Sometimes you need a project you can just start NOW.
Sometimes you need a super simple straightforward, easy, non-thinking project.
No planning needed. No designing required. No counting. No math.
Just starting and making.
Often, starting a project with no planning is a recipe for disaster.
It’s generally how you get ill-fitting sweaters, cockeyed shelving units, uneatable meals. Planning is super important for creating a usable finished object – it’s why swatching is important, and so is math.
However, sometimes you need a project you can just start now, without going through the thinking, or the planning, or the calculating.
For me, spinning fills that need.
I don’t often spin yarn with a knitting project in mind.
My handspun & hand knit sweater being the exception.
I don’t often spin complicated yarns.
No art yarns, no intricately planned color sequences, or time consuming fiber prep – they’re not my thing.
I like my spinning projects pretty damn straightforward.
I start a spinning project by going into my fiber stash, pulling out a braid of roving, splitting it in half, and starting to spin. Sometimes I’ll do some more drafting or prep – especially if it’s a multi color roving – but not often.
There are definitely technical spinners out there – I’m not one of them.
For me, spinning is about being a conduit.
Take fiber. Add twist. Make yarn.
How much twist? As much twist as the fiber wants.
What ratio? The ratio that feels right.
How many treadles per minute? As many treadles as your feet want.
How many plies? What direction of twist? What fiber prep? What color sequence? How long? How often? How consistent? etc. etc.
What feels right? What feels right?
No over thinking. No over planning. Just spinning.
(the red yarn on the left, is a red & purple 3ply handspun, also spun by me without much planning)
