Heidi Wordhouse-Dykema

For the woman who wants to learn to drop-spindle and has sheep farmers
nearby...

Go talk to the sheep farmers.
A lot of times, they'll have a fleece or two on their hands and will be
willing to sell it for cheap. If it's a black-faced sheep (usually raised
for meat), you can usually get it for really cheap. ...and I mean, Really
cheap. 4-H is a good source too. You won't get the nicest quality wool by
any means, but it's great to learn on and the price is certainly right.

If you don't want to invest in a spindle, find yourself a potato spear it
through the middle with a pencil or big crochet hook and twist away! If
you get your thread thin and consistent, then you can make something fine
from it. If your thread is slubby, then you make something big and chunky
and warm. Remember once you're done spinning, loop it about your hands,
tie it off (into a big loop), get it all wet then let it dry under some
tension. I don't know why that sets the twist, but it seems to and quite
nicely.

Don't worry if you do it wrong. The sheep won't care and neither will we.
Twist away!
HeidiWD


"wow, 130,000 troops on the ground, nearly 500 deaths and over a billion
dollars a day, but they caught a guy living in a hole. am i supposed to be
dazzled?"
Email sent by an SPC in the US Army who wishes to remain anonymous.