A couple of years ago I visited my aunts widower and during that visit he actually gave me my aunts spinning wheel and a carding machine. I was learning how to felt and I told him that I wanted to be able to buy raw wool and process it myself. So he simply said "I wonder if I should give you my carding machine..." and he did! The biggest surprise I ever got in my life. I didn´t even know that my aunt was a spinner. They made lots of other crafts, but I didn´t know about the spinning.
So I got home with a spinning wheel, and I had no clue what to do with it! So I did some research so that I knew how it worked, replaced a couple of things. I ordered some wool, found a great instruction video on youtube and gave it a try. I´m not even gonna try to tell you how close I was to give up and return the spinning wheel, but finally I started to get a hang of it. I was so proud of myself when I was able to make a yarn for the first time.
This is one of my most valuable possessions, in one of my favourite spots in the garden. I like to get up early and take my wheel outside when the weather allows me to.
I learned to do crafts early in life, my mum is responsible for that too. I do embroidery, knit, sew and crochet if I have to. But to be able to make things with wool is by far the most rewarding. I buy wool from a farmer about an hour away. He´s got a breed mix based on Gotland sheep. I bought wool from 18 sheep last fall and I still have some left. Some of it were really nice lambswool. I like to be a part of the whole process. I wash the wool, card it by hand or in the machine, then spin or felt with it. Wool is so versatile, you can make so many different things from it. I needlefelt santas too, for example.
I made this bag for the farmer, he wanted to give it to his wife on her birthday, so I made a surprise bag. Partly made with wool from their own sheep.
Very appreciated.
So, what´s my point by telling this?
We talk a lot about learning new skills, the homesteading life is based on a lot of different skills. And I think that´s why I find it so interesting. It´s the feeling I get when I achieve something. When I decide to learn something new and trust myself to be capable of learning. It isn´t just learning new things, it´s everything I do. It makes me feel good about myself. It doesn´t matter if it´s gardening, crafts or doing the dishes. I achieve something. I think that´s what it takes to do things, you need to know how great it feels. You need to know that what you do is good enough.
And I´m just an ordinary person. That is kind of my point. I can do this, so can all of us.
But it´s that feeling I´m going for, every time.
I also like to point out another thing, I love working with a material that is provided by a sheep. And even better if I have met the sheep. I think that´s kind of neat. And it is superior to any synthetic fibre when your feet are cold. It´s all natural, I do it all by myself. I wouldn't keep sheep and the farmer didn´t use the wool. Well some of it was used to insulate a dog house, but they don´t use it themselves.
And, this is important. I watch a lot of other spinners and at first I started to compare myself to them. I don´t know all the different techniques to spinning, I make yarn anyway. I found what works for me. And it doesn´t have to be perfect either. I can knit a pair of socks with it even if I got some lumps to it or one end is thinner than the other. It will never look like a yarn made by a machine and that´s good to know.
If you want to know more about spinning I could try to answer it, but I think there´s a lot of good information to find on pinterest. I probably read all of it anyway. And if it´s something else you want to do. Just go for it.
Until next time, be well.
//S
This is such an important yet often forgotten skill. I have tried to teach myself many of the skills of the olden days but this one I have yet to do. Maybe one day soon you can do an instructional post to give us a sneak peek of what it's like to spend your own yard. Up voted, resteemed and followed by us here at the Hewett Homestead
Thank you so much for your support! I could always try to put together something to show how I do my yarn. It´s really nice to hear that there is a interest to see more.
As a gift a couple years ago I bought my wife a spinning wheel and we went to lessons together. Because we had so much yarn, I decided to learn how to knit so last year I knit myself a pair of wool hunting socks. They are my favorite pair of socks now because every time I wear them I'm reminded that I made them.
That's wonderful! What a gift and what achievements! Be proud!
An interesting thing I found when we started spinning. We do not pay for wool because many people have sheep as pets that they need to share and don't use the wool. They find out that we spin and just give us bags worth for free.
That´s nice! I might be able to get wool for free this year from another who has sheep, but I will be happy to pay in one way or another when it´s worth it. This wool was definitly worth it.
Congratulations @arcticgarden!
Your post was mentioned in the hit parade in the following categories:
What a great craft to teach yourself. I am sure it is a steep learning curve. How pretty your yarns are! Thanks for a great post. Homesteading encompasses so many things. 🐓🐓
Thank you! I would probably have done it differently if I had known anyone who could have teached me. Sometimes it pays off to be stubborn and refuse to give up.
that's really cool! I once went to a sheep farm and spun a little of their fur into yarn .
It sounds like a great idea, visit the sheep and get to try spinning as well!
You have an extraordinary skill. I am impressed.
One skill I would love to learn is basket weaving (yeah, yeah, I remember all the old jokes about this) but seriously, I would like to learn how to do it. It is a lost art and skill.
lovely article. It seems you have a wonderfully artistic and skilled family. I find that I get to learn about different wool when I am spinning it as I get fiber from friends who have "pet" fiber animals that had to be sheared/groomed. I just pull out my wool source book and get at it! Hope to see more from you!
@crosheille has made an initiative here on Steemit to spread needlework art and get it displayed. Sewing, knitting and crocheting seems to have become a lost art, that is until Steemit. There are quite a few crafters that still love these arts. A group of us share our needlework creations every Monday using the tag #NeedleworkMonday. We share ideas, tips, patterns and techniques while encouraging and inspiring one another. Any art involving a needle is welcome! You can post new projects that you are working on or archived projects that you have pictures of. We would love for you to join us on Mondays and post under the tag so everyone can find your work. It has gotten pretty popular these past few months and more crafters are starting to share. We hope you check it out :) Thanks for your time~