Hope For New Spinners

My first attempts at spinning were less than spectacular. I can't show you the very first yarn I took off the bobbin. It went immediately and dramatically into the trash. Here is something like my second attempt. I used a very bad wool for beginners (Gotland Lamb) because someone told me all the cloaks in Lord of the Rings had been made of it and I wanted to wear a garment with a touch of Elven magic. I imagined myself saying to friends, 'Yes, this sweater is made from the same wool as Frodo's Invisibility Cloak."

That did not happen. The yarn ended up as felted slippers because it was not good for anything else. It was a mass of twits (skinny places) and slubs (fat places). They were wonderful slippers, though.

I was afraid I'd never make slub and twit-free yarn. I felt like a klutz.

And then something happened. My brain started to get it. Treadle, draft, spin. Rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time. Something clicked. All it took was practice, practice, practice. Hmmm. Seems I told my musician daughter the same thing for a lot of years. Now she gives concerts.


One month later I had made all of these. I had also spun enough yarn for a sweater. Practice, practice, practice! I practiced what I'd preached and it worked! We can learn new skills, even skills that feel impossible. I am not an artistic genius, extra talented, or super-coordinated. I am just determined.

If you are learning to spin and feel like it will never come together, have hope, keep practicing, and remember that all your yarn is beautiful. It may end up in a pair of cozy slippers instead of a magic cloak, but that's okay. That's part of the adventure.