Everything for the weaver, spinner, knitter, felter and dyer...

Everything for the weaver, spinner, knitter, felter and dyer...
PurpleFleece.com

Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Is it cheaper?"

It's been a while since my last blog posting. I stopped vending at craft fairs and sheep and wool festivals about a year ago. Now that I'm no longer demonstrating spinning in my booth, I realize that I miss some of the more frequent questions that I would hear.

"How do you do that?" That would most often come out the mouths of children who were spellbound by the wheel turning round and round. I would often answer "it's magic" and then go on to explain about wool from sheep and yarn for their sweater.

"Is it cheaper?" That would most often come from adults who wanted to know if they could save money by making their own yarn versus buying it at the fair, yarn store, big box store, etc. After explaining what it costs to raise, feed, shelter, shear the sheep, wash the wool, buy the spinning wheel, add in your time it becomes very clear that it is not cheaper.

"Why do you spin your own yarn?" I try to explain what a meditative experience spinning is once you've mastered it. I love the feel of the fiber moving through my fingers and being shaped into the yarn I want. I adore spinning my hand dyed fiber and watching the colors change as I make progress. There's nothing better. It's all about the journey and not the destination...