I have four workshops on my teaching calendar this Fall, and all are related to hand spinning. I am always astonished when people spend cold hard cash to learn how to turn wool into yarn. Why would you give up a perfectly good afternoon to fiddle with a spindle and some fluffy wool? Maybe wool has hidden property that we can’t resist.
There are so many possible ways to make art, I often wonder how I landed on spinning and weaving. Actually, I do know: I saw a picture in a Fox Fire Book and a week later met a spinner at an Art Festival.
Historically hand spinning in the US was almost all done on spinning wheels.1 In the 1980’s, (just after the US celebrated its Bicentennial) hand spindles were called Drop Spindles. They were big clunky dowels with large whorls, I have to assume they were meant to spin the funky chunk yarn popular for art projects. In recent time, scholarly writing has led to experimental archeology and resulted in folks embracing replicas of ancient tools because they work so well!
Handspun vs commercial yarn
The world is full of beautiful yarns, made from fibers of all kind, and dyed like the rainbow. So, why make yarn? Handspun is not superior for knitting. I have occasionally made great knitting yarn, but, I do find that my handspun is generally not consistent for a big project.
There was a time when I would knit mittens for my children, poor things. How they longed for fleece mittens or actual gloves, like the ones worn by all their cool friends. To their credit, they rarely lost one and I wound up with a basketful of indigo-dyed mittens which I unravelled for my tapestry weaving experiments.
So, what do you do with all that yarn?
In my (so-called) tapestries2, I use handspun for the weft but commercial threads for the warp. The inconsistent textures are perfect for my weaving style, which lands exactly halfway between tapestry and plain weaving. Sheila Hicks3 coined the term “Wall Hangings” which is a good description of her work. Unfortunately, in the 1970s that concept quickly morphed into woven hippy yarn constructions suspended from a stick. These things have their place in the art world, but can be over produced.
Most of the time, when I spin, I do not have a specific project in mind. Perhaps a vague notion, as I did with the mixed bag of wool I brought back from England. I fell in love with the range of natural shades available in the heritage breed fleeces from Wychwood Spinners in the Cotswolds. I knew I wanted to spin all the wool and then weave or knit it into something that shows off all the shades of white, grey, brown, moorit, and black. Now, those yards are off the loom and waiting to see what they will become.
Finding company on the journey
Since I rejoined the Dallas Handweavers and Spinners Guild (after a brief break of three decades) I found them to be a group of unapologetic spinners and weavers who are also life-long learners. In our monthly meetings we learn from guest speakers, show off our latests projects, and enjoy helpful feedback.
I also enjoy the company of my workshop participants especially those of you who keep coming back for more classes and our monthly Community Craft Circle.
Spinning has become a meditative habit for me. I pick up my spindles when I have been too busy, when the news is too sad, when I am on a long road trip. My hands are busy, my mind can drift and I get such pleasure from a spindle with a full “cop” of yarn. And, I really enjoy sharing spinning with other folks!
Indigenous weavers of North America , Navajo rug-weavers for example, never stopped using tall supported spindles to spin their homegrown wool. There are many practical reasons for this- I assume it is because how nice it is to use a portable tool that doesn’t need adjusting, oiling or much storage space.
What to call them… wall hangings, tapestries, textile art, some are studies of texture and observed nature. I am leaning toward calling them “cartoons.” The term originated in the weaving world, because it refers to the sketch which hangs behind the tapestry loom and provides guidance for the weavers.
I have been influenced by Shiela Hicks ever since I took up weaving in college. But, that will need to be another post.