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Milk jug covers

Inspired by a series about the downstairs and upstairs of an early 20th century estate I have dived into the world of milk jug covers. I choose beaded bobbin lace before cling film any day.

Inspiration jumps at you from everywhere, you never know what will hit you next. This time it came from Yorkshire.

Bingeing Downton Abbey

A couple of years ago I was binge watching Downton Abbey, a British series about the upstairs and downstairs of a Yorkshire estate at the turn of the last century. I have always loved the sense of detail in the series – the textiles (of course), the interiors and the kitchen utensils. All in natural materials and exquisitely executed.

I remember the very first episode, that starts on a train when Bates, the new butler, is on his way to the estate. The first scene shows the interior of the postal car where postal workers are sorting the mail in separate compartments of wooden shelves covering the walls of the whole car. Just for a few seconds, but the whole setup is there. Attention to detail like that gives me goosebumps.

One doily, one second

In one episode, it must have been in the last season, Daisy the kitchen maid tidies the last things in the kitchen late at night. She picks up what looks like a beaded doily, gently covers a jug with it and puts the jug in the pantry, the richly but sophisticatedly beaded edge weighing the doily down to keep it in place atop the jug opening.

Screen shots from Downton Abbey. Daisy the kitchen maid is placing a beaded doily over the milk jug to protect it from flies – a milk jug cover. Next to it what looks like a waxed cloth for another jug.

The scene lasts for less than a second. But I couldn’t take my eyes off that beaded doily. Where did it come from? Just as the postal car on the train this must have meant something at the time.

Word hunting

I needed to know more about these beaded covers. I turned to two trusted friends, both craft counselors with deep knowledge of crafting and old utility items. None of them had seen anything like it before. So I googled. It took me a while, but I did find what I was looking for – a milk jug cover. Quite common at the time to keep flies off milk and lemonade in the U.K. but also in Australia. When the car came and there was no need for horses for kitchen deliveries, the flies became less of an issue.

I haven’t seen a Swedish equivalent to the milk jug cover, so I don’t have a Swedish word for it.

20th century tinder treasure

I knew I needed to make me a milk jug cover or two or eight. Seriously, who wouldn’t want dangling beads instead of clingfilm to protect their food? I also knew there must be thousands of doilies out there that once were the pride of one generation and a now, a couple of generations later, a nuisance.

Something for a 1920 Tinder profile?

1920 Tinder profiles would be strewn with superlatives of ladies’ skills in doily making. But now? I haven’t really seen the point of them, even though I know they are results of many hours of women’s skills and investments on the marriage market.

Rescue operation

I assume the milk jug covers were made as just that, and that the maker could plan and design for the beading as they made the doilies. My lace crocheting skills aren’t up to date, much less my bobbin lace skills, so making it from scratch was never an option.

eBayed doilies and necklaces (and some seed beads I had at home) make up the foundation of my milk jug covers. I actually bought two of the necklaces broken, so I didn’t even have to pick them apart.

In my quest for milk jug cover material I decided to rescue some of those doilies from disastrous fates. I bought nine from a seller on Swedish eBay – round and square, bobbin laced and crocheted, linen and cotton. Beautifully crafted in yarn finer than sewing thread. I also bought three vintage necklaces with glass beads for the beaded fringe.

21st century jug covers

A few weeks ago I started adding the necklace beads to the doilies. I had quite fun, actually, planning the colours and the design of the beading. While stitching I thought of all those women who had dedicated their time and skills to the doilies, perhaps hoping for a better life. Their thoughts laced into the doilies, mine beaded onto the edge, united in a milk jug cover.

Two milk jug covers in late December. One square in bobbin laced linen, one round in crocheted cotton. Beads from three vintage necklaces. No flies yet, but I don’t need an excuse to use the covers.

I gifted the first two to my parents. They admired them but weren’t sure they’d really use them. Just wait until August with wasps flying around the elderflower lemonade on the garden table under the birch, then they will fetch the jug covers in a second!

Clingfilm or bobbin lace?

I have just finished the third jug cover. This was the largest doily and my favourite – a square bobbin laced doily in linen yarn. The pattern features a meandering band around the edge of a linen square. I chose the heaviest glass beads and used a combination of five beads for each point of the lace pattern. My heart tingles along with the beads against the jug as I touch them.

The meandering band in the bobbin lace edging is just to die for.

I still have six doilies and hundreds of beads to play with. I don’t know if the milk jug covers I make will be used, they are a pain to iron and I have no idea how to wash them. But still. I have milk jug covers in my life now. What would you choose for an afternoon in the garden with a glass of lemonade – bobbin lace or cling film?

Adding the beads to the doily edging takes time, but I’m in no hurry

I’m definitely not in the market for a tinder profile, but wouldn’t it be interesting to highlight milk jug cover making skills in a profile? Just to shift the discourse, see what happens?

Another design with seed beads only. I quite like how the simple beading turns into extravagant curves around the edging.

Oh, and I finished another one during a zoom meeting at the home office today. I used long rows of seed beads only, creating sweet curves around the edging. The vacuum cleaner will rattle from dropped seed beads the next time we clean the house.

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
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Happy place

Last week I published a new five-day challenge. I call it flow. In one of the lessons I invite the spinners to find a space to spin in and make beautiful and inviting. A happy place.

When I create a five-day challenge I have an idea of what I want to give to the spinners who accept the challenge, what I wish for them to experience. But as soon as I publish the challenge I have no control anymore. The challenge takes people where it wants to take them and I just enjoy the sneak peak I get from reading people’s comments.

Challenge accepted

Through all the challenges I have created I have been amazed at your experiences, reflections and generosity in sharing. I learn so much from your stories. I get to see glimpse of your learning processes, your challenges and progress.

The new Flow challenge is no exception. There are so many insightful and wise comments and you share experiences that I would never have thought of myself. The glimpse I get into your spinning from the comments is very helpful to me as I explore and plan my blog posts.

Happy place

Spinning itself is my happy place. This is where I relax, find balance and presence. When I spin the outside world fades into a murmur in the distance and I am in my hands, in my process, in my spinning bubble.

Spinning is my happy place.

