Elphaba is my new spinning wheel. She is an Ashford Traditional, which is a type of wheel I've been drooling over since day 1 of my interest in spinning. I found her through a really random connection I made at Wooley Ways in Olden Days at the Wayside Inn last month. Today I was finally able to bring her home. Here she is getting the royal treatment. Not many of my possessions get a padded ride :-) Another bit of happy news is that she is petite and therefore fits nicely in the back of the car. She is going to be so easy to bring to knit night! **GLEE**
Here's Elphie just as she's come in the door to her new home. She is currently residing in front of the yarn cabinet in the hope that she will study all the already finished yarn and take notes for when I ask her to spin for me like a good girl. I'm sure she is going to give me a run for my money though.
I decided to take the plunge and see just how lame my newbie spinning would be. Turns out.... pretty lame! :P Actually, I would consider the bobbin of yarn I made tonight equal in quality to the first hank of spindle spun yarn I made. So, that's not too bad. I just am not coordinated with the whole having to draft the fiber AND treadle at the same time. It's way worse than patting your head and rubbing your stomach.... Towards the end of of the batch fiber I spun, I could actually treadle for a few moments before having to stop or accidentally making her spin backwards. I also figured out that I really need to sit in a good chair to spin on her and that treadling on two layers of carpet is not a sound plan. Two good lessons learned in one evening.
This is the yarn I came up with.... in one night. I can't believe how fast it is to spun on a wheel even with my ineptitude at keeping Elphie spinning and drafting at the same time. I don't think I ever could have spun 4 ounces in one night on a spindle. I'm really happy with how the single turned out. I used a braid of Blue Faced Leicester in the rose garden colorway I recently ordered from MissBabs.com. Her stuff is so gorgeous to look at and the BFL is soooo soft!
So, needless to say, I had a really good day and I am a very happy camper. I can't wait to be able to spend more time spinning on Elphaba.... but for now I guess sleep is a good idea. Who made that a requirement anyway?
4 comments:
soooooooooooooooo gorgeous . Nice job !
I have to ask, where did the name Elphaba come from?
Elphaba is the name of the "wicked witch" in the musical Wicked which tells the story of Oz and how the wicked witch and Glinda came to be who they were. In the story Elphaba isn't so much wicked as misunderstood though :) Plus, I think it's a pretty neat and unique name.
AH HA! I hope your Elphaba isn't wicked to you!
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