have you any wool?

I learned to spin my own yarn in the summer of 2006 back in my hometown of Newport Beach. Having been a knitter for years I was curious about spinning and I signed up for classes from Mr. Denwar, an old man who ran a weaving studio and occasionally took students. My first tries on the wheel were sloppy, my yarn broke and when it didn't, it was uneven and full of bumps but I kept trying. Although the process could be frustrating the magic kept pulling me back, the transformation of raw wool into usable fiber which was also magically transformed into fabric and something warm.

When I first got my wheel I found myself spinning to clear my mind of worries and refocus my thoughts. The closest description I have found for this feeling is a runner's high, the feeling you achieve once your body as achieved perfect muscle memory and is able to function without conscious instruction. I often do my best thinking while spinning or knitting because the constant motion of my fingers allows my mind to truly concentrate.

Although I still make yarn (I spun over a pound of wool over winter break) my current schedule of school and work prevent me from devoting as much time as I would like, but I know the minute I sit don to my wheel again all those worries will disappear the moment my fingers make yarn.