Still, making the place where I spin a place of harmony is important too. When I bought my first spinning wheel I instantly knew where to put it – In the living room with large windows in two directions, overlooking tree tops, the lake and the city on the other shore. I haven’t thought about creating a happy place, it has just evolved organically – the wheel, a wooden chair, two wool baskets and a hook made from the tip of a spruce to hang finished skeins on. Now, as I started creating the challenge I didn’t have any plans of mentioning the spinning space at all. But as I did it all fell into place. A happy place.

My comfort zone

When I sit in my spinning space a sense of security washes over me. The things around me protect me from the world outside the spinning bubble. When I enter my spinning space and close my eyes I feel safe. I have the protection of baskets on one side and my spinning wheel in front of me. They are the walls of my spinning fort and my comfort zone. I inhale the light air of my spinning bubble. In this space I create. Other thoughts are left outside. Whenever an itch to make emerges, I come here. This is where I can let creativity loose and go wild. Or, if I feel some sort of creative block, I come here. I know my creative juices start flowing as soon as I come to my spinning space.

One of my spinning spaces is by the couch, right beside the fireplace.

When I’m not in my spinning space and want to spin I need to find the right spot, I don’t just sit down anywhere to spin. It needs to give me that sense of safety, preferably free from clutter and noise, both visual and auditive. Natural materials, natural light. It needs to be scrumptious. If it’s not I do what I can to shield myself from disturbances, perhaps with noise cancelling earphones, with or without music.

A door ajar

When I read the comments in the challenge about the spinning space I see many common denominators. Some students light a candle or sit close to the fireplace. Some surround themselves with objects that have some meaning to them, perhaps reminding them of a loved one or a journey. Many arrange their spinning space with natural light and a view into surrounding nature.

Natural light and a view of nature are high on the wish list for a spinning space.

Some spinners realized that their spinning space was not initially a happy one, something was itching. They moved things around and suddenly found the bubble, sometimes just by moving a piece of furniture a short distance. Some realized that they didn’t have a dedicated spinning space at all, and created one.

Spinning outdoors. A happy place indeed.

The space means something, I sense a feeling of a special time and place, even a sacred space as I read the comments. One student writes that their spinning space is where “my mind is still and my thoughts are free”. Wherever I lay my hat.

A new space

Reading about the spinning spaces of the students in the challenge has made me curious about creating an additional spinning space. Another inspiration comes from the Japanese Netflix series The Makanai, where most of the sitting is done on the floor. If 80 year Japanese ladies can sit comfortably on the floor, why shouldn’t I? Thinking about this makes me realize that when I pick a fleece I usually do it on the floor, sitting on a yoga block or two to elevate my hips. I realize that the wool picking spot is a happy place too, quite close to my spinning wheel and the baskets.

I found me a new spinning space on the floor. I’m sitting on my Ukranian handspun blanket, rolled up in the back to support my hips. The bowl is placed on top of two yoga blocks for comfortable spinning.

I placed my Ukranian handspun and handwoven blanket on the floor, folded and rolled at the back end to elevate my hips. A stack of two yoga blocks in front of me for the spinning bowl, wool baskets surrounding me. It was a beautiful spot for spinning, another happy place.

Thank you for so generously inviting me to your spinning spaces.

Where is your happy place?

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
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Flow challenge

It’s that time of the year when I create a five-day challenge. This time I invite you to flow. In the Flow challenge you ge the opportunity to just be in the spinning without expectations.

Enroll in the Flow five-day challenge here!

I have been thinking a long time about what my next five-day challenge should be. The first two have been very popular (nearly 1200 people have enrolled) and I have learned so much from your comments and questions. Even if they both have had elements of exploration and play, there has been a technical side to them too. The Flow challenge is all about your own process, and about letting it be what it is, right now, today.

A flow retreat

A challenge seems too rushed a word, but I still call it that as it is part of a tradition of annual five-day challenges. Feel free to look upon it as more of a retreat, though, with an invitation each day for five days. A journey inward, where you get to discover your relationship with fiber, preparation and spinning.

A goal and an un-goal

The purpose of the challenge is for you to explore your relationship with the wool and the process. The goal is an un-goal – to strive inwards and detach yourself from expectations and results.

In the Flow challenge we explore our process.

You will get five text lessons over five days. Each lessons has a theme where I encourage you to strive inward and spin for the moment. In each lesson you will also get a task to work with at your skill level.

All lessons have a background, an example and an invitation. In some lessons I also give you links to further reading or things you can prepare for the next lesson, should you wish to. You decide how much you want to do and how much time you want to spend on each lesson, or invitation. The important thing is that you do this for yourself and no one else.

Requirements and material

You can take the challenge at any spinning level. This challenge is just about you and your process. To take part you will need

My spinning space.
  • a spinning tool of your choice – spindles, spinning wheel or e-spinner
  • wool preparation tool(s) of your choice – combs, cards, flicker.
  • (part of) a fleece, washed or unwashed
  • 15–30 minutes a day to work with the challenge
  • A space where you can work reasonably undisturbed
  • If you wish, pen and paper to take notes of your findings.

You are free to work with the lesson whenever you like and for as long as you like.

Your time, your space

The time and space you prepare is yours with yourself and with the wool. Give yourself time to be in the wool, to be in your hands and allow the wool to guide you. Give the time and the space as a gift to yourself and as a thank you to the wool for all it has to teach you.

Spend some time with your process.

I hope you enjoy the Flow challenge and that you learn something from exploring your process.

Enroll in the five-day Flow challenge here!

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
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The ladies in waiting

I have a long queue of fleeces. In the storage of my sofa bed I have at the moment 12 fleeces that are washed and picked but not spun. These are my ladies in waiting.

When I buy a new fleece I try to keep a strict order – first in first out. It’s not always that easy, a new fleece is so exciting and shiny and much more tempting to dig my hands into than the older ones. But I have had fleeces that were too old go brittle, so I try my best to work my ladies in waiting in strict order.

The fleeces in the featured image above are not part of my stash.

Pressure

Out of the twelve fleeces in the sofa bed nine were shorn in the autumn of 2021. This means that nine fleeces are older than one year. I try to keep my queue no longer than one year, and obviously I have failed at keeping this goal. Having that many fleeces in my queue and knowing that the quality will deteriorate does put pressure on me.

