2019 in my heart

2019 is almost over and I am looking back at the year with pride and joy. 2019 will bubble in my heart as a year of teaching, learning, designing and webinaring. In this post I share some of my highlights from 2019. This is a long post with lots of opportunities to read more. If you want to you can stay under a blanket and read for days!

Teaching and learning

I have done quite a bit of teaching this year, both online and face-to-face. In March I released an online course in supported spindle spinning. I have also done two course series in supported spindle spinning in Stockholm and one five day course in spindle techniques (A spindle a day) at Sätergläntan craft education center.

I love seeing students make progress in their spinning and in their analysis of spinning. To see them understand what they are doing, talk about what they are doing and eventually even explain to others what they are doing and why. It is such a reward for me to see students understand and develop in their skills and to know that I have played a small part in that – I have found a channel to their way of learning.

For everything a student learns I learn something too. At least when it comes to face-to face learning, when I am with the student in the classroom. But also in all the emails I get from spinners in general and from students in my online courses. Every time someone asks a question I learn something new. And I’m so grateful for your questions. It keeps me sharp and I constantly need to reevaluate and develop my teaching and writing.

Writing

There has been lots of writing in 2019 – 54 blog posts including the present. Over 50000 shows in 115 countries in all the continents of the world. The most readers are in the U.S. followed by Sweden, the U.K., Canada, Germany and Australia. This is a lot for such a narrow subject as spinning, and I only cover a small section of the subject. At the same time it shows an interest and a need for knowledge and likeminded people in an ancient and worldwide subject.

The most read post in 2019 was Calculations with over 4000 shows. In the post I made some calculations of a recently finished sweater. The post was shared numerous times. I think what thrilled people the most was my calculations of the time spent on making the sweater from fleece to a finished sweater (including the design of the sweater) and what it would cost based on an hourly fee for an average typical male craft.

During 2019 I have published two articles and one pattern. In the spring issue of Spin-Off magazine I wrote about sorting a Gute and a Gotland fleece and in the fall issue I wrote about twist analysis and twined knitting and published a pattern of the Heartwarming mitts, a pair of half-mitts in twined or two-end knitting.

Twist model

One of the posts that I have learned a lot from is the post about the Twist model. The twist model is my way of reflecting over drafting and what we as spinners can do to draft easily and evenly.

The model is based on the extremes of twist: A lot of twist makes the fibers stable and the fibers can’t move. We have a yarn. No twist makes the fibers unstable – if we pull the ends in opposite directions the fibers will fall apart. In the middle stage, between the yarn and the fiber, there is enough twist to make the fibers slide past each other but not enough to make them fall apart – it is semi-stable. I call this the point of twist engagement.

The twist model is an important part of all my teaching. I teach all my students to open up the twist to find the point of twist engagement and they use the method with great success. I think most spinners open up the twist when they spin, but I haven’t heard anyone talk much about it or seen anything written about it.

Case studies

In the beginning of the year I did a blog series with different topics based on the sorting, preparing, spinning and knitting of a sweater, like a case study. I started by looking at the superpowers of the fleece I was using for the project and from there deciding how best to prepare and spin a yarn that would show those superpowers. In a later post I wrote about consistency and what I did to spin a yarn that was consistent through all the skeins needed for the sweater. I then described my design process from fleece to sweater and how I made decisions about the design with the superpowers of the fleece as my guides. My last post in the series was about calculations (see above).

Breed studies and webinars

Another field where I have been using case studies is in my breed studies of Swedish sheep breeds – both in blog posts and live webinars. The first breed study was about Gotland wool, followed by Gute wool, Dalapäls wool and Värmland wool. The blog posts and especially the live webinars have been a success and I have had such fun making them. In both blog posts and webinars I have had one or more fleeces of the breed as a case study. I have looked at wool characteristics and showed how I prepare, spin and use the wool. I have also given a brief background of the breed in Sweden.

The webinars have been very popular. Almost 600 people have registered for the webinars so far! I think there is a need for this kind of forum in a community that is so spread over the world.

Making and live-streaming webinars is so much fun! I have done lots of work to prepare – around 10 hours for each webinar. But I have learned so much from them. More importantly, I have been able to be live and unedited with you, my followers and fellow spinners. Eventhough I have been nervous about every webinar I have felt safe in your presence, even if I have only seen your names in the chat window. Your support means so much to me.

