Two cops of spindle spun yarn

Can I say cops? All of a sudden, it doesn't sound quite right - a bit too PC?

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist that awful pun. Those who know me also know that the dreadful expression "pc" would never pass my lips for real, silly invention of the reactionary right that it is, so it had to be a joke, yeah?

And this was meant to be a serious post.

From last Thursday's coven to this - last night - I have spun these two cops, cones, whatever you want to call them. I've just weighed them. 43 grammes each. That's right, they weigh almost exactly the same (some slight wobbling on the digital scale). Medium thickness yarn. This is the shawl project, due for completion in just over one year's time. Something tells me that I shall make the deadline!



The spindle I have chosen to use for this project is one of my Forresters. It is extremely beautiful. When I buy a spindle, it is the look of the thing that draws me first; but if it doesn't spin well, I won't buy it, ever. I see no point whatsoever in having a spindle that is purely decorative, it has got to be functional to a high degree as well. I will shade that a little in some circumstances, accept slightly less than top performance if the looks are exceptional, but that is very unusual.

This spindle is top-notch on both counts. In fact, for this project, it works almost too well, in that it will go on spinning for longer than my hands can draft, when I am spinning seated at any rate. This means that I am tending to get a yarn that is twisted rather more than I would like for the shawl I want to make, try as I might to stop before I reach that point, or to draft a little more after the spin stops/is stopped. This is a useful lesson for me!

The consignment of Bosworth spindles is at the Post Office awaiting the ransom - I'm sorry, I mean the Customs charge - being paid. Can't win 'em all. I'm looking forward to seeing what we have - although I am not going to be tempted by them this year. (Am I?) I'm saving myself for later in the year, when I shall use the excuse of Summer School to buy lots of lovely spindles of types that I don't have, as class examples. See how clever I am?

Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy spinning this yarn, and pondering what sort of dye job to do on it.