Newly shorn autumn fleece from a Swedish Gestrike sheep.
Gestrike, Gute and Tabacktorp fleeces when I forst got them, now in paper bags waiting for me to spin them.

The ladies in waiting

So, here are my ladies in waiting, all washed (with water only), picked and stored in paper bags in my sofa bed:

  • On the spinning wheel I have Nypon (Rose hip), the last of a silver medal winning finull fleece from the Swedish fleece championships of 2020. This is my oldest fleece, but still in excellent condition.
  • Elsa is a Gestrike fleece shorn in the autumn of 2021. I have sorted the fleece according to staple type and spun all of one category into a hat and a pair of mittens. The rest of the categories are neatly stored in individual bags.
  • My sweet gute fleece that I am planning to tease together with recycled sari silk is also from the autumn of 2021, but the lanolin feels a bit sticky. This will be the next fleece I spin.
  • Four Åland fleeces from 2021, long, fine, silky and delicious.
  • Three medalists from the 2021 fleece championships – Fjällnäs, Helsinge and Dalapäls wool.
  • Tabacktorp, Dalapäls and Icelandic fleeces shorn in the autumn of 2022. My most freshly shorn and therefore most attractive fleeces. I’m spinning the dalapäls fleece at the moment (see below). I have separated the Icelandic fleece into undercoat and outercoat.
  • Plus quite a lot of 80+ year old Austrian flax that I’m not that worried about.

Spinning fresh

Lately I have been spinning my newest fleece, a shiny dalapäls fleece with long, silky locks, shorn in October 2022. The fleece ruthlessly cut in line since I needed more yarn for a pair of two-end knitted sleeves that had run out of yarn. Spinning this wool this fresh is a dream – the staples are open and airy. The fibers lightly and smoothly join into the twist like a breath of fresh air and a dance. An older fleece on the other hand can be tougher to spin, as if the lanolin has gotten tired and cranky, fighting me as I try to get my head around it. An older fleece can also have become compacted and slightly felted after having been compressed in the sofa bed, even if I have picked it before storing.

Putting my foot down

As I was spinning my merengue white and fresh dalapäls fleece I realized that I need to make some changes in my fleece purchasing pattern. I don’t have to buy every unusual, unique, special or otherwise interesting fleece I see. Wool grows back again. There will be other chances. And I have enough of a network of sheep owners to get a high quality fleece when I need it, not only when I see one that looks interesting.

Sweet dalapäls yarn, spun from freshly shorn fleece.

This new and fresh thought got my shoulders to sink in relief. Spinning is such a joy to me and should never, ever be involved with pressure of any kind. It is and should always be a sanctuary, a place for creativity and making.

A new plan

I decided that I want to shorten my fleece queue to a level where it doesn’t stress me. I have so many other projects and baby ideas I want to work on– mending, upcycling, designing, destashing, course creating, webinar planning, writing etc. And of course spinning the twelve ladies in waiting, beginning with the oldest and/or most urgent fleece. I will in no way, shape of form be without craft.

Mending, sashiko and embroidery are on my list of crafting for 2023.

So, my plan for 2023 is to not buy fleece, at least not before I have spun the 2021 fleeces. This is not a resolution, not a promise. A plan and a wish, a year of cleaning up and organizing in my idea cabinet.

A current weaving project in the local weaving room – 1/3 twill from handspun singles in both warp and weft. If you are a patron (or want to become one) you can see the beginning of this almost 4 meter weaving project in my January 2023 video postcard.

I will still spin, knit, weave and write. I will just create from what I already have. Perhaps that will give me the opportunity to expand my creative horizons. One plan is to frog old garments (handspun and commercial) that I don’t use anymore to knit new and shiny things from.

How do you deal with a large fiber stash?

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
Posted on

Auld acquaintance

A few years ago started spinning and two-end knitting a pair of jacket sleeves. I have been working on them more off than on through the years and almost forgot about them. Recently my auld acquaintance was brought back to mind.

Back in early 2019 I had recently finished a pattern for a pair of two-end knitted mittens in Spin-Off magazine. Tvåändsstickning, or two-end knitting, is a time-consuming but very rewarding knitting technique, resulting in a sturdy and wind-proof material. The structure is dense and inelastic and in that sense more like woven than knitted fabric. When I finish a two-end knitted project there are lots of hours invested in it, but somehow it’s hard to let go of. The technique may be slow, but such a joy to dance my hands and mind in.

Jacket sleeves in tradition

A century or so ago two-end knitted jacket sleeves were common in county Dalarna in Sweden. I have been itching to knit myself a pair of jacket sleeves, but as I realized they would take a very long time to knit due to a slow knitting method and two millimeter needles, I hesitated.

Two-end knitted jacket sleeves from Karin Kahnlund’s impressive collection. The sleeves were generally knitted in natural white and black and then dyed red. Every village in the area had their own significant pattern.

However, back in 2018, when a shepherdess asked me if I wanted to buy some singled out very long locks of her flock of dalapäls sheep, I thought of my imagined jacket sleeves and I couldn’t resist the offer. Dalapäls wool is very fine and has a remarkable sheen. Since both the tradition of two-end knitted jacket sleeves and the breed Dalapäls sheep originate from county Dalarna there is a possibility that Dalapäls wool has been the traditional wool for the sleeves. When I got the locks they were the spark for my jacket sleeve project.

Long, white and wavy wool locks.
Long and silky locks of Dalapäls sheep. The locks come from different sheep.

I mean, who could resist knitting jacket sleeves with yarn from locks like these, despite the overwhelm a project like that could bring?

Two-end knitting

Tvåändsstickning, or two-end knitting is an old technique mostly found in Scandinavia. The oldest finding of a twined knitting textile dates back to around the mid 16th century to the early 17th century in county Dalarna in Sweden. There are many garments and accessories left in County Dalarna – mittens, socks and jackets. Usually the sleeves only were knit in two-end knitting while the torso was sewn of broadcloth.

Two-end knitted jacket sleeves in the making. The twisting of the yarn ends at the back of the project also puts a twist in the yarn ends coming from the skein. To untwist the two-end knitter regularly lets the yarn ball hang to untwist itself.

