Handspun Blue Face Leicester Wool Yarn with Angelina Fiber and Cotton

Handspun Blue Face Leicester Wool Yarn with Angelina Fiber and Cotton Binding Thread, originally uploaded by confections.

I spun this yarn from roving handpainted by Lori Lawson a few years back and gave it to my mother-in-law who took a shine to it. She suffers from a form of senile dementia and is in a nursing home. Periodically, I would take my spinning wheel to the private home where she was living and spin some fiber. The tactile quality of the wool and the colors and sparkle of the angelina delighted my mother-in-law. I hope in some small way it brings her comfort.

Estrella Colorway Handpainted Laceweight Yarn

Estrella Colorway Handpainted Laceweight Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

I'm heading back into the dye studio this week. This skein is one that I handpainted last summer for a shawl project for my sister.

Lendrum Spinning Wheel with Handpainted Handspun Targhee Wool

Lendrum Spinning Wheel with Handpainted Handspun Targhee Wool, originally uploaded by confections.

This lovely Lendrum Canadian maple spinning wheel of mine (named Rapunzel) will be my constant companion for the next three days as I participate in a spinning workshop with Celia Quinn of Homer, Alaska. Last October I took a two-day workshop in wool color-blending with her and had a great time. On Friday (yes, later on today) we'll be exploring good, solid basics of spinning. On Saturday, we'll be spinning to specification for a particular project, and on Sunday, we'll be experimenting with creating novelty yarns. This is going to be spinning nirvana!