OLD STUFF - Spinning workshop at Spin-A-Yarn:
My secret Pal Terri sent me a £20 voucher to put toward anything I like from my favourite LYS - so I spent it on a spinning workshop with Mary (who will be doing the spinning demonstrations at our K-tog). That's Mary, seated at the wheel I used, in her white pullover at the back of the shop.

Four of us learners altogether (no picture of me coz I'm taking the pictures of course). Joyce is behind the counter.

Two of us brought our own wheels but I loaned a traditional Ashford wheel from Mary -

We plunged straight in by being taught to card the fleece and then spin it...


And I had a skein of plied wool by the end of the first day! We were also shown how to use a drop spindle but I was so keen to go home with some wool all ready to knit up that I didn't have a go.

Joyce serves up a wonderful lunch of quiche and salad all included in the price - with scrummy puds on offer too - not so good for my figure :-(
The second day was spent perfecting our new skills - and, voila!, I had a second skein of slightly less nobbly yarn to show off! That's the dark brown ball in this picture. What to do with it? I decided to knit Tychus from Knitty - I had a skein of purpley grey handspun yarn from Woolly wormhead with green silk in it in my stash so decided this would probably make it doable. It was - I had exactly enough to knit 4 panels which was plenty big enough and just enough to add a tassle and it only took an afternoon to knit. It's exceptionally warm and I love the result of my first spinning attempts. I'm now hoping to get a spinning wheel for my birthday (do you hear dh? hint hint)