As the name of the technique suggests you use two strands of yarn in two-end knitting. The passive strand is carried at the back of the project. You knit with the strand furthest from the active stitch. This means that after one stitch is made the two yarns are twisted around each other at the back of the work. This also means that even though two-end knitting is done with fine needles, the twisting of the yarn ends makes the fabric strong, sturdy and windproof. It will last for generations. You can read more about two-end knitting in this blog post.

A common English translation for tvåändsstickning is twined knitting. Read in Knit (Spin) Sweden! (second edition) about why two-end knitting is a more fitting translation.

From the cut end

For my jacket sleeves I spun the Dalapäls yarn – S spun and Z plied as is the tradition for two-end knitting – on a supported spindle. I chose to lightly open up staple by staple with a flicker and spin from the cut ends. You can see a glimpse of it in my video Catch the light, where I dwell in the sweet midsummer light, right at the opposite end of the year from when I am writing this.

I open up staple by staple with a flicker.

After having teased with the flicker I tease it more with my hands, draft it out sideways like an accordion and roll it into a burrito and spin from the cut end. I used to only open up the staple with the flicker, but lately I have added the hand teasing, sideways opening and burrito roll. I think it paves the way for a more thorough preparation while still keeping some of the integrity of the original staple. You can read more about this technique here.

After having opened up the staple with the flicker I tease it again, by hand. I spread the loose staple accordion sideways and roll it into a burrito and spin from the cut ends. Hence, an accordion burrito.

Spinning from such a light preparation can be a challenge, but it is also deeply satisfying to be able to create a yarn from such light a preparation. The staple is still nearly recognizable and the opened up fibers fall into the twist next to each other pretty much in the same order they were in the staple.

Cast on and on

Back to the spinning of my z-plied two-end knitting yarn. Eight skeins and a few months later I cast on for my jacket sleeves. Since the technique is very slow the sleeves have accompanied me on many occasions – in the shadow at the allotment, on trains and on a trip to Gotland. And, of course, in a video that I made in Visby, Gotland back in 2019.

A woman knitting in a ruin. There is no roof in the ruin.
Jacket sleeve two-end knitting in St Clemens’ ruin in Visby, Gotland, 2019.

As I reached above the elbow I realized I needed to rip a substantial part up to alter the size, which was moderately fun. For some reason I forgot about the sleeves for quite a while. When I reconnected with them again I needed to alter them back. Just recently I caught up to the clean and un-frogged yarn and I realized that I needed to spin some more yarn.

During this recent autumn the sleeves have been a solid friend on office meetings and conferences. Several colleagues have whispered to me how calm they have felt by just watching me knit.

A cup of kindness

As I paid my dalapäls sheepheredess friend Lena a visit a while ago I bought a bag of newly shorn wool from her ewe Nehne, who had the right length of staples for my two-end knitting yarn.

Raw locks from Lena’s dalapäls sheep Nehne.

Lena is a strong and kind woman, doing all she can for her sheep and for others. She knows all of her sheep by name and by fleece. Dalapäls sheep is a heritage breed. As such usually has a wide spectrum of wool types and wool qualities over the breed, within a flock and even over the body of a single sheep. As I asked Lena for the kind of staples I was looking for, she immediately replied “Well, that would be Nehne or Ninni”. And she was right. Nehne’s fleece had long staples with very soft undercoat fibers and strong outercoat fibers, and with that very special Dalapäls shine. A perfect candidate for my jacket sleeves. Lena wouldn’t even charge for the fleece.

The fleece of the Dalapäls sheep Nehne is drying in front of the fireplace after washing.

That evening Lena and I talked for hours over a sweet dinner she had prepared for us while the fire mumbled quietly in the background. I picked up my jacket sleeves and started knitting. The paper bag with Nehne’s fleece stood on the floor by the fireplace.

Bringing back to mind

I washed the fleece as I got home and started spinning. I used the same technique I had used back in 2018. Within seconds it all came back to me – the joy of spinning on a supported spindle. It’s funny, supported spindle spinning may be the technique that others most associate me with, and yet I haven’t spun on a supported spindle for anything but teaching for the past few years. As I started spinning Nehne’s wool I immediately fell back in love with the technique.

Auld and new acquaintance

I have a long fleece queue and I try my best to spin the oldest first. This means that the bag I pick up to prepare has been compressed in the bag in my storage for a while. Even if I have picked all staples prior to the storage, they can be a little flat and the fibers catching on to their neighbours.

Spinning Nehne’s Dalapäls wool on a supported spindle by Björn Peck. The mini heddle around my neck was carved by Kerstin Neumüller (and the band woven by me, with the mini heddle).

With this project, however, I wanted to finish my sleeves, so Nehne’s fleece very rudely cut in line in the fleece queue. Spinning this very fresh wool was (is) such a joy. The wool had just been lightly placed in a paper bag, never put in the storage. The staples were bold and bouncy and with such a sweet shine. Since I make the preparation directly before I start spinning I had the joy of spinning my accordion burritos very freshly prepared. The fibers are so light, so smooth to draft, softly singing their way into the twist like fairies in the early morning mist.

Plying and making a skein of my sweet dalapäls yarn.

Spinning the freshly prepared wool from the newly shorn fleece on a supported spindle reminded me of breathing – the constant changing back and forth between the inner and outer worlds, light as a feather. The rhythm of spinning is not far from the rhythm of life.

New horizons

Even if the spinning of this yarn instantly came back to my spinning muscles and mind, it was still with a new perspective. I have learned so much in the five years that have passed since last I spun this yarn. It was a true joy to bring these new horizons into the familiar spinning landscape. I’m so glad I revisited my auld acquaintance.

Staple to sleeve via teasing, spinning and plying. Supported spindles by Björn Peck.

During the holidays I have been spinning a lot on this project – I have already finished two skeins. Even though spindle spinning is a sweetly slow process it doesn’t take that long to fill a spindle and then a second. Alternating between spinning and teasing keeps a sweet rhythm and change in perspectives.

Two finished skeins of Z-plied Dalapäls wool, spun from lightly teased locks of Dalapäls wool on a supported spindle by Björn Peck.

Have you revisited an old project lately?

On my Instagram page you can watch a series of videos where I work from opening up the lock to knitting the sleeves. At the top of my profile are some highlights. The series is called stapletosleeve (I omitted the spaces between the words because the thing wouldn’t accept too many letters in the title).

