This is a skein of Blackberry's hogget fleece, spun by Wanda Jenkins. I haven't spun what I have left of his fleece yet, but seeing (and feeling!) this makes me want to start on his roving immediately.Sitting on that cushy two-ply is an olivewood Jenkins Aegean Turkish spindle. Ed Jenkins patterned the Aegean after a spindle someone bought used in a marketplace in Turkey. When I got some money for Christmas, I decided I needed one more spindle, and ordered this one after seeing another one made out of olivewood. I was able to meet Wanda to see the yarn and pick up the spindle at a spinners' gathering in West Salem this week, which also gave me a rare opportunity to meet and even spin a bit with a group of like-minded women. Wanda and another lady were both spinning on their Aegeans, so I joined them using the sample fiber Wanda included:
(The spindle is washed out in the top photo and too yellow in the bottom photo, but the second one is more true-to-color.)It is a beautiful tool (and spins like a dream), but I'm afraid my eyes quickly wandered and my heart was stolen by a spindle not my own. The other lady's Aegean was made out of holly which looked like antique ivory, and the chip carving really popped on it. I felt like I'd arrived for the ceremony at my own arranged marriage and promptly fell for one of the guests! Wanda assured me that trading my olivewood for a holly was no problem. Fortunately this is spinning, not marital commitment, so I am trying out the olivewood for a few days before deciding....
On my Jenkins Jay is the second sample I received from Corgi Hill Farm, 80/20 merino/silk:
On the needles? Nothing! And this, my friends, is a problem. We are going to our church's "family snow camp" this weekend, and I need something to keep my hands busy and my mind sane! There's plenty I want to knit, but I haven't had time to match patterns with yarn and do any swatching. There's still a bit of time to remedy that and I may yet, because I don't want to risk taking my spindles. I have a couple books and a boat-load of magazines to read, and plan to take some, but there are times when listening is expected and knitting helps me do that.
That's it for now from . . .
6 comments:
Those spindles are gorgeous! I wish the blogworld allowed for tactile sensations. Blackberry's skien looks so soft.
Beautiful spindle! What is that sample fiber?
Oh, I really must get back over to Jenkins for a look at holly wood. I sure wish they still were making weaving shuttles. My favorite is still the Jenkins out of curly maple. Beautiful Blackberry BTW. :)
Thank, MiniKat and Theresa; Blackberry spun up beautifully and is squishy-soft!
Becky, the harvest-colored sample is Polworth, my first experience with that type of wool.
Ooh - this is ALL so lovely! I need to give my little plain spindle another try. I'd love to have a really neat one, but if I'm not going to actually use it...
your Blackberry yarn looks just wonderful- I wish I could reach out and touch it! The spindles are beautiful, too. I gave away my only turkish spindle years ago to someone I was trying to entice in to the spinning thing. I should get another one some time-
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