Meet Emma

Spinning, it's the new crack.

Before we venture into the depths of obsession and new inanimate objects with names, however, Here's the first SPFO. (Alison, Sabine? The bag made from your gifts is finished and felted, but it needs felted flowers, and ... knitting 60 petals? Not so exciting. I'm getting there.)

Blurry Koigu fingerless mittens. I used less than a skein, considerably less, in fact, so I might add to the cuff. Apart from making them up as I went along (seriously, I know there are thousands of patterns out there, I was just too lazy to look one up), I played with an openwork stitch called "Pillar" - no idea where I found it, probably Barbara Walker - and with picot cast-off, which worked on one mitten and not so much on the other. It was lovely to knit with this yarn, thanks pal.

The other project I'm working on right now is Clapotis II, my grieving project. The first Clapotis is resting with my mom, so I'm making another one for me (same pattern, different yarn ... kind of appropriate). I only pick it up when I want to be quiet and can handle being sad, because the pattern is so familiar now that I have a lot of free mind space. The memories of my mom, frail, in pain, but snuggled in her silky shawl ("This is too GOOD for me.") with a happy smile on her face always make me happy, too. At the same time I'm here to report that tears do not felt wool. A good thing, I guess. Blurry Clapotis.

So, now meet Emma. (Image copyright: Wollespinnen - because I can't manage to get a decent picture.)

Isn't she pretty? Emma is a late 19th-century castle wheel, and the only non-original parts are the flyer hooks, because the original ones probably rusted through in the 1950s. She came with only one bobbin and without any bells, whistles or lazy kates. And I got her for a song. Really, about a skein of Sea Silk. I waxed and oiled her, and I'm thinking of a light stripping and linseed oiling, because as far as I can tell, the wood was oiled once (probably in 1880) and hasn't been treated again ever since. But! No worm.

So I sat down with Hands On Spinning ... and stared at my wheel. I tried to recognize all the parts and get an idea of Emma's workings, because she also didn't come with a nifty instruction booklet. But I figured out that she is bobbin-lead, found the brake and managed to adjust the drive band tension. And there really wasn't much more to do, so I grabbed the mystery fiber the seller had thoughtfully included, did the leader thing and went on my merry spinning way. For about a minute. Then I spent the next hour practicing my treadle technique. Even when she is all oiled and detailed, Emma rattles, shakes and screeches. Well, I guess when you're 120 + years old ... It's not so easy-going. However, I'm proud to report that I got the hang of it at last. Again with the merry spinning way.

Dark brown fiber, grey winter light? Sorry about that. This is my first Emma-spun.

Next up: some merino I had dyed to achieve a "Delft china" effect.

Uh, Delft 2-ply novelty yarn. And not enough for a tea cozy. Sigh. But Emma and I really got acquainted with that one.

My current experiment: lovely Shetland roving I bought on ebay (Euro spinners, look for kraftmania-uk, terriffic shop).

I am REALLY proud of this. It's overspun in places and still not so very even, but if I keep working hard at it, this might turn out to be my first non-chunky yarn.

Before Emma arrived, I had started spindle-spinning some merino pencil roving dyed in lovely fall colours. I finished 100g of it as "chunky on purpose, hopefully a scarf for my brown coat 2-ply". It's lovely and soft, and I'm not giving up the spindle.

Oooh, the postman rang! He brought my (pre-ordered when the dinosaurs still roamed) copy of the book with the biggest buzz in a long time. Gotta go!