Happy new spinning year!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
Posted on

Looking back at 2022

It’s that time again, when I look back at the year gone by and summarize my blog posts. Whether you are new to the blog or have followed me for a while, this is your chance for an overview, looking back at 2022.

Come join the 2022 blog post ride! I have divided the posts into categories for easier browsing. Read them all or pick your favorite categories, there should be something for everyone.

Preparing and spinning

Have you missed my breed study webinars? Well, I did, but there was only time for one this year. I hope to invite you to more in 2023. The breed this time was not Swedish, but as close as you get, the beautiful Åland wool – long, silky and full of contrasts. Åland wool is, just like many of the Swedish heritage breeds a dual coat and I wrote a post about that too. To stay with the eastbound theme I also demonstrated and reviewed my new Finnish hand cards – 108 tpi and with leather pads.

The Finnish hand cards and eight different yarns from Åland wool.

Teasing and picking are steps I don’t want to be without when I prepare a fleece. As I wrote the post on picking my husband asked me what steps I may skip, what I never skip and why. So I write a post on Cutting corners.

Picking, teasing and Austen.

A few years ago I got the opportunity to spin on and shoot a video of a great wheel at Vallby open air museum. This year I was invited back to spin in public on the same wheel. Of course I wrote a blog post about spinning on the great wheel too.

I’m spinning on the great wheel at Vallby open air museum.

Sometimes when I go on an excursion in a fleece I make a wool board to put down my discoveries and ideas on paper. Perhaps you get inspiration to make one too.

Projects

During the year I have finished lots of smaller projects and a couple of big ones. I finished the first project of the year with perfect timing in early January – a pair of Moroccan snow shoveling pants that I wear when I go down to the lake for my daily dip.

Photo by Dan Waltin
Photo by Isak Waltin
A rya bench pad, an Icelandic style sweater and a pair of snow shoveling pants.

When I had finished them I started another large project – a rya bench pad for my husband’s birthday. I also managed to produce an Icelandic style sweater. Before that I wrote a love letter to the Icelandic fleece I used for the yarn.

Swim cap, little bands and a shawl pattern.

I had an urge to weave little bands for a while, from both handspun and commercial yarns, and managed to squeeze in some soothing nalbinding that later turned into an embroidered swim cap. In the spring I wrote about how I use singles yarns and published a shawl pattern in Spin-Off magazine where I use singles.

Pockets!

During the spring I got a sudden urge to make tie-on pockets. One pocket led to another and suddenly I had made four. The first one was made from two eBayed linen towels with an amoeba shaped pattern in couching stitch. The second was also in linen, but made from a 60’s evening clutch, and I made the third from a vintage Harris Tweed jacket. The fourth didn’t involve any recycling at all. I used påsöm embroidery on broadcloth.

Three out of four pockets – linen (made from an evening clutch from the -60’s), påsöm embroidery and tweed (made on the bias from a Harris tweed jacket).

Teaching and learning

A few times a year I teach spinning courses here in Sweden. Preparing for and teaching a five-day course at Sätergläntan has become a sweet tradition in the summer. In the autumn I taught another course in a beautiful setting. One thing that is important to me is to find every student’s way of learning and to see them make progress. In this search of people’s learning process I learn so much myself and I am truly grateful.

A new spindle delivery from Björn Peck just in time for my five-day course A spindle a day at Sätergläntan.

My main teacher, alongside with my students, is the wool. It is by listening to the wool and hearing its response that I learn and understand how it is constructed and how I can work with it and not against it.

On the 2022 wool journey we learned about påsöm embroidery.

I try to take a course myself every now and then too. This year’s wool journey with my wool traveling club was a sweet September weekend with påsöm embroidery.

The Twist model online course, the Åland wool webinar and the Hands-on five-day challenge.

Online I recently released a lecture, the Twist Model where I give you a tool and a theoretical framework about how to work between spun and unspun with ease and quality. Take it if you haven’t already! The Åland wool breed study webinar of course. In the beginning of the year I had a sore thumb from spinning, which resulted in the Hands-on five-day challenge.

Knit (spin) Sweden! Second edition.

And oh, Sara Wolf released the second edition of Knit (spin) Sweden! where I am a co-author.

Flax

Summer is my flax season. This is when I bring my spinning wheel out on the terrace and spin my daily flax in the shadow on warm days. I wrote about having a temporary flax brain, about my flax harvest, about a custom made scutching knife and my retting process. I wrote an interpretation of Sleeping beauty, that I call the flax princesses and released a video where I show how I rehackle old flax. As a sidetrack I also played with harvesting, processing and spinning Nettles.

A band woven with my nettle yarn, spinning flax on my sweet wheel Henrietta and harvesting this year’s flax. The harvesting picture resulted in someone making a necklace with the pattern from the flax bundles. And I bought the necklace.

Spin where you are

In Ground and explore and Spin where you are I invite you to explore from the place in spinning you are at right now, both when it comes to your skill level and spinning shape at this moment. In I am a spinner I explore back in time to the place where I went from knowing how to spin to being a spinner. I was surprised to actually find a specific moment in time when this happened. I cherish the memory of a moment of the opening up of doors, just as I cherish the memory of the moment when I cracked the reading code (a 10 x 10 cm booklet about a hedgehog flying a red air balloon) when I was around five or six.

Ground and explore

This and that

Well, I tried, but not all the posts got a natural spot in the categories I chose for this looking back at 2022 post. But don’t worry, they will get their own category.

I read, I mend and I carve nalbinding needles.

All posts on the blog aren’t about wool and spinning. I managed to Mend a pair of jeans hems, exploring techniques I hadn’t used much before. In sloyd I explore different materials and techniques and show you how I carve nalbinding needles. Finally, I give you some tips of sweet books I recommend.

In Reciprocity I reflect over all the gifts I get and cherish when I spin. In an effort to pay both back and forward I write to show my gratitude for all I learn and receive from spinning. Another way to pay forward was the Auction for Ukraine I held in March. Together we donated $450 to UNHCR for Ukraine.

I write.

All in all I have written 52 blog post (including next week’s) in 2022. I have also made one five-day challenge, one breed study webinar one YouTube video and one course. If you are a patron I have sent you 12 video postcards during the year. If you are not a patron yet you are more than welcome to become one.

