I have enjoyed the posts popping up thru out blogland about Rhinebeck. I think what many people brought home in addition to fiber is a sense community….a wonderful community!
Of course though……..there was the fiber too!
This is the first year that I went with a mental list of what I really wanted to bring home. I truly have more fiber than any one person really needs to have (I feel a stash sale brewing), so I tried to concentrate on other things.
One of my greatest fiber frustrations has been my inability to use a drop spindle comfortably. My first introduction to a spindle came before my spinning wheel as is the case with many of you. A good friend of mine sent me home with a bottom whorl spindle and some Romney and let me tell you how much I hated that experience!!
It became apparent to me very quickly why it was called a "drop spindle"!
Very shortly after that I had my first spin on a wheel and fortunately for me, I picked it up very quickly and never looked back at spindling.
Over the years, I have picked up some beautiful spindles, not because I wanted to really spin on them, but because they were beautiful pieces of art. You see, I love nice wood as much if not more than a great fleece. I would pick them up here and there hoping that somehow I would find the process more enjoyable, but each time, it was just a session in frustration. So they continue to sit as lovely dust collectors in their lovely basket.
This year, I watched Margene conquer and do wonderful things with her drop spindle and I really sat up and took notice……and then I noticed more and more how wonderfully at ease people such as a fabulous fiber lady and friend, Joan Jeness, spindle as they walk. I admit I grew a bit envious of their talent and wondered why I just couldn’t get "it".
So for this year at Rhinebeck, I was determined to find just the right spindle for me and to hopefully find someone who could help me figure out what I was doing wrong. I picked Cassie’s brains as she was gracefully walking around spinning on her new spindle. Then I picked the queen of spindling, Lee Ann for some more tips, but still, the process was escaping me yet again.
Margene mentioned that a Bosworth Spindle is a great spindle to try, so even though I had already purchased a Grafton Fibers spindle the day before, I stopped by The Journey Wheel booth just before I left for home. While 
Jonathan was chatting to a customer, I stood quietly and test drove a few of their spindles. Margene was right…..they spin forever, but I was still having a hard time with holding the extra fiber. Being a right handed person that was originally a lefty as a child, I get all turned around at times.
Thankfully, Sheila Bosworth, who is a spindling marvel took a few minutes out of her day with me. She immediately saw what I was struggling with and showed me a few new tricks. Sheila taught me more in those 10 minutes than I have learned in all my years of trying to learn it on my own. If you ever want to be impressed, watch Sheila for a few minutes……she is amazing and I can’t thank her enough, or Margene for pointing me in her direction!
The pictures interspersed within this post are the spindles (except for the hatchtown) that I purchased at the fair. The 2 Bosworth Spindles are absolutely amazing spinners and my little Hatchtown was perfect for the Frelsi icelandic/angora blend that I couldn’t resist. I came home and could not leave those spindles alone. For the first time ever, I actually feel at ease with them and am enjoying the process!
The Woolen Rabbit 
Isn’t it great to have one of those “a-ha” moments! Your new spindles are beautiful and it sounds like they are right for you. I also brought a few new spindle goodies home with me.
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Isn’t it great to have one of those “a-ha” moments! Your new spindles are beautiful and it sounds like they are right for you. I also brought a few new spindle goodies home with me.
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Your spindles are beautiful. I have one Bossie mini myself and just love it. My other is a Kundert which is so very different but I love too. They are so pretty that it isn’t hard to start collecting them at all. I had to buy mine online, but if I get the chance to go to a fiber fair and try out some others in person, I’m afraid of how many I may come home with!! 🙂
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Your spindles are beautiful. I have one Bossie mini myself and just love it. My other is a Kundert which is so very different but I love too. They are so pretty that it isn’t hard to start collecting them at all. I had to buy mine online, but if I get the chance to go to a fiber fair and try out some others in person, I’m afraid of how many I may come home with!! 🙂
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Me Too! Me too!!!! Kim, I spin in the morning when I get up and when I get home from work and when I walk by and notice the spindles screaming for attention and…. and….. It is not difficult getting in the daily half hour of practice that Margene prescribed. I really think that Sheila is a guru. I had probably less spindle spinning experience than you and when I left her after only a few minutes I felt confident that I could go home and do this. There are still a few little quirks that I am trying to work out, but I am quite sure I am going to run out of fiber to practice with in short order. Anytime you want to get together and drop-spin, compare notes, any of that, let me know. I am so there!
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Me Too! Me too!!!! Kim, I spin in the morning when I get up and when I get home from work and when I walk by and notice the spindles screaming for attention and…. and….. It is not difficult getting in the daily half hour of practice that Margene prescribed. I really think that Sheila is a guru. I had probably less spindle spinning experience than you and when I left her after only a few minutes I felt confident that I could go home and do this. There are still a few little quirks that I am trying to work out, but I am quite sure I am going to run out of fiber to practice with in short order. Anytime you want to get together and drop-spin, compare notes, any of that, let me know. I am so there!
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I still don’t know how I missed the Grafton Fibers booth . . . I don’t have a Bosworth spindle (yet?), but I do love my Kundert–even more than the Golding!
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I still don’t know how I missed the Grafton Fibers booth . . . I don’t have a Bosworth spindle (yet?), but I do love my Kundert–even more than the Golding!
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You should do home decorating or something – the woods you’ve picked to go with the fibers or vice versa are just lovely together. Those Bosworth spindles are awfully nice – I tried out one of Jonathan’s charkas at the last S&W, and had to restrain myself from taking one of those home too!
