Someone was asking me how bad my yarn was when I first started spinning. I remember it well.It all started when my sister-in-law gave me some raw mohair that she had gotten somewhere. This was not the type of mohair that most spinners would recognize. It looked like it had been sheared off the goat because it needed shearing, not for using the fiber. Since we didn't know any better, we thought it was great. My husband, knowing that my sister-in-law was giving me this fiber for Christmas, bought me "Hands On Spinning", by Lee Raven, some hand cards and a drop-spindle. The spindle must weigh at least 2 pounds. I was soooo thrilled.
I read the book, washed the mohair, which was actually white instead of dark gray, carded it as best as I could, and tried to spindle it. What a catastrophe. The mohair was so slipery and the spindle was so heavy, I couldn't do anything. Well, more reading followed, an Ashford Traditional was bought, and some raw wool was found, which I washed and carded, and my first yarn was born. I still use that original mohair for blending. I still love it even though it wasn't perfect.
Here are some photos of some of my earlier yarns.
My very first yarn (merino-what did I know?), and a hat I made with it. I even dyed a few minnie skeins with Kool-Aid so I could have stripes.
Here's what is left of most of my first yarns. I made socks for my sister-in-law (blended with the mohair, of course) and a bunch of other little things for family and friends.
Here is my second yarn. A beautiful Romney fleece.
And the hat I made for my husband, which he still wears when it's really cold.
All this started a little over 10 years ago and my passion for spinning (and my stash, of course) has only increased. Thanks, Cathy.
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