Coming up in 2023

I do have plans for 2023 too. The past two years I have released a free five-day challenge. There might be one in 2023 too. Perhaps a new short lecture, in the same style as the Twist Model. There are still spots left on my five-day course A spindle a day at Sätergläntan in June. Weekly blog posts of course, breed study webinars and some sweet, sweet spinning. I hope to see you and learn from you in any of these contexts.

From my woolly heart to yours: Thank you.

Oh, and I will turn 50 in 2023, something I look forward to. I may make you a part of my celebration.

I wish you peace, wool all the best for 2023!

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
Posted on

Tog and þel

In October I bought an Icelandic fleece from Hulda at Uppspuni mini mill in Iceland. I decided to separate the coats – tog and þel – by hand, just to see what I could learn. And I did indeed learn.

If you are a patron (or want to become one) you can see how I separate tog and þel by hand on the darker fleece in my December 2022 video postcard.

Two fleeces of Icelandic wool – one whole fleece in a lighter shade of grey and part of a darker one.

I asked Hulda to pick out a couple of ewe fleeces for me, with an interesting colour range somewhere along the grey scale. She found two beautiful fleeces, one lighter and one darker grey. I chose the lighter one and as much of the darker one that would work in a 2 kilo package. A few weeks later it landed at my doorstep – 1500 grams of the lighter grey and 500 grams of the darker.

Tog and þel

Icelandic wool has a dual coat with long and strong outercoat fibers and shorter, finer and softer undercoat fibers. Tog is Icelandic for the outercoat of Icelandic fleeces. I believe the word has the same origin as the Swedish word tagel (horse hair). The Icelandic undercoat is called þel [thel].

Separating

Usually when I want to separate undercoat and outercoat to spin separately I use a pair of combs. But I like to work close to the wool and I thought I’d try separating the two fiber types by hand on these beautiful Icelandic fleeces. An Icelandic spinner told me that her way of separating the fiber types was by hand.

So, this is how I separate the coats by hand:

  • The first step is easy – I pick a few locks by the tip ends. I bundle them up with the tip ends in one direction and the cut ends in the other.
  • On some parts of the darker fleece the cut ends are a little bundled up, so I lightly open up the cut ends to make the separation smoother.
  • I keep a firm grip in the tip ends and by lightly pulling and wiggling the cut ends, separate the two fiber types. I place the tog carefully in a paper bag with the tip end facing one direction and the cut ends another. I place the þel in another bag.
Lovely and freshly picked staples of Icelandic wool.

The fleeces Hulda has sent to me are of excellent quality. For that reason I knew that these were perfect candidates for separating by hand. In the beginning I had no particular reason for doing it this way, other than to explore and learn. But after having separated the whole 2 kilos of fleece by hand I now know the benefits of it and I will walk you through what I have learned.

Hello Wool

Usually I start a fleece exploration of a fleece by picking it, the whole fleece before I do anything else with it. With this Icelandic fleece I pick a few staples and separate them before I pick another few staples. Same steps but in a little different order. Regardless of the order of the steps. this is my first opportunity to get to know the fleece, and in its most natural form: From the washed fleece I pick out staple by staple and continue from there.

As I work with my hands through the wool I get to know it, I get to say hello to the wool and see what it has to teach me. As I separate tog and the I find two different colours.

Let’s stop right there for a minute. As I pick the tip end of a staple and gently pull it out of the mass of staples, free at the tip ends and holding on at the cut ends, I get the opportunity to get to know the wool from the very start. I get to see how long the fibers are, both outercoat and undercoat. I see crimp, colour and staple type. When I dig my hands into the fleece I feel the bounce and when I draft some fibers out of the cut end of a staple I get a feeling of how it will spin.

Picking and separating the locks by hand gives me a unique opportunity to make an inventory of the entire fleece and sort according to any parameter I fancy.

Colours

I knew there were different colours in the fleeces, but it wasn’t until I picked and separated the staples I saw where the colours really were. The lighter fleece was quite homogenous – light grey þel and about the same colour in the tog.

Soft þel from the darker fleece. The basket is a Ullkränku, a Gotland wool basket.

The darker fleece, however hid a whole range of grey from very light to pitch black that was revealed when I separated the coats. All the þel was silvery grey while the colour range was in the tog. So, my original plan to separate the tog and the þel had to be revised – I added a second dimension – colour – to my separation and sorted my bundles of tog into a range from light to dark.

The range of colours in the outercoat/tog fibers, with the largest quantity in the medium to dark grey range.

Had I separated the coats with combs from the start I may have ended up with a variegated top of outercoat fibers, but I wouldn’t have discovered the treasure of the actual colour range and the opportunity I would have had in sorting according to colour.

Response

As I pull the individual staple out of the carpet of staples I feel, right there between my hands, how the fibers relate to each other. But what does that mean, how the fibers relate to each other? Well, I’m talking about how the fibers separate from each other – do they let go of the grip easily and smoothly or do I have to struggle? Do the fibers agree with me or do they fight me? The way the fibers separate from each other is an indication of how they will behave later when I spin them.

As I hold one end of the staple in one hand and the other end in the other hand and gently pull I feel the response from the fiber types between my hands. Even if I might not always have words to describe what it is I feel in the response, it is definitely information that my muscles remember and bring back to me as I prepare and spin the wool later on. So, to summarize:

  • As I separate the coats my hands get a feeling of how easily the fibers separate from each other. Is it smooth or do I need to struggle? After ten, fifteen, umpteen coat separations my hands know what to expect and how to behave to respond to the information from the wool
  • My hands also get to know the length of the fibers and the coats. After a number of separations they know how long the fibers are. As I later comb or card and then spin my hands already know by feel how long the fibers are and how to work with the wool. My hands also know what distance to keep from each other for a smooth spin.

Every time the fibers go through my hands I get the chance to learn from them, to allow my hands to navigate in the responses I get from the wool. My hands store the information and get a better understanding of how to work with the wool in the upcoming steps o the process.

Þel weft

I have separated both of the fleeces into tog, þel and colour and stored them in my wool storage. They will now have to wait their turn in the fleece queue. When that day comes I will card the þel and spin woolen. This way I will get a light, soft and warm yarn that I will use as weft yarn. If the almost white and the light grey have enough contrast I may play with the colours.

