Love Stories
STRING, a place for stringing together thoughts about…string.
How I Fell for Fiber
“I learned to knit on two nails! After my first scarf on nails, we traveled to Wilmington for needles. Upon my retirement, I added weaving, and now spinning, to things I love to do.” —Evelyn
“In 1987, I saw a woman spinning wool on a spinning wheel at a craft fair on the university campus where I worked. I was captivated, as it looked soothing and relaxing. I mentioned this to a woman in our department and she told me all about the Romney sheep she raised for training her border collies. Next thing I knew, I had purchased the wheel she had never used, was caring for her sheep while she went on vacation and was getting free raw fleeces that arrived in black plastic trash bags.
“This was pre-Internet and I had limited budget and time, so I taught myself to spin. For years I had only that wheel and hand cards and spun fat singles yarn from grease wool. Today I spin a wonderful variety of fibers in a range of styles. Spinning is still a wonderful way for me to relax.” —Elaina
“I learned to spin when I was completing grad school, just before we bought our first two sheep and Cindy the Angora goat. The animals cleared the poison ivy on our farm, and I put their fiber to good use, first with a drop spindle and then with a spinning wheel I got for Christmas. I spun yarn for mittens and slippers for myself and loved the cozy warmth. Now I have four wheels, enjoy each of them and teach other people to spin.
Our Great Pyrenees dogs are excellent guardians of the sheep. Their hair looks like angora when spun up! I’ve carded it with wool for mittens and slippers; other times, I use it as a design element in my knitting.” —Judy
Have a story about how you fell for fiber? Please share.
Send yours to CarolinaFiberFest@hotmail.com
