Fancy shmancy

I should by rights have nice little samples of so-called "fancy" or "designer" yarns coming out the wazoo. (Is that how you spell that? I've only ever heard it, but it did sort of seem appropriate.)

I've taught classes how to attempt simple fancy yarns before now, I'm not really sure why I am experiencing so much angst this time, except that I somehow had it at the back of my mind that this time I would get it right. By which I meant that I would have a lot of nice little sample skeins of cute, properly designed, constructed and balanced yarns.

No. Isn't happening. For one thing, I am too downright mean to use really nice fibre for these experiments. So the textures and colours are always decidedly off, and that of course, is about half the philosophy of the thing thrown right out the window. Another, oh so major factor is that I don't exactly believe in fancy yarns. Oh, I have seen and held them, I don't mean that I don't think they actually exist. I just don't, and I am being very riskily* honest here, See The Point. I mean to say, what do you actually DO with them? If you look in the Diane Varney book, she says for every single freakin' yarn that they can be used for weaving, knitting or crochet. I mean, excuse me?? I can use baler twine for weaving, knitting or crochet. What I want to know is How and Why. (*And how to spell this.)

To redeem myself as something of a teacher of spinning. I can do and like slub yarn (after all, Colinette founded an empire on it). This may have something to do with the fact that the first fancy yarn workshop that I did was a total washout and I spent the entire three days at the back of the class with a nice group of women having a giggle and teaching myself how to spin slugs. Thick and thin works for me as well, even though I am not sure that counts. Variations on navajo ply; inlay as long as I am not expected to get silly with feathers, and don't get carried away with the mohair tufts. But the truth of the matter is that I am much more interested in controlling twist and grist, and playing with multi colour yarns.

Of course, spinning is all about controlling twist, and learning to make fancy yarns with their special requirements and the different ways of plying does lead to improved spinning technique all round. So I guess you can justify it that way. But basically, I am just a plain vanilla sort of spinner.

Having had my little outburst, which I had not expected, it never ceases to amaze me how fingers can run off at the mouth the way they do, and oh boy, they are going to get me in to trouble one day. Pause, ungramatically, for breath, metaphorically. I need to get back to boucle. I will not be beaten by this. But first, recall....I said ages ago that I had a spot of news.

The DSM and me get to teach a spindle spinning class at the next WS&D Summer School in 2007. We're quite pleased. (I think there is a grammatical term for that, but can't remember it.) Also surprised, but we won't go there. A big challenge - first time we have taught for a whole week. But lots of time to prepare, thank goodness. Nowt wrong with a challenge.