More about the Spin to Knit course - this time from Carol Leonard

Any of these questions sound familiar?

• What do you do with this yarn?
• Do you need to ply that?
• Is there enough to make.....?
• How do you manage to spin a thicker yarn – I can only manage very thin these days!
• What patterns can you use?

The first question on that list is one that I have been asked so many times over the years. What is more, I have asked it of myself! When I started out, I spun everything I could lay my hands on, with no thought whatsoever as to what that yarn might grow up to be. I then spent many hours attempting to make silk purses out of sows’ ears, entire sweaters out of 6 ounces of Herdwick, and then when I did have enough to make something, being faced with a quantity of left over yarn not quite sufficient to knit .....well, anything, really. And I did love every minute of it, even when a bit frustrated by not quite getting it right.

Gradually, as I learnt more, I started to assess the fibre that I was about to spin. I even – yes, really! – would sometimes do some samples. I came to understand what my wheels could do or I could do with them, how different fibres behaved. The Cormo lesson could have been a bitter one as, completely inexperienced with this fleece, I did not remember to sample, spun what I thought was a fine yarn only to have it poof up into more like a DK weight on washing! Fortunately, there was just enough to make a cosy shawl, if you ignore the fact that the border is merino and silk!

“Spin to Knit” came about because I came to the realisation that I, as something of a reluctant knitter initially, had collected over the years a rag tag body of information about spinning yarn and what could be done with it. And that it would be great fun to share this with people, whilst at the same time benefiting from what they might have discovered as well.

So in this course, we shall be looking at fibre and yarn and projects in a coherent way – what process might work to what end, there are many ways to express it. The whole craft of hand spinning has changed hugely from when I first learnt, with a sack of unwashed fleece of uncertain origin at my side, and maybe a simple dog comb to hand if I remembered. I could take it one little step at a time, and nothing wrong with that, of course, but maybe learning a few tips, wrinkles and shortcuts might be a good thing, eh?

 Because Pete and I team teach this class, we are able to encourage very new spinners to take it. As long as you have had a little tuition, can treadle reasonably fluently, draft a yarn that is not so twisty that it refuses to go on to the bobbin, you will be fine. This is not of course to say that more experienced spinners will not find plenty to keep them occupied as well!