I spin too!!! I am a neurologist with a love for fiber arts. I learned to knit when I was in college from my roommate. when my kids were little I picked up knitting again. I ended up going to a weekend retreat instructing on dying yarn with natural products collected in the woods. There were several people at the retreat that had spinning wheels or hand spindles. I was fascinated. by the end of the weekend I had learned to spin with a drop spindle. Within a month I had purchased a spinning wheel off of eBay. I, like you find it relaxing and love that you are creating something from virtually nothing. Since then, I have acquired friends, including one local alpaca farmer, who provide fiber. When my girls were old enough, they also learned to spin. My older daughter also found it very therapeutic. I once taught a classroom of third graders how to spin. We made our own drop spindles using a dowel and a weighted disc, purchased from a local craft store. Thank you so much for sharing your love for spinning. It warms my heart!
Hello fellow scientist who learned to knit in college, we seem to have similar trajectories. That must have been so much fun teaching a whole class of third graders to spin!
I was thinking as I read that whatever we make - an essay, a sweater, a cucumber, takes time and the making is probably more important that anything else for the sanity of some of us!
Yes!!! And the work of the hands is so lost in our capitalistic world. When I give my kids something I have knit or woven, lumps and all, they say they love it more.
"But I have a secret: For all that I love to spin, I haven’t finished very many handspun garments. It takes a long time to create something from nothing, and in my 16 years of spinning, I’ve completed only five projects from fiber to finished object...but I treasure each handspun item more than any of the rest.
When I hold a handspun piece, I remember its origin, the feel and color of the wool as it flashed through my fingers, the specific way the fibers twisted into thread, the sometimes surprising characteristics of the finished skein after plying and washing, and the delicious energy it had during knitting that only handspun yarns possess. Each piece is a tactile reminder of when and where I was while I spun it, the stresses it soothed, and the pleasures it provided."
This is so beautiful. And as I was reading, as in all great pieces, I felt the energy move towards this realization of each piece as its own microcosm of the creative process, and of that moment in your life in which it was created. As a child, I was taught to spin wool from sheep's wool - first washing, and carding it, and all the way to the point where we knitted a scarf. Going through a process like that is such a huge illustration of so many of life's (and certainly creativity's) trajectory. I would say you have, in fact, created MUCH. Beautifully written, too.
Alicia, thank you for articulating so beautifully why I spin as well. It's such an affirmation of what is meant when we suggest there's value in a process. <3
Especially during the last powerful section I found myself visualizing your spinning as symmetrical with a Mother Earth Spirit turning and healing our planet with such creativity. How we need such good art and writing in our time and beyond!
Wow, what a beautiful and unexpected essay. Not only is it a masterful piece of writing, you have explained so well why you do what you do, and why it is worthy despite what onlookers may think. Your pieces are treasures to you and your family, and that is "plenty enough." I only wished that you had included another photo of your finished pieces!
Loved picturing all the colors on display and then you packed them up and it made me sad. I'm so glad they're out again sliding through your fingers again! I hope your children tell the stories with enough repetition that they remember to tell their children, too and that they'll tell theirs. I'm sure the items will last that long. I love thinking about the bows my mom tied every Christmas on a little tree she gave me. I picture her sewing on the sofa when I was little when I pull out the Christmas tree skirt she made me. Your vision of the generations is lovely. Make it reality with your spinning and beautiful yarn items. Love this!
I just finished a punch needle project that took me a month - hours upon hours of stitching. But the satisfaction of the finished product was beyond my expectations. A real joy. The feel of yarn in my fingers is addictive and soothing. Yes, I can relate. We need to create beautiful things.
Alicia--Your words resonated with me so much. I am a quilter and find quilting stops everything spinning in my head and I focus on what is right in front of me. I love how beautifully you put into words the importance of making is for the heart and soul!❤️
I spin too!!! I am a neurologist with a love for fiber arts. I learned to knit when I was in college from my roommate. when my kids were little I picked up knitting again. I ended up going to a weekend retreat instructing on dying yarn with natural products collected in the woods. There were several people at the retreat that had spinning wheels or hand spindles. I was fascinated. by the end of the weekend I had learned to spin with a drop spindle. Within a month I had purchased a spinning wheel off of eBay. I, like you find it relaxing and love that you are creating something from virtually nothing. Since then, I have acquired friends, including one local alpaca farmer, who provide fiber. When my girls were old enough, they also learned to spin. My older daughter also found it very therapeutic. I once taught a classroom of third graders how to spin. We made our own drop spindles using a dowel and a weighted disc, purchased from a local craft store. Thank you so much for sharing your love for spinning. It warms my heart!
