On The Go Spindling

You know those fibers that you buy at a fiber event that you just had to have and were itching to start spinning as soon as possible or you’ll just die? Then you spend the rest of the event spindling everywhere you go…to meals, while drinking wine, while drinking and laughing with your friends, before you go to sleep at night, find it in bed with you the next morning (and the first thing you worry about isn’t that it’s stabbing you in the stomach, but that you didn’t bend the hook), at the airport.

Then you get home and unpack. The bag with the spindle and the fiber are put away as your on-to-go spindling project. Then the bag gets lost in a cleaning frenzy, because you have 10 on-the-go projects piled up next to the front door, ready to be picked up and, well, go somewhere.

A few years later, you wonder what happened to that spindle, you know, the really pretty one that works great for this new fiber you just bought. You tear your stash apart looking for it, and find a half-filled spindle, and a few ounces of unspun fiber still in the bag.

Well, I’m making a dent in my on-the-go stash. Above are two of the oldest known on-the-go spindle projects. On the right are some Angora x wool (Romney?) purchased from Black Sheep Gathering 4 1/2 years ago, spun on my Golding spindle. I bought this as my move to California spindling. I spun on this in the car, while Martin was driving, and while I was staying at my mom’s until our rental was ready.

On the left is Coopworth from RainShadow Farm (no website, but the fibers are dyed using natural dyes), purchased at Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat 4 years ago (back when it was still known as the Gig Harbor Retreat). It was spun on the spindle of unknown origin. I couldn’t resist the pretty colors, and just had to get some fiber to start spinning right away. Unfortunately, it was a case of wrong spindle for the fiber. The fiber would have benefited from a heavier spindle, say the Golding. But the Golding was otherwise occupied (ahem). The yarn was plied with the Golding though. I took advantage of its recent vacancy.

Now that I have these cleared, I’m working on some alpaca/tussah blend that I bought at SOAR on a beautiful Forrester Spindle (also purchased at SOAR). This project is mere infant compared with the age of the other projects. I know there is at least one other on-the-go spindling project from our sailing vacation to the British Virgin Islands 3 years ago, but I can’t seem to remember where I put it away to.

There is also a silk and camel spindling project in the living room, but I’m not counting that as an on-the-go because I’m doing some experimentation with it.

Why this frenzy of finishing? I’m headed to Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat in a couple of weeks and I need to clear these spindles so I can buy more with a clear conscience.