next trip! get yourself on the BG e-mail list to stay in the loop, or if you're not in the nyc area, keep an eye on lexi's blog.

camp pluckyfluff in brooklyn!

shortly after learning to spin, i discovered the fantasmical lexi aka pluckyfluff. she brings spinning yarn into a whole new dimension, as you can see in these pics. well, for years i have dreamed of attending one of her camps, and this weekend that dream comes true! she is coming to nyc to teach at brooklyn general for a 2-day intensive workshop. there may be a space or two left if you're interested, but you must already know how to spin and bring your own wheel. i'll take lots of pics and report back next week...