spinning with Jenny

Sunday’s class with Jeannine Bakriges was very good for me.  But, as I sit here and try to formulate a post on what I learned, I’m finding that it isn’t anything that I can write much about.  A good class, a good teacher, presents tools, new or otherwise, and opens the door to new possibilities.  That happened.  Jenny showed us the American long draw, the short, and forward and backward draw, how to open up the fibers, drafting and holds, spinning from the fold and from a flicked lock.  We spun the same fiber using differnet ratios and learned how to determine ratio.  She discussed treadling speed.  It wasn’t really new ground.  Not much in spinning is ‘new ground‘.  Presenting tools and the encouragement to play with them opened us up to changes in the way we approach our projects, a reminder that there is more than one path to follow. 

The class began with Jenny having us spin a single and a 2-ply at our "comfort level".  That’s the way you spin when you just sit down and begin, not much thought, the weight and twist that just feels right.  The (maybe) rut that we sit in.  Then we made alterations, we spun a thicker yarn, and a fine one.  Each time we varied we made a single, a 2-ply and a 3-ply sample. Some examples were spun from the fold, some not.  The more I spun, the free-er I felt.  I can’t remember the last time that I sat down to spin a thick yarn, something for say a size 11 or 13 needle.  It felt great to know that I can.  And, I can make it lofty or dense.  Same goes for the fine yarns.  Do I want a smoothly spun silk yarn or maybe a softer one.   The following are my samples from Sunday’s class.  Nothing finished, not a product, but a look at some things I might want to try.   

Processed multicolored roving. Spun from the fold:
1. long draw different wts. 2 & 3 ply
2. short draw  different wts. 2 & 3 ply
3. small whorl, long draw 2 & 3 ply

1.2.

  3.

Coopworth:

  1.2.

1. experimenting with weights and twist, 2 & 3 ply
2. initial comfort zone spinning

Silk:

from the fold and not, 2 & 3 ply

I’d say it was a very good class.