This week has been rare in that most of my crafty time has been spent spinning. This is because I enjoy spinning and knitting in different ways- knitting for when my mind wants to be engaged, and spinning for when I’m seeking a kind of stillness. The rhythm of the wheel and of drafting the fibre is repetitive and relaxing- but it also grounds me in a way that knitting doesn’t. When I knit, I count, I calculate, whether it’s the number of stitches clicking between my hands or what I need to do that day. This really reminds me of my favourite kind of dance practice, Gabrielle Roth’s 5 Rhythms – my knitting usually falls squarely in the “staccato” phase of the dance. In spinning however, there is a constant whir and flow.
This brings me to the spinning project I’ve been trundling away at here and there over the past few weeks, sometimes for a few minutes and sometimes a couple of hours, but always when I need to switch off, decompress from mental activity and come back down to earth. I’ve been spinning my stormy sea and sky 2 ply yarn- a blend of blue-grey British wool tops with white Shetland.
It’s the first time I’ve been a bit more patient with with my spinning and also tried to spin thinner. This was easier than I thought, especially with the Shetland wool. The result is a lovely soft blend of shades that I’m already looking forward to knit something lovely with.
Hoping that all your own projects are flowing this week, I’d love to hear about them :)
Happy Knitting (and spinning),
Rosie x