Videos

During 2019 I have published 10 videos. Most of them about different spindle techniques, but other topics as well.

Spindle techniques

• In April I published a video about spinning on a Viking spindle. The video was shot last August, though.
• There is a special place near our house where the light is just magical for a short period of time each year, late May to just before the summer solstice. This year Dan and I managed to catch the light in a video where I spin on a supported spindle.

• About 50 meters from the solstice light spot is our allotment. In July I made a video under our hop arch where I spin from the fold on a Tahkli spindle.
• In the early summer I got an antique French spindle from a follower and in August I published a video where I spin on my antique French spindle with a distaff. I tried to spin worsted using four fingers on my distaff hand to draft the fibers before they entered the drafting zone.

• I have explored Andean spinning with as few tools as possible. In October I published a video where I reflect over this learning process and how it made me come closer to the wool, the spindle and the spinning.
• My last video this year was shot in May but published in December. This video was also shot within a short time frame where the light in the beech forest is the most beautiful, just after the spring flushing. In the video I spin on a Navajo spindle and compare the technique to dancing.

Winding, washing, teasing and twining

• Usually I don’t shoot any videos in the cold part of the year because the lanolin makes drafting nearly impossible. However, in the first video of the year I showed you how I wind a ball with my thumb as a nostepinne. And that doesn’t require drafting.
• In May I made my outdoor video premiere for the warm season with a video about how I tease the wool with combs before carding. The video also shows how I card rolags.In June I got my hands dirty showing how I soak wool with the fermented suint method. I started the soak in May and kept it until November. The gunky suint water hosted around 15 fleeces that are now clean.
• We spent a few days in Visby on the island of Gotland in July and in September I published a video where I knit (with hands-on yarn) with the old technique of twined or two-end knitting. We walked into every ruin we could find (and there are a lot of ruins in Visby) to shoot the video, and also managed a few shots on the city wall.

Designs and patterns

2019 has been my first year of knitwear designing. I have designed and knit five sweaters during the year – Margau Beta, Sounnie, Bianka and another two that you haven’t seen yet.

Some of you may also have seen that I have published my very first pattern – the Heartwarming mitts. I have already seen two pairs finished! The feeling of looking at someone else’s project made from your pattern is so lovely and just that – heartwarming.

Patrons

Just like many other creators I have a Patreon account. Patreon is a membership site for creators. Followers can pledge a monthly fee to their favourite creators. In return they get exclusive content from that creator. Examples of the exclusive content my patrons get are early access to new videos, patron only material, course discount and a patron exclusive video library.

While I do have patrons that pledge every month I need more. I spent lots of time making content in blog posts, videos and webinar. This is free and always will be. But with the pledges from my patrons I am able to get equipment to ease some of the burden off that work and make better content for you. So far I have been able to get a proper studio light for my webinars, a captioning service to let someone else caption my videos and a better microphone for webinars. You can check out my Patreon page here.

A big thank you to all my patrons from the bottom of my heart. You help me keep this ship afloat!

What’s in store for 2020

I have a few plans and hopes for 2020.

• There will be more webinars in 2020. There are more breeds to cover, I love making the webinars and from the statistics and feedback I have received you seem to enjoy them too.
• I will release new online courses! I have lots of material for an upcoming course. The topic is still a secret but I think you will like it.
• Face-to-face courses in Sweden are also planned. A spindle a day will run at Sätergläntan this summer and I have a few more courses in other topics planned that haven’t been published yet.
• I will keep designing. My idea is to design for the yarn I spin. Some of it for myself and some as published patterns. At least one pattern will be released in 2020, but I can’t tell you anything more about that yet.
• Articles in spinning magazines are on the way. One in the summer issue of PLY magazine.
• I will be weaving a lot this year, I want to experiment with fulling and sewing garments from my handspun fulled fabric.
• My stash busting project will continue. My handspun stash is bursting and I need to make something of the yarn that I have spun. I have just finished two projects and started another two. You will see more of these processes soon.
• And of course I will continue blogging and making videos.
• What do you wish for in 2020?

2019 still bubbles in my heart and fills it with pride and joy. I look forward to spinning, blogging, video shooting and live-streaming in 2020. Hope to see you there!

Happy 2020 spinning!

Happy spinning!

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