Spinning Silk on a Spindle

I had the happy chance to come across Ruth MacGregor at Convergence this summer. She is a believer in spinning silk on spindles! What a wonderful person, and a great teacher, too.

She got me spinning with Tussah silk, and I chose to buy her lightweight spindle (pictured here and available on Ruth's website), which was amazingly simple to do. I was so thrilled with it, of course I had to get a few ounces to spin with! The silk you see on the spindle is from Ruth as well.

Spinning silk has a different feel than spinning with wool, as it doesn't want to grab onto itself nearly as much as wool likes to. And because the staple tends to be much longer, it allows you to draft with a bit longer draw.

I am told that Tussah silk is the easiest to spin, but not to be dissuaded, I purchased some Bombyx silk top from Susan's Fiber Shop, and I am saving it for a time when I'm feeling a little cocky about my spinning skills. I have also gotten a very lightweight spindle to spin it with (more about that later), as I am likely to spin it quite fine to use either for weaving or for knitted lace.

Then there were more (spindles)

Once you have one spindle, they seem to need friends. So I found myself getting a spindle to spin finer threads. I came across this one at Convergence 2008 in Tampa, Florida. Convergence is the semi-annual event put on by the Handweavers Guild of America where there are many classes and many vendors.

It weighs a little under an ounce, and is made by Ashford. The people from Ashford came from New Zealand to vend, and their people were amazingly helpful. A couple of the women spent quite a bit of time with me, helping me to understand how to spin with a spindle. I also took a hour-long class in spindle spinning, taught by one of Ashford's staff.

I then wandered over to Susan's Fiber Shop, where I found this lovely merino and tencel roving. I am having a great time spinning it into fine singles.

Of course, where there were two spindles, there will be more...

Caught the bug!

I swore I'd never get into spinning. I've been weaving for years. And knitting, crocheting, embroidering, and making bobbin lace (see my lace blog).

Then I went to the Connecticut Sheep and Wool festival with my friend Barbara - who's been trying to get me into spinning for a long time now - and found this beautiful spindle! And beautiful merino roving!

It was the beginning of the end.