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You should do home decorating or something – the woods you’ve picked to go with the fibers or vice versa are just lovely together. Those Bosworth spindles are awfully nice – I tried out one of Jonathan’s charkas at the last S&W, and had to restrain myself from taking one of those home too!
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I’m still not on board with spindling although I’ve watched with envy in my heart as Margene has done amazing things with fiber & spindle. I just bought PGR’s Spinning in the Old Way so maybe I’ll give it another go one of these days. Keep us updated as you progress – maybe it’ll motivate me. 🙂
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I’m still not on board with spindling although I’ve watched with envy in my heart as Margene has done amazing things with fiber & spindle. I just bought PGR’s Spinning in the Old Way so maybe I’ll give it another go one of these days. Keep us updated as you progress – maybe it’ll motivate me. 🙂
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Your spindles are beautiful.
And the fiber.Sure does make nice pictures to look at.
I too learned on a wheel first.Tryed the drop spindle but just couldnt get the hang of it.But i covet every dropspindle i see.
Lately i too have had the desire to learn the drop spindle better.
Somebody told me just stick to it.
Thats the key,along with having someone show you a bit.
Its like eating peanuts now and i can even say i have my favorite spindle.
Mary Ellen
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Your spindles are beautiful.
And the fiber.Sure does make nice pictures to look at.
I too learned on a wheel first.Tryed the drop spindle but just couldnt get the hang of it.But i covet every dropspindle i see.
Lately i too have had the desire to learn the drop spindle better.
Somebody told me just stick to it.
Thats the key,along with having someone show you a bit.
Its like eating peanuts now and i can even say i have my favorite spindle.
Mary Ellen
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Two hands, three spindles? You should have no problem blasting through your fiber stash!
I didn’t “get” the drop spindle until well after I got comfortable on the wheel. Now I like both, for different reasons.
Enjoy your new purchases. 🙂
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Two hands, three spindles? You should have no problem blasting through your fiber stash!
I didn’t “get” the drop spindle until well after I got comfortable on the wheel. Now I like both, for different reasons.
Enjoy your new purchases. 🙂
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A spindle was the one thing I wanted to purchase but didn’t. I feel much more at ease with my wheels. But I want to be able to spindle spin, too. I get all shy in the spindle vendor booths, though, and I don’t dare try the spindles in front of anyone for fear of making an ass out of myself. And I was never with one of the spindle gurus at the right time to make a purchase so it just didn’t happen. I’m glad it worked out for you – it sure looks like you’re doing well with it.
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A spindle was the one thing I wanted to purchase but didn’t. I feel much more at ease with my wheels. But I want to be able to spindle spin, too. I get all shy in the spindle vendor booths, though, and I don’t dare try the spindles in front of anyone for fear of making an ass out of myself. And I was never with one of the spindle gurus at the right time to make a purchase so it just didn’t happen. I’m glad it worked out for you – it sure looks like you’re doing well with it.
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You and TeresaC have been aided into spindle spinning by a great teacher. I am so happy to have any hand in the beginning steps of your journey. It was wonderful to meet you. Next time we must find some time to hang out a bit together and do some spinning. Maybe we can get more people into the spindle fold (like Carole);-)
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You and TeresaC have been aided into spindle spinning by a great teacher. I am so happy to have any hand in the beginning steps of your journey. It was wonderful to meet you. Next time we must find some time to hang out a bit together and do some spinning. Maybe we can get more people into the spindle fold (like Carole);-)
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You told me a long while ago that you never “got” spindling – I’m actually thrilled that it finally sunk in (I learned more from watching Sheila than I ever learned in a class I paid for!) and that you’re enjoying your spindles as they’re meant to be used. Not that I don’t decorate with mine, but I love using them. There’s something about spindling that makes me feel really … rooted and connected, if that makes any sense.
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You told me a long while ago that you never “got” spindling – I’m actually thrilled that it finally sunk in (I learned more from watching Sheila than I ever learned in a class I paid for!) and that you’re enjoying your spindles as they’re meant to be used. Not that I don’t decorate with mine, but I love using them. There’s something about spindling that makes me feel really … rooted and connected, if that makes any sense.
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Aww your so lucky ! We just dont have anything even close to RB here in the UK. Ok we have woolfest, but its not a scratch on what you got over there,fibre just isnt taken seriously enough here, we’ve such a long way to go to catch up !
Angela
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Aww your so lucky ! We just dont have anything even close to RB here in the UK. Ok we have woolfest, but its not a scratch on what you got over there,fibre just isnt taken seriously enough here, we’ve such a long way to go to catch up !
Angela
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Very pretty spindles and fiber!
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Very pretty spindles and fiber!
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You’ve made me even more impatient for Christmas! I’m trying to get on with work but can’t stop thinking about the Bosworth spindle Santa’s bringing. I’ve only used a very basic plywood one before, and I get moments of that zen-like feeling of being totally in sync with myself with that, so I can’t wait to try a properly balanced one.
I second that comment about the UK’s tiny fibre scene. I live in Northern Ireland and it’s even worse here. Next year I’m determined to get to Woolfest, and sadly, that will probably be the first time I see another person spin. Wee snippets of internet video just aren’t the same.
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You’ve made me even more impatient for Christmas! I’m trying to get on with work but can’t stop thinking about the Bosworth spindle Santa’s bringing. I’ve only used a very basic plywood one before, and I get moments of that zen-like feeling of being totally in sync with myself with that, so I can’t wait to try a properly balanced one.
I second that comment about the UK’s tiny fibre scene. I live in Northern Ireland and it’s even worse here. Next year I’m determined to get to Woolfest, and sadly, that will probably be the first time I see another person spin. Wee snippets of internet video just aren’t the same.
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