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A book deal

Dear readers, I have a book deal. In about two years I will release my very own book, Listen to the wool: A why-to guide for mindful spinning. It has been a long ride so far, a road that has been especially eventful these past nine months.

While there are lots of how-to spinning books on the market, Listen to the wool is more of a why-to book where I talk about why we take certain steps from fleece to yarn and what we can learn in each step from a unique fleece. I will encourage the reader to do the don’ts, challenge their preconceptions and embrace their mistakes, all the while I hold their hand. The book also has a wider perspective in why we spin (or craft) at all in a world where we don’t need to to feed and clothe our families. If you have read my blog I think you will recognize my relationship to the wool and my writing style.

Way back when

For many years I have had a book in my heart. It has been humming in the background since then, but lately it has moved on to buzzing. In 2019 I started to loosely plan it, mapping out topics to write about.

A first documented step towards a book, back in 2019.

I remember creating a mind map of topics I wanted to cover and asking a few trusted friends to read a chapter or two when the time came. I have come back to the mindmap every now and then, changed a few things and then procrastinated some more. Writing a book has been a theoretical priority, but has never made it into a practical one – there have always been other things like blog posts, online courses, articles with deadlines. All things that I love and thrive doing, but still shadowing my quite book dream.

Writing an email

During the pandemic I incorporated writing in my daily morning ritual. Just a couple of hand written pages in a journal, letting the words flow and settle down onto the page.

In the 2022 December solstice email I sent to my readers I wrote a couple of lines about writing and how it can help me understand the development of a thought process, dive deeper into the wool and share my reflections with you. I got a reply from Jane who recommended me to look up Beth Kempton, an author, course creator and Japanologist. I did, and found some lovely stuff.

The way of the fearless writer, by Beth Kempton has helped me a lot as I have unleashed my writing heart onto the page. The title of the notebook underneath is Write whatever wants to be written, as Beth Kempton inspires to.

I bought Beth Kempton’s book about writing, The Way of the Fearless Writer, and loved every page of it. I also joined her ten day winter writing sanctuary and thrived in daily writing into the new year.

A masterclass

I kept writing and loved the notion of writing what wants to be written, to allow the writing to write me. In March I enrolled in Beth Kempton’s four week online course, the Book Proposal Masterclass. There was lots of challenging assignments in the course and it took a lot of time and energy. But it also gave me so much more than I had ever imagined. A lesson in mapping out all my ideas on a wall (or underneath a staircase) gave me endless aha moments. It also made me realize that this could all be real one day.

One of the most mentally challenging assignments in the Book proposal masterclass was to brainstorm and bundle topics for the book.

One month after the month long course had ended I had a finished 40 page book proposal. What’s more, I had a structure and a shape for a book that until then had only been a blob. Through poking the blob from different angles throughout the course I managed to shape it into something real, something that could actually become a book.

Trusted friends

I went back to my trusted friends a couple of new ones. I asked them to read my 40 page book proposal and give me feedback from different angles. Their thoughts about the proposal helped me enormously and I sharpened the proposal according to their observations.

An agent

At first I thought I could just send my book proposal to a publisher, but during the book proposal masterclass I realized that I would need an agent. I am writing this book in English, since no Swedish publisher would ever publish a book for an audience as small as the Swedish spinning community. So my aim was the English speaking world, which of course widens the audience enormously, and especially the U.S. market where more than half my readers come from. I know absolutely nothing about the book publishing industry, and even less about U.S. and worldwide publishing, so I realized an agent could guide me through this vast jungle.

My presentation on Creative Authors’ website.

In July I found my agent, Isabel Atherton of Creative Authors. She is English but lives in Manhattan. When I looked her up she specified craft books as a particular interest. I sent her my book proposal and she happily agreed to take me on. She is my champion and explains everything to me about the business and contracts with great patience.

Isabel will do what she can to help me find a publisher that will provide my Swedish readers with a Swedish translation.

A book deal

Quick as an eagle, Isabel sent my proposal to various publishers, and just this week I signed with the U.S. publisher Stackpole, an imprint under Rowman and Littlefield. Stackpole has published craft books for many years, mainly in textile crafts and a couple of those about spinning. Their crafts editor (swoon!) Candi Derr was very excited about my book proposal just as it was, including having my husband Dan take all the pictures for the book.

To celebrate my book deal I bought a whole stack of books about writing and I am eagerly waiting for them to arrive. Tomorrow Dan and I will go to a friend’s pastures for our first photo shoot for the book.

Onwards!

This is huge for me. I am over the moon and terrified. There will be a lot of writing on my book now. The buzz from the book now has a wide spectrum between whale song and nails against the blackboard. One year from today my editor will have my manuscript. The book will be published around a year after that. Watch this space.

Thank you all for cheering me on, for asking questions and for making me a better spinner and writer. This book is for you.

