15 More Hours

In this second week of Ian’s summer camp, I have another 15 hours of dedicated craft time again. 

I have been spinning like a mad woman to finish the overdue fiber exchange from 2010. It was to be an epic spinning, weaving and sewing project. Recently, I have decided that finished yarn would make a nice finished exchange. 

I was given an 8 oz. bag of lovely malachite green cotton sliver (roving) blended with tiny streaks of grey and tinges of red. My personal challenge was to spin the yarn entirely on my Indian Book-Charkha, purchased in 2004 from New World Textiles.

I’d spun a little on the charkha but never a whole project. I thought to myself that it would be really easy, it’s so portable and fast. I should have the yarn done in no time. I even agreed to demonstrate on the charkha when I felt I had some proficiency. 

Do you know how long it takes to spin 8 oz. of super fine cotton singles for a nice finished 3-ply yarn? 

A long time.

Spinning this cotton has been epic for me. I have bobbins full of singles. I even started spinning on my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel to see if the spinning would go faster. While my long draw is getting smoother, I still see lots of sliver in the bag left to spin.

Anyway, I have been spinning everyday now for over a week. And I guess I AM seeing less fiber in the bag. 

In the morning while Ian is at camp, I spin on the charkha. At home, because my wheel is handy, I spin the cotton on it.

Last Tuesday I spun at Heritage Park in Irvine, CA sitting in the gazebo by the lake. It was a lovely morning. A little overcast due to coastal fog, but warm enough. The ducks were active, swimming and waddling around. A few baby ducklings added to the charm.

The picture shows my view as I worked. 

What cannot be conveyed in this picture-that-tells-a-thousand-words is that there were also 2 GIANT drive-around lawn mowers and 3 gas leaf-blowers in the background working diligently to groom the lawn.

I know you know how loud those machines are.

I kept thinking they would finish soon and stuck it out in the gazebo for about an hour. But then they came nearer. I realized that there were leaves around the gazebo and that soon I would be surrounded by blowing dust and intense noise.

I packed up.

I still have a pretty visual memory of the morning but I also laugh about the mower noise. The act of spinning, while still romantic and connected to humanity in my mind, is not always done in bucolic settings.