| Having your own spinning wheel allows you to make | | | | pass by, creating embroidery wool with a drop spindle |
| the most beautiful yarn exactly the way you want it. | | | | in a castle, spinning by the shore for the sail cloth of a |
| You are in control of the colour, thickness, warmth, | | | | Viking ship or spinning alpaca in the Andes. Then you |
| strength, choice of fibre and twist. You will find it | | | | come back to the present knowing that you can spin |
| rewarding to create your own unique yarn and if you | | | | for pleasure, rather than having to spend more time |
| run out of yarn, you can always spin some more. | | | | than you want twirling a drop spindle just to be able to |
| Fibre Choice | | | | clothe you and your family. |
| The choice of fibre is almost unlimited when you learn | | | | Advantages of Hand Spun Yarn |
| to spin. You may prefer to save time and buy wool | | | | In contrast to the mechanical regularity of most |
| tops that are already prepared and dyed or you can | | | | commercial yarns, the variation in the thickness of the |
| save money and card wool from local sheep. You can | | | | hand spun yarn introduces an attractive unevenness |
| try wool from rare and unusual breeds such as the | | | | into knitting, softening lines and adding a natural look to |
| North Ronaldsay sheep that eats seaweed. If you are | | | | your work. Instead of getting bored with the |
| feeling adventurous, you can produce your own fibre | | | | predictability of commercial yarns, your eyes delight on |
| and start growing a patch of flax on an allotment or | | | | the diversity of hand spun yarn and your hands get |
| raising tussah silk worms on oak leaves. | | | | excited by the pleasant surprises that the next stitch |
| You can even go a step further and blend fibres to | | | | brings. |
| get your own mix that is as warm or as soft as you | | | | Hand Spun yarn is also a great motivator. You may |
| want. By blending mohair with Blue-faced Leicester | | | | find that you cannot wait to get back to work on your |
| wool for example and spinning it finely you can create | | | | knitted scarf, and you will most likely end up with no |
| you own 3-ply warm and strong sock wool. | | | | abandoned projects. When you use natural dyes on |
| Relaxation | | | | your hand spun wool, your jumpers have a natural |
| The soothing repetition of spinning together with the | | | | vibrant quality to them that comes only from |
| comforting feeling of touching soft warm fibre can help | | | | hand-crafted work. |
| you relax after a stressful day. Spinning can also be | | | | Social Activity |
| inspirational, hands and feet are gently occupied giving | | | | Modern spinning wheels are easy to use and maintain, |
| the brain space to think and I often have my best | | | | and the new travel wheels are light and fold neatly into |
| ideas while sitting by the spinning wheel. | | | | a canvas bag. Having a portable wheel allows you to |
| You may feel satisfaction from knowing that | | | | turn spinning into an enjoyable social activity through |
| somebody 32 thousand years ago was doing exactly | | | | attending spinners meetings and taking part in their |
| what you are doing now, spinning fibre. You can dream | | | | demonstrations. |
| of spinning flax near a pyramid watching a pharaoh | | | | |