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 miss anything!
  • 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 or to book me for a lecture.
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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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Meeting Irene

I spent the past weekend in Malmö in southern Sweden. The goal of the journey was meeting Irene Waggener, author, knitter and independent researcher.

”I will be in Copenhagen in August”, said Irene a few weeks ago. She is currently living in Yerevan, Armenia. ”Do you know any yarn shops there?” ”No, I don’t”, said I, “but I can take the train down from Stockholm and we can meet in Malmö!”. ”Yay”!! said both of us. And so we met.

On the train to Malmö to meet Irene Waggener, I read her book Keepers of the sheep.

Irene Waggener is the author of the beautiful book Keepers of the sheep – knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and beyond. You can read my review of the book here. I have admired her work for a few years now. Two years ago I knit a pair of High Atlas pants, sirwal, that used to be traditional in the the Moroccan High Atlas and that she interprets in the book. They were typically knit by male shepherds from yarn spindle spun by their wives and worn for sheepherding and snow shoveling in the cold season. I use mine for going down to the lake for my daily bath when the air temperature goes below -6 °C.

Meeting pants

I met Irene and her husband Josh in the castle garden in Malmö. Both of us had brought our sirwal pants for them to meet too. Hers knit by spindle spun Moroccan yarn, mine knit with my spindle spun Swedish Gestrike wool yarn.

Our sirwal pants finally meet! Mine to the left, Irene’s to the right. Photo by Josh Waggener.

The pants look very similar, but there are also differences. I spun and knit mine tighter to fight off the cold of the Swedish winter. The white wool in her pants is somewhat reddish from the High Atlas soil. My black stripes are fading towards the hips. I knit them from the first and second fleece from the same sheep, Gunvor, and her black spots had faded with age. Both of our pants have traces of the pastures where the sheep have grazed. While the wools come from quite different lines of sheep, both the fleeces are strong and sturdy with both soft undercoat, long and strong outercoat and quirky kemp.

Spindles, spindles, spindles!

Irene also brought spindles – one floor supported High Atlas spindle, izdi, one floor supported Middle Atlas spindle, maghzal, and one suspended Armenian spindle, ilik. The Armenian spindle was a gift to me, a precious one. I brought hand carded batts from Swedish Gestrike sheep to try the spindles with. In my Instagram highlights you can see me spin with all three spindles.

High Atlas izdi

The High Atlas spindle is the one the yarn for the pants would have been spun with (and that the yarn in Irene’s pants was spun with). The spinner sits on the ground or floor. The spindle rests on the floor and sometimes in a bowl and is flicked with the fingers of the spinning hand. Irene had published Instagram videos with Moroccan spinners spinning on these spindles back when she lived in the area, and I had saved all of them. On the train to Malmö I studied them to be able to spin on the izdi with some amount of grace and dignity.

I’m spinning on the ground supported High Atlas izdi spindle. Photo by Irene Waggener.

The High Atlas spindle is simple – a wooden shaft and, in this case, a whorl cut out from a car tyre. This type of spindle is traditionally spun with hand carded batts. The spinner inserts the twist into the whole length of the batt before making the draft. I love spinning this way, feeling the yarn do its magic as I move my hands in different directions, aligning the fibers softly in the twist with a draw that reaches between my outstretched arms. The High Atlas spindle typically spins fine high twist sock yarns and bulky low twist rug yarns.

Out of the three spindles I got to try, this was my favorite. The spindle was very simple in its execution and in the requirements to use it, yet it is operated with an advanced technique. In Irene’s videos there is also one showing a very special plying technique. The spinner pushes the spindle tip with a flat spinning hand outwards against the arm of the fiber hand. I didn’t have time to try it, though. The technique reminds me of the plying technique used for Andean pushka spindles.

Middle Atlas maghzal

The Middle Atlas spindle was hand carved from one piece of wood, with a belly instead of a whorl. It is supported on the ground, and rolled with a flat hand against the outer thigh of the spinner, who sits on the floor or ground. I believe this type of spindle was primarily used for bulkier yarns for rugs.

The Middle Atlas spindle is rolled against the thigh when the spinner is sitting on the floor or ground. Photo by Irene Waggener.

The wool for the Middle Atlas spindle would have been carded into rolags. I had only my batts with me, so the yarn I spun was a bit on the fine side, but it worked.

Armenian ilik

The Armenian top whorl spindle is also very simple in its construction. A long shaft and a whorl that looks a little like a door knob. This one is very sweet in its wonkiness and with its worm holes.

The Armenian spindle came home with me on the train. Photo by Irene Waggener.

The Armenian spindle is spun suspended and the twist inserted by rolling the shaft against the thigh of the standing or sitting spinner. This spindle is used for different types of yarn for both weaving and knitting.

