Goliath

I've just spend the last hour or so spinning on the deck, watching the sunlight shifting on the trees in my backyard and listening to The Brian Jonestown Massacre until it got too dark to see my yarn and my little toes got too cold to treadle. I am almost in a state of bliss right now. I mean, isn't this exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to be able to do when I set out to work less and live more a few months ago? Isn't that pretty much a perfect moment, spinning outside while the sun goes down? And the nice thing is that I was able to appreciate it while I was in it, instead of thinking about how it could be better... That's quite an achievement for me. I think I'm starting to realize that there isn't one moment when everything lines up in your life and you think "I've arrived" but rather a series of little moments like this one that are perfect in and of themselves. The only thing I have to do is to notice and accept these little pockets of paradise.

Anyway, I've had a few requests for pictures of my new wheel. Thanks for the interest! I've decided to name him Goliath because he's big, clunky and he was pretty scary until I learned to control him.

I was bummed out the first time I sat down to spin on this wheel and produced barely twisted yarn that pulled apart and was super lumpy and uneven (not in a good way either). But, I persisted, and I was rewarded for my efforts. I learned that this wheel is going to want to pull the yarn faster than I can even draft it! I just have to be firm and pull right back until there's enough twist built up. There's no way to adjust the tension or speed except with the treadling, so it definitely took some getting used to.

Tonight I was spinning the very same type of fibre as that dreaded first try, some extremely soft BFL dyed by Lynne at Knitopia / West Coast Colour. I was worried that the fibre had something to do with the loose twist and unevenness of the first batch, but I don't think that's the case. It's turning out quite well this time around. Here's the first 1/5 or so of what I bought.

One last picture. Note the humongous bobbin (but don't mind the poor broken dandelion in the background). Even if (when) I get another wheel, I could definitely see keeping Goliath just to ply on. I don't think I could fill that giant bobbin if I tried!