Colombian Spindle Whorls

In 2017 I went to Bogata Colombia to visit friends. A trip to the Museo del Oro, the Museum of Gold, revealed many treasures. Artists have been working in gold in Colombia for 2500 years. 

Equally as enchanting to me were the ancients spindle whorls, alas not gold.  One of the explanations hinted that the whorls were cast using a lost wax technique, but they look like engraved ceramic to me. If you know, please get in touch!  The display noted that both sisal (from the agave) and cotton were spun and used to make fabrics and functional objects, although I learned that fique, which is similar to sisal, was and still is cultivated to spin a strong fiber twine.

More Vacation, blending fiber for graduated yarn color

After a week back at work, my friend Deb and I met in NC at my brother's.  Its still nice here. Here's the lace that's not knitted

There are some new animals

I suggested the names of "Midnight" and "Ink" but that was rejected.  They may wind up as "kitty 2" and "kitty 3".

Deb is helping me to improve my hand spindling techniques.   She is also teaching me how to make my own graduated color yarn.

HOW TO BLEND TOP TO SPIN GRADUATED COLOR YARN

Pick four colors of top, split in half

 Move half of each color to the side for later.

Pick the first two colors that you want to grade from one to the next, split in to five piles

1) 100% one color A

2) 75% color A, 25% color B

3) 50% color A, 50% color B

4) 25% color A, 75% color B

5) 100% color B

Repeat with all colors, making similar piles, steps 2 through 5.  You'll have some left over.

 Within each pile, pull apart and put back together gently to mix by hand. 

Put in baggies and label cause you'll soon be unable to recognize. Decide if you want to spin the left over at the  beginning and the end or wherever, or save for another project.

Spin the best you can.  IF YOU'RE ON VACATION you use a drop spindle. Repeat with the other halves and make two ply if you want.  If you do and you've spun evenly, the color sequences SHOULD match up.  

Admire your friend's spinning technique.

Deb also taught me how to spin from the fold. 

Decide that you REALLY need the other type of spindle that your friend has (top whorl). 

Get tired and go work on some knitting.

Have a glass of wine, get tired, go to bed to rest up for jewelry casting class (more on that later). 

 

My Peruvian Hand Spindle

I am trying to learn more about drop spindles.

When in Peru in summer 2010 I bought this little drop spindle

 I just discovered Abby Franquemont's blog.  In this post she discusses these Peruvian low whorl spindles.  Apparently the dark marks on mine may have been created by woodburning.  And apparently they are hard to find in the US, easier to go to Peru to purchase one. 

I could learn alot more about spinning if I actually took the time to read more of Abby's blog.  But the post I mention is fascinating, and Abby talks about how to easily make a similar spindle of your own with a trip to Home Depot or similar.

I bought my spindle above at the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco in Chinchero

 Here are some of the ladies spinning on the same sort of spindle:

And a poorly labelled but interesting video, courtesy of Youtube

 At another branch of the Center in Cusco, on a main boulevard

Could I look any happier?  I am wearing a bit of backstrap weaving, which was done by a schoolchild!

 I might recommend this

it's available here.

It has alot of basic spinning information for the novice not very good spinner like me.  Also some direct projects for knitting with handspun.  Abby has a couple of articles in it too, including one on high vs. low whorl spindles. 

Spinning churro

I am not a very good spinner, and am lousy at maintaining my wheel.  When it comes down to it, I often enjoy knitting more with commercial yarns.  Consistent tension and drawing are not my aptitudes.  However, I love the process of holding the fiber and drawing it out. 

I don't often use my drop spindles, but I have a few of them.  I really am fond of my Turkish spindle.  I LOVE that is makes a center pull ball as I wind on.  Mine was crafted by Ed Jenkins.  Beautiful wood and well balanced.

Matching a project to handspun or more precisely spinning enough for a particular project is also not my forte.  I can't see myself ever spinning enough for a sweater.  I'd rather just spin, and then do a top down shawl or somesuch, and hope I have enough for a lace edge.  I got lucky with my spring shawl.

I may have helped to alleviate this challenge with some Navaho churro roving, because I have so much of it.  My friend Cassie and her husband Kurt have a farm called Little Creek Plantation in Brunson SC, and keep  churros.  Son R and I visited a couple of years ago.  Here's a photo in her barn

and here's a photo of Cassie that I love; she's giving some poor sheep a dose of antibiotic

Here is information on churros from Cassie and Kurt's website, and here is some from wikipedia.

About two years ago I bought a whole sheep's worth of fleece, it's lovely creamy yellowy white.  Somewhere I have the name of the ewes whose fleece this is.  I have alot, and I do mean alot of it.  So, if I persist, I should have enough to do something and finish it, including lace edge.  The photo below is one of maybe 5 large balls of roving that I have.

I have spun some on the wheel, but this month I started some using my Turkish spindle. It's not the softest type of fleece, but maybe it's lack of slippery quality makes it a little easier to control.

Here's a little ball on the spindle

And here it is with the spindle taken apart and the ball slipped off.  It's so clever.