Spinning together

Saturday at home, just me and Imogen as Alex has gone to the allotment and then to an event locally. I have done a fair bit of carding of the Zwartble fleece (it's going a long way!) and some spinning over the last few evenings and some on Friday. So when I said to Imogen that we would be at home together today I asked her if she would like to do a little spinning with me. This was met with a joyous yes.

Zwartble ready for spinning

She has had a little go with me a few times now, mainly with just holding the wool to spin and drawing it back ready for spinning, and a little treadling. So today she wanted to try the treadling so I got her to do some without any wool on the bobbin just to get the rhythm you need to keep up to keep the wheel spinning in the right direction - harder that it sounds for many people I've seen try it. She did pretty well, used two feet to help as it can be hard work for 5 year old legs!

getting used to the wheel spinning

We then introduced the wool and sat together spinning for a while, both of us treadling and drawing back the wool and she was mesmerised with the spin going up the wool and asking lots of questions about how it was all working - some she knew already and recalled well and some new to her.

 having a go at treadling and drawing the fibre

She then had a go with the whole process, treadling, drawing the wool back, releasing the wool to wind onto the bobbin. Easy? Well, maybe easy for me after having been spinning for coming up 2 years, but not so easy for Imogen, but hey she had a really good try. It is something hard to conquer when you first learn - trying to keep the treadling rhythm going whilst watching what is happening to the wool. I think she did really well and was very focused.

Imogen spinning solo

Keeping the rhythm proving a little troublesome!

What do you think? Not bad eh!

I then sat with her again and we did it together - she said it was easier with my help and was concentrating really hard on what we were doing. Here's the bobbin we filled together (plus another already done by me).

Bobbins ready to use

She was very pleased with herself and wants to show Alex later what we've done and show her how she helps me spinning. Not bad for 5, it takes some co-ordination. Progress anyway and she can't wait to do some more soon - a spinner in the making.

I'm going to Navajo ply this later along with the bobbins already done this week to free up the bobbins for more spinning of this gorgeous wool. Need to get some more batts carded first though.