Fluffbuff

Not much spinning going on in the past couple of months as I've been bitten by the color-knitting bug. But that's all about to change. Tomorrow is Dyefest at my guild's meeting and since I don't have any fiber or yarn to dye, I'll spin (just got to make sure I don't bring the knitting). That way I'll finish my first little package for my SP in England.

In the next two months I am also planning to finally take up the wheel; I need to be proficient enough for a spinning workshop in August. With four of my spinning friends I signed up for Camp Pluckyfluff, a two-day spinning workshop in Placerville, Northern California, to run August 12-13. The people organizing the workshop are the same ones who published Handspun Revolution. The book is a gallery of funky handspun yarns with all sorts of inclusions, some stranger than others: sequins, silk coccoons, embroidered flowers, pieces of felted wool, zippers, even a doll. Some of their creations go for rather unbelievable prices on eBay.

Funky ain't really my thing, so why did I sign up? Well, some of my favorite people are going and I thought it would be fun. Afterwards, I rationalized it by thinking that it would broaden my spinning horizons. Actually, I think it will. I want to try other techniques, even though I doubt I'll ever use any of the yarn I make that way. I like my small gauge knitting too much. Whenever I bought novelty yarns in the past, they always ended up sitting pretty in some basket.

I should start thinking about what materials to use for my inclusions; maybe something from my stash that has no likely prospect of being used any time soon. The main thing, though, is to start using the wheel. So far, I haven't really taken to it, and it's a good wheel, too: a Majacraft Rose. It's just that I really like my spindles and that's what I've been using since I started spinning four years ago. I love their portability and that I can pick them up and put them down any time and any place. I can spin while I walk around the house; I don't have to do any set-up and sit down the whole time. The wheel just feels like work to me, while the spindles are fun. I'll post some pictures later if I get the time. Today is another busy day (aren't they all, lately?)