Quite some time ago, Kylie Gusset, amazing dyer and originator of the fabulous Tonne of Wool project had a sale of some of her last optim fibres. It was a lucky dip arrangement in which I did not choose the colours.
In my recent period of being unwell, I found myself spinning down through the stash of rovings I still have–I just wasn’t up to fibre preparation. One day I discovered the optim, which I had completely forgotten–and I believe there was some Ms Gusset merino in with it. Why have I kept them for years without spinning them? I think I might have been saving them until I became a better spinner. I am not sure what this view of myself and my capacities is all about, but it’s time to give it as little rope as possible, because my spinning is fine. Even when it’s less than exquisite, it’s still fine… and will only get better through practice in any event. I have listened to women at my Guild who still think they don’t spin well enough after fifty years of spinning. It seems so obvious that this makes no sense at all, when I listen to them (and I have of course seen their spinning)!
Once I got started, I just kept going… and pretty soon I had a lot of bobbins…
And then, a whole lot of skeins. And they look fine to me!
Local & Bespoke 
They look just perfect. And such yummy colors!
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They are lovely, aren’t they? Sometimes it’s fun not to be the one making the choice… it gets you out of your rut!
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This is really cool. I try a lot of “random color” spinning to get long runs of colour, but I inevitably pick colors that end up looking a bit the same. A lucky dip start up batt is the answer!
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Maybe it is! Give it a go!
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They are really beautiful!
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Thanks so much, Khendra!
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Beautiful skeins, well done!!!!
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Thanks so much!
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I hope you are on the mend ❤
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Definitely! Thank you!
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Many thanks for your beautiful card! It has safely arrived and is displayed on a shelf 🙂
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So glad it finally reached you! The gloves have been much admired here 🙂
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Hope they will be handy when winter comes – wee gloves from Scotland 🙂
Have a nice weekend!
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That “I’m not good enough…” thought has a silver lining, because it often ends in “…yet” which implies hope that we have the capacity to improve. Trouble is, you’re right, it’s the undermining bit that we retain. If my spinning is a bit off – and seriously, who wants laceweight everytime*? – it is art yarn, for weaving. And stash treasures: my friend Heather says, about her enormous working stash, “I have time” and I reckon she’ll be saying that until she dies at 106… (I hope so).. happily surrounded by piles of fleece.
Love your words, productive woman, thanks for the window into your thoughts and hand work.
*who am I kidding? And does it matter?
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Thank you for your thoughts, Kat! The “yet” part is so important. And so is letting go of being perfect. We can practise for the rest of our lives to develop our craft skills… and I hope you and Heather do just that!
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That is beautiful spinning! What type of plying did you use?
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Also, I’d love to hear more about Optim.
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Thanks Penelope! I chain plied the singles. Some people call it Navajo plying but I am not sure that Navajo people do! Optim is heat treated and stretched merino wool. It is shiny and inelastic, with drape rather than bounce.
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I have heard that chain plying is now the preferred term. I have seen, with my own eyes women of the Dineh doing chain plying which involved a thigh spindle (you had to be there! Amazing !). They told us that it was used to stabilise the edge of the woven rugs they are rightly famous for weaving.
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Wow!
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Your spinning is beautiful! How did you ply the colours so well??
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Thank you so much! I chain plied the singles into a three ply yarn, and I did try to maintain the colours in the roving as I spun the singles.
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Absolutely lovely. I feel the need for some chain plying in my future lol. Glad to hear you are better.
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