My mom got me a drop spindle for Christmas after all! I am SO confused! It doesn’t bother me that what I spun varies from a thread that keeps bouncing back on itself to lumps of wool, but it does bother me that I really just don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve been to several different sites on the internet; it isn’t helping. How do you pinch the yarn with both hands and keep the spindle from going the wrong way at the same time? If I don’t keep my hand on it it goes at high speeds in the wrong direction. Then it just keeps rolling up on itself, but if I let it go it unravels completely. I looked in the yellow pages, and there was no entry for spinning. I don’t know how I’m going to figure it out. I did get a laugh out of it, though- I rested by arm on top of my head while I was spinning, and the fiber caught my hair! It hurt, and I had to cut it, but it wasn’t that much and it was really funny.

Other X-mas gifts were: the books Socks, Socks, Socks; The Idiot’s Guide to Quilting; The Knit Stitch, a ball of Magic Stripes and needles to go with it, Los Lobe Hose Pattern, needles, and earring wires, and little pictures of a summer top, afghan, and cross-stitch cat that the supplies hadn’t come for in time for Christmas. (I also got a few other non fiber related things) Wow, I really got a lot this year!

I’m off to work on my socks. The stripes are so beautiful!