A New Adventure

So last Saturday I did a thing.  I taught 5 amazing people how to spin.  If you haven't heard of Marine Mills Folk School, please look at all the wonderful classes they have.  (https://marinemillsfolkschool.org)  They have in person classes, online classes, free events scattered throughout the week and they are located in the delightful town of Marine on the St. Croix.  I admit, I was VERY nervous about teaching spinning.  See I am entirely self taught.  I have never taken a formal spinning class with a wheel.  I took one class and learned how to spin using a drop spindle and proceeded to jump into the deep end of the fiber pool with no floaties and up and bought a wheel having never spun on one before.  Turned out to be one of my best decisions ever!

So Saturday arrived, I had a great helper, Beth, who brought 3 of her wheels, two were provided by the school and we were off!  I brought 8 ounces of fiber for each person, all the accessories, carders, combs, winders, and niddy noddys and we started working.  By the end of the day, all five students left with a skein of yarn they made by themselves.  It was such a fun day!

One of my desires for the next few years is to push myself into trying and doing things outside my comfort zone.  I took a basket making class (at Marine Mills!) and love the result.  I realized it had been a really long time since I actually learned something really new to me.  And I had fun.  It was good to try something that stretched me.  It was hard but so rewarding too.  

I'm listening to a good audio book while I spin in the evening.  It is called The Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini.  It is very good and a detailed look at things leading up to World War II in Germany.  Jennifer Chiaverini is one of my favorite authors.  I'm working my way through her Elm Creek Quilt series as well.  So if you are looking for good books, either to read or listen to, check her out.  And as I am always looking for good things to read, let me know in the comments some of your favorite reads!

Margo has found her favorite spot at night while I'm knitting or spinning, snoozing away snuggled into a soft blanket!