The þel fibers are longer than I expected, but still work beautifully in a rolag.

As I test card the þel I feel how long the fibers are, I’m not used to undercoat fibers of that length. But it cards sweetly and smoothly into a lovely rolag that is a joy to spin. The fibers aren’t as well separated as if I would have teased them, so I’ll have to figure something out when I get to that stage. Perhaps just willowing them is enough. And fun too!

Tog warp

I will comb the tog and spin worsted into a strong warp yarn. This yarn will be strong and shiny and I will use it as a warp yarn. With the tog I have an opportunity to use the colour range to make stripes.

Long tog fibers require dramatic combing choreography.

The tog fibers are very long! This means that I need to be very dramatic as I comb, making the movements large and bold to prevent the combed fibers to loop back on themselves and create tangles. I believe this warp will be a strong one.

The making of a sweet tog bird’s nest.

Test spin

Of course I test spun the preparations too. Nothing fancy, just a quick go with suspended spindles. I spun them in different directions – the tog clockwise and the þel counter-clockwise. I have learned that the threads marry each other in a weave this way. And I get to practice spinning in both directions.

Combed tog spun worsted and clockwise. Carded þel spun woolen and counter-clockwise.

The tog and the þel with their unique characteristics that were so closely intertwined on the hoof have been torn apart and put together in a new fashion to be useful for a new wearer. I hope I can create a textile that makes the fleece justice.

Sometimes I get all giddy thinking about all the treasures I have in my wool storage, all picked and ready to be recreated into something completely new. A treasure chest in my sofa bed. Who knew!

If you are a patron (or want to become one) you can see how I separate tog and þel by hand on the darker fleece in my December 2022 video postcard.

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
Posted on

Books

The holiday season is coming up. I’m not much for giving or receiving stuff for the sake of stuff, but a good reading experience is something I love to both give and receive. In today’s blog post I share some of my favourite books.

Women’s work the first 20 000 years

In this magnificent odyssey over textile work for the past twenty millennia the author leads us through textile pre-history and history, starting from the very first time someone just happened to roll some plant fibers against their leg to find how much stronger it became.

Women’s work the first 20 000 years – women, class and society in early times, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber and Secrets of spinning, weaving and knitting in the Peruvian Highlands by Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez

This is truly fascinating read. In my understanding, textiles and textile making haven’t gotten the scientific attention that they deserve. But through interdisciplinary research there is a lot to tell about textile history and pre-history. As a linguistic nerd my heart tingles when I read about how scientists can tell about the geographical and sometimes temporal origin of a technique through deriving the origins of the word for it. Read this book. I plan to reread it.

Secrets of spinning, weaving and knitting in the Peruvian Highlands

As you may know, I support the Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. In this book Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez presents history and traditions of spinning, weaving and knitting in the Peruvian highlands and shares some of the technique in step-by-step guides. Read the book and support their causes.

All that she carried

A mother gives her nine-year-old daughter a flour sack, containing pecans, a tattered dress, a lock of hair and the mother’s love when the daughter is sold at an auction. Decades later, in 1920, the daughter’s granddaughter embroiders the contents onto the sack. The sack is forgotten and later turns up in a thrift store. Someone finds it and understands the value of it.

All that she carried – the journey of Ashley’s sack, a black family keepsake, by Tiya Miles

How someone can get so much important information from a flour bag is beyond me. But Tina Miles does. This is an important book, we all need to know this. Things that never should have happened did happen and the flour sack and the embroidery on it remind us of the injustices toward people of colour that have rippled through the centuries and are very much alive still today. In All that she carried the story is told through the perspective of the unfree black people, a perspective that traditionally has got very little space in literature. Just read it.

Braiding Sweetgrass

I have talked about this book (and read it) several times, I know. But Braiding Sweetgrass carries such a loving message that we all should carry with us. The indigenous perspective of a gift economy and a society of reciprocity is so natural when I read about it, yet I am so puzzled by all the hate in the world when we could all adopt the perspective of love and respect that Robin Wall Kimmerer shares in this book.

Braiding Sweetgrass – indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

There is so much we can learn if we just listen close enough. Instead people of the western world have done a good job of consuming ourself into climate change, that ultimately affects indigenous peoples the most. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Keepers of the sheep

This book is such a sweet read. The author writes beautifully about her visits with the local knitters and spinners and learns their traditional way of creating textiles. She has made an excellent and respectful job of translating their oral passing down of the construction of the projects into a western way of knitting. The writer also treats us to a lot of history and traditions about the wool and the patterns. Read my review of the book.

Keepers of the sheep – Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and beyond, by Irene Waggener with Muah Ahansali, Hussein Mardi, Muah n’Ait Tabatoot and Noura Eddelymy

I did knit one of the projects in the book, the Sirwal pants. I actually wore them earlier this week on my way to the lake for my daily bath. It was -4°C in the air and perfect temperature for bulky knitted snow shoveling pants. Have a peek at them here.

With one needle

Nalbinding is time consuming, but still one of my very favourite ways of textile making. The simplicity of the blunt needle, the yarn and my thumb gives it a meditative dimension that I cherish. A nalbound item is strong and durable, especially if it has been felted, and will last for a very long time.

With one needle – How to nålbind by Mervi Pasanen

Mervi Pasanen writes about both history and techniques, and gives the reader some pattern and basic guidelines for increasing, decreasing, casting on, binding off and embellishing. Lots of pictures and step-by-step drawings make the book accessible and welcoming to read.

Raw material

In the beginning of her book, Stephany Wilkes tells the reader how she came to become a shearer, and her story is not far from my own – a desire to put local wool into good use instead of watching it burn or otherwise go to waste. And just like me she simply followed a strong urge to take responsibility for a teeny tiny little part of local wool production. A path that has proven to be fulfilling on so many levels.

Raw material – working wool in the west by Stephany Wilkes

Raw material is my current read and a lovely companion in my morning routines. Wilkes writes about a sustainable local wool (and fashion) industry that truly appeals to me.

