Dear Jan,
Let’s play a game. A game where we keep track of how much yarn we’ve spun and how much it cost us per yard to spin it, based on the cost of Skylark divided by the yardage. The more I spin, the more the cost will go down. I am not going to include the cost of fiber - this is the manufacturing cost, not the ingredient cost. This could be the basis of a future contest (predict the day when it actually costs Ellen less to spin yarn than it does to buy it! - hourly wage NOT included), but for now, it is just to amuse myself.
My first batch on the new wheel, natural Coopworth, woolen spun with a long draw, is making me pretty happy. It also made me understand why I need to keep my day job rather than trying to keep life and limb together with a handspinning business. If I added in cost of time, that yarn would be too spendy for anyone to buy. I started spinning Tuesday night and rarely took a pause until I got it plied late last night.
I did fit in finishing up that little twisted stitch hat. I attribute that to the fact that it is hard to fit a wheel into the front passenger seat of a Prius, at least if you plan to use the long draw.
Rebecca inquires as to whether we would like to join her in pursuit of the TKGA Master Knitter program. I must admit, it has been itching at me again. I finished the first level years ago and started the second level (does finishing one book report count as starting?), and just recently was thinking I should get back to it. What do you think? ‘Cause we need to add a few things to our plates, don’t we? Are there other readers who might be interested in playing along? I’m not committing quite yet, just seeking opinions.
Love,
Ellen
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
April 27th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Ha! I already told her I was game. And by the way, my cost of spinning is already $0.00 per yard as my wheels were free. The fact that I’ve not spun a single yard is irrelevant!
April 27th, 2010 at 6:36 am
The whole reason I have held off learning to spin is that I’m afraid I’ll never have time to knit what I’ve spun… you give me hope.
I love the little game.
April 27th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
A fellow Prius owner? Cool! Although, my husband mostly claims ours.
As for TKGA, if you want to be a future traveling teacher, it’s probably a good idea. Me personally, I never saw the need to prove to someone else that I’m good at what I like to do. But then, I was always the non-conformist fourth child.
April 27th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
That has been in the back of my mind for some time, too. I keep telling myself that I should probably wait until the girls have gone to college, but it’s there, itching quietly… Let me know what you decide.
And no, you most definitely can’t fit a wheel into the front seat of a Prius. Even a spindle is a stretch (ask me how I know). That is some stunning yarn! And you, my friend, are a speedy spinner!
April 27th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I am thrilled that Jan wants to play and you are contemplating it. I hope others will join us!
I have been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman this week (The Opinionated Knitter to be specific). Here’s a quote from a letter EZ’s family received after her death:
“Elizabeth in particular gave me a sense of being able to believe that most things in knitting — and life too — happen in ways that are open to an inquiring mind.”
This is how I feel after experiencing all the great knitting teachers from the extended Yarnover weekend (Cat Bordhi, Lucy Neatby, Cookie A and Meg Swansen). I feel inspired and empowered to learn more! To experiment more! To try something that is beyond my skills!
(whew, I am worn out after all those exclamation points)
April 29th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
There is something *wrong* with this picture. (adjusts monitor) No. No. No.
I DO NOT see pre-kevlar yarn here. If you knit this up, it may actually be a soft fabric with a bouncy hand. You must have been a spinner in a former life.
May 1st, 2010 at 4:13 am
Nice spinning job, Ellen! Oh wait… no, no no no!! Don’t tempt me back into spinning! I haven’t yet used up my still very large stash of commercial yarn….
(Sad spinning wheels wail from basement, while angora and kid mohair fibers patiently wait.)
May 2nd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Your yarn looks great! And I’m not sure that it’s impossible to spin yarn cheaper than you can buy it; I’m looking at an entire sweater of Corriedale for about $40, just as soon as I finish spinning. Though of course, there /is/ that little question of how much time it takes…
I’ve briefly considered the Master Knitter idea. Don’t have the time/focus right now (not even to keep up on reading blogs…ahem…), but it would be fun to cheer you along!
May 2nd, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Heh. It would be fun to see how that game turns out. Seems like it would probably be pretty good, actually, as long as you’re into plain wools (and generally undyed). I have a sweaters’ worth of spinning for $40 on the wheel right now…
As for the Master Knitter, I’ve thought about it briefly, but don’t have the time or the focus at the moment (for that or to keep up with blogs, apparently…ahem). It would be fun to cheer you on, though!