Hello fellow scientist who learned to knit in college, we seem to have similar trajectories. That must have been so much fun teaching a whole class of third graders to spin!
Fun and chaotic!
I was thinking as I read that whatever we make - an essay, a sweater, a cucumber, takes time and the making is probably more important that anything else for the sanity of some of us!
Absolutely! I'm not the most productive finisher of things but I'm a crazy prolific starter.
Yes!!! And the work of the hands is so lost in our capitalistic world. When I give my kids something I have knit or woven, lumps and all, they say they love it more.
I love that so much. Raising some craft-worthy kids!
"But I have a secret: For all that I love to spin, I haven’t finished very many handspun garments. It takes a long time to create something from nothing, and in my 16 years of spinning, I’ve completed only five projects from fiber to finished object...but I treasure each handspun item more than any of the rest.
When I hold a handspun piece, I remember its origin, the feel and color of the wool as it flashed through my fingers, the specific way the fibers twisted into thread, the sometimes surprising characteristics of the finished skein after plying and washing, and the delicious energy it had during knitting that only handspun yarns possess. Each piece is a tactile reminder of when and where I was while I spun it, the stresses it soothed, and the pleasures it provided."
This is so beautiful. And as I was reading, as in all great pieces, I felt the energy move towards this realization of each piece as its own microcosm of the creative process, and of that moment in your life in which it was created. As a child, I was taught to spin wool from sheep's wool - first washing, and carding it, and all the way to the point where we knitted a scarf. Going through a process like that is such a huge illustration of so many of life's (and certainly creativity's) trajectory. I would say you have, in fact, created MUCH. Beautifully written, too.
Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words!
I admire your dedication to craft and keeping a nearly lost art alive.
Thank you! Luckily there are still lots of spinning guilds around working hard to keep these skills going.
And quilting, as well. I don't quilt, but I collect vintage, "one of a kind," beauties.
Yes! My mother-in-law used to make beautiful quilts, they can be so special.
Alicia, thank you for articulating so beautifully why I spin as well. It's such an affirmation of what is meant when we suggest there's value in a process. <3
Yes! Love connecting with a fellow spinner who gets it. Thank you for reading! 😊
I see you went to my Substack. I better get that up and running one of these days!
Especially during the last powerful section I found myself visualizing your spinning as symmetrical with a Mother Earth Spirit turning and healing our planet with such creativity. How we need such good art and writing in our time and beyond!
Thank you for your words, I love that visual.
Wow, what a beautiful and unexpected essay. Not only is it a masterful piece of writing, you have explained so well why you do what you do, and why it is worthy despite what onlookers may think. Your pieces are treasures to you and your family, and that is "plenty enough." I only wished that you had included another photo of your finished pieces!
Thank you for your kind comments! I will likely share more photos in future pieces on my substack.
Loved picturing all the colors on display and then you packed them up and it made me sad. I'm so glad they're out again sliding through your fingers again! I hope your children tell the stories with enough repetition that they remember to tell their children, too and that they'll tell theirs. I'm sure the items will last that long. I love thinking about the bows my mom tied every Christmas on a little tree she gave me. I picture her sewing on the sofa when I was little when I pull out the Christmas tree skirt she made me. Your vision of the generations is lovely. Make it reality with your spinning and beautiful yarn items. Love this!
I just finished a punch needle project that took me a month - hours upon hours of stitching. But the satisfaction of the finished product was beyond my expectations. A real joy. The feel of yarn in my fingers is addictive and soothing. Yes, I can relate. We need to create beautiful things.
Alicia--Your words resonated with me so much. I am a quilter and find quilting stops everything spinning in my head and I focus on what is right in front of me. I love how beautifully you put into words the importance of making is for the heart and soul!❤️