Visible mending

Speaking of sustainability, I try more and more to mend my clothes when I see holes or worn out spots. It’s such a sweet challenge to play with techniques, materials and colours to mend with love and dedication. Even if I’m not very skilled at mending (but working on it) I love to flaunt my visible mending. One example is the third-hand jeans legs I mended earlier this fall.

Visible mending – repair, renew, reuse the clothes you love, by Arounna Khounnoraj

The author invites us to some of her favorite mending techniques and when she uses what techniques. She also goes through materials and tools she likes to keep handy and shows step-by-step guides of how she goes about certain techniques. This is a great reference book to have handy as soon as you spot a hole or wear.

The Pocket

Okay, so I got a little carried away and made four tie-on pockets this year – one from two eBayed linen towels, one from a vintage evening clutch, one in broadcloth with påsöm embroidery and one from a vintage Harris Tweed men’s jacket. It’s such a sweet accessory and after having read The Pocket I got even more fascinated by its history and what it can tell about society and women of the time. There is so much to discover and understand by this sweet and utterly useful accessory, and like the bag of Mary Poppins it contains so much more than you would ever imagine.

The authors have done a massive research into old pockets of course, but also art from the time and criminal records, inventory lists and receipts.

The Pocket – A hidden history of women’s lives, by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux

I got this copy as a gift from my friend Sara, whom I have dragged with me down several rabbit holes, the pocket hole being just one of them.

And oh, I have ideas for a fifth pocket.

Knit (Spin) Sweden!

Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf and Josefin Waltin

Speaking of Sara: I am the co-author of the book Knit (Spin) Sweden! A different kind of traveling book, by Sara Wolf. This spring the second edition was released and is now available on Amazon. Read about the book here.

Sara Wolf covers history of knitting and theories of how and when it came to Sweden, along with typical Swedish knitting techniques, yarn from Swedish sheep breeds, knitting patterns from Swedish designers and a dictionary of Swedish knitting vocabulary.

On my list

I have a long list of books that I want to read. Here are some of them

Do you have any favourite textile related books that you would recommend?

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
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New online course: The Twist Model

Today I present to you a new online course: The Twist Model – moving between spun and undspun with ease and quality. It’s a 25 minute lecture in four sections.

Enroll in the course here

I’m equally nervous and excited about this lecture. I have been thinking about creating short lectures on my online school, on different topics. This is my first try.

Promo video for a new online course: The Twist Model.

“That was the best 25 minutes I’ve had in a long time! The lightbulb went on! This video is a game changer for me.”

Wendy C, Canada

A nifty method for any spinner

One of the most important techniques I teach my students – beginners and advanced alike – is to open up the twist to allow the fibers to glide past each other without coming apart. In this semi-stable section, between unstable fiber and stable yarn, the fibers are able to move and the spinner can draft with ease.

It all starts with fiber.

Often I see students pull the yarn as they spin and glide with their hands along the yarn. This creates strain in the body and often felts the yarn. I have seen many spinners with a sweaty felted wool mass in their hands after having spun for a while.

By opening up the twist the spinner will be able to draft using only the tension between the hands. Even if a beginner might not find the sweet spot where the fibers can glide past each other without coming apart straight away, once they do it’s usually a big aha moment and a new understanding of the spinning process. The sweaty felted wool mass is no more.

The Twist Model

In this short lecture I talk about the Twist Model and what happens between spun and unspun and the point right in between. I also talk about what we can do with this section of the yarn to have less strain on the body, less strain on the fiber, to get a more evenly spun yarn and to be able to listen to the wool.

The Twist model is a theoretical framework that can help you spin with ease and quality.

In the course I start with the very basics of fiber and yarn. I move on to explaining the Twist Model and show examples with different spinning tools. In the last part of the lecture I talk about how opening up the twist can help you listen to the wool.

What do I need?

This video is for any spinner – beginner and advanced alike – who wants to explore ways to work with the wool and its individual characteristics. The Twist Model works with any spinning tool. Try it with any spindle or wheel you like. The video is captioned in English.

You can use the Twist Model with any spinning tool.

You can read on the blog about the Twist Model and about opening up the twist. And you can now enroll in the course, the Twist Model.

Enroll in the course here

If you have suggestions or wishes for future topics on short lectures, please let me know!

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.
Posted on

Old blog post: Fleece happens

Last week I indicated that I might not be able to write a blog post this week. I have been a good girl and not bent over backwards to squeeze a blog post in. But I did pick out an old blog post to give you something to read if you want to.

On November 20th 2021, one year ago, I wrote about what I do when fleece happens. You know, when a fleece just comes to you, without you knowing what really happened. The fall shearing is usually the highlight of the year for many spinners in Sweden, fleece happens a lot this time of year. This autumn, for example, fleece has happened thrice for me.

In the post I write about what I do with a fleece when it comes to me, in terms of washing, how I prepare it for storing and what documentation I do, how and where.

I will spend the weekend on a gym instructor course for the gym chain where I am an instructor. It will be tough, and I’m really excited about it.

P.S. A week ago I was interviewed by Daniel Howell of Folk Craft revival about spinning. Listen to the podcast episode here!

Happy reading!

You can find me in several social media:

  • This blog is my main channel. This is where I write posts about spinning, but also where I explain a bit more about videos I release. Sometimes I make videos that are on the blog only. Subscribe or make an rss feed to be sure not to miss any posts.
  • My youtube channel is where I release a lot of my videos. Subscribe to be sure not to missanything!
  • I have a facebook page where I link to all my blog posts, you are welcome to follow me there.
  • I run an online spinning school, welcome to join a course! You can also check out my course page for courses in Sweden.
  • On Patreon you can get early access to new videos and other Patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patreon only benefits. The contributions from my patrons is an important way to cover the costs, time and energy I put into the videos and blog posts I create. Shooting and editing a 3 minute video takes about 5 hours. Writing a blog post around 3. You can read more about my Patreon page here.
  • You are also welcome to make one-off donations on my Ko-fi page.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
  • In all the social media I offer, you are more than welcome to contact me. Interacting with you helps me make better content. My private Facebook page, however, will remain private.
  • I support Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, a group of talented textile artists in Cusco, Peru who dedicate their work to the empowerment of weavers through the revitalization and sustainable practice of Peruvian ancestral textiles in the Cusco region. Please consider supporting their work by donating to their causes.