Traditional spindles

I have one antique French in-hand spindle, one antique Turkish cross-arm spindle, two Andean suspended pushkas and one Peruvian suspended chaj-chaj spindle. These are traditional in different parts of the world, and still used in traditional textile communities. All the other spindles I have are modern, western made hobby spindles, some of them very luxurious. The traditional spindles were made with simple means and for production spinning, some of these very well worn, wonky and with little worm holes.

Don’t get me wrong – I love all my modern spindles. Holding the traditional spindles is something completely different, though, in the extra layer they add. Smooth in my hand, with the shaft echoing the skilled hands that had once flicked it. I felt so grateful to Irene for bringing them and to the spinners who had flicked them before me. My hands are there now too, together with theirs, in the magic of spinning.

Unfinished conversations

And we talked, the three of us. With ease and dedication we talked bout spinning, writing, knitting. World politics, pandemics and spiked bike tyres. About everything and anything. I loved every second of it.

And we talked. Photo by Josh Waggener.

Suddenly, the magic was broken and I had to go back to the train station. There was still so much more I wanted to talk about. If it hadn’t been for a working day coming up I would gladly have postponed my train ride back home. The three and a half hours we spent together were over way too soon. But we will continue the conversation the next time we meet.

On the train back home

On the train back home I did my best to process our time together, all the things we talked about, everything I learned from both Irene and Josh, all the laughter, and spending time in the beautiful castle garden. As I browsed through all the photos and videos they both were so kind to take with my camera, my heart tingled. It was a wonder that we did get to meet – Irene living in Armenia and me not flying don’t give the best odds for meeting. But we did, and I will cherish our day together. I’m so glad I came and that we managed to synch our calendars. Thank you for everything, Irene! I hope to see you again soon. My pants send their love to yours.

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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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To the sea

Today I give you an essay, something that wanted to be written after a walk down to the sea. There is no textile connection in this post.

Asana and ants

Tuesday morninyg yoga asana practice, 6 am. I stand in downward facing dog, hips in the air, feet and hands on the floor, creating a triangular shape with my body. Upside down I look back at the garden fence behind me. I see something moving on top of the lower horizontal board of the fence, something shiny. I realize they are ants, scurrying along the board edge between the two neighbouring lawns. From a slit in the fence the ants are lit by the morning sun from behind. It creates a sweet backlight halo on their bodies. I smile and continue my practice. Every time in downward dog I see them again, still scurrying along the board, still with that soft backlight.

Ants scurrying back and forth between neighbouring lawns.

A couple of ants find their way up my feet. I can feel them, but let them be. They are welcome to join my movement. Perhaps they enjoy the flight as I lift my feet into new asanas.

Rituals and adventures

I am on vacation with my family on the east coast of southern Sweden. In this new place I need to find new ways and spaces to go through my morning ritual. The space I choose to roll out my yoga mat is a narrow stretch of wooden floor decking just outside the front door to the Airbnb flat we are renting. As I go through my practice I find new spots to rest my gaze in balancing poses. A crack in a brick, a twig on a board.

After some reading, freewriting and breakfast I pack a bag and start the half-hour walk to the sea. I smile as I walk through the little town, passing tightly spaced houses bound together with patches of roses, lavender and hollyhock. Not many people are out, just a few dog owners and bikers, silently rolling past me. We nod and say good morning, as morning people tend to do.

Eventhough I am in a new place, this is still my morning ritual. I still do the same things as I do at home. I practice my yoga asana, read a few pages squatting on the floor, write whatever wants to be written and go down to the waterfront. Only in a new town with new surroundings and different waters. At the same time I explore a place through those same rituals and feel a little adventurous in my search of how to marry my habitual pattern to spaces new to me.

Straight ahead

I come to a footbridge that stretches across a stream, binding the town and a summer cottage area together. Near the southern end bramble branches peek through the fence spaces. I wonder if the town citizens will pick the berries once they ripen in a couple of weeks.

Brambles nestling their way between the fence posts.

I pass a parking space with a single bread truck, hatch closed. A right and a left turn, then south. A straight and narrow paved road is my guide, edged by cottages of all shapes and sizes, wedged in between tall pines. As I squint at the pines I realize they could be strands of grass in a lawn and I one of those ants on the edge of the fence board.

The road feels soft beneath my shoes. Mindfully I place one foot in front of the other. The movement is slow but solidly forward, I can barely feel the moving of my center of gravity. After a while I hear it – first a swish and later a roar, from the sea. The salty smell becomes increasingly noticeable. In the corner of another parking space, white sand has run down onto the pavement. With two steps forwards and one step back I climb the dune, bare feet sinking deep into their own tracks.

The door to the sea

In one single moment the dusky pine forest cracks open and reveals the sea, vast and open. As I cross the ridge, the bright, yet subtle colours hit me to a degree that I nearly need to take a step back. Yet, I stand and take in the majestic sight, inhaling it with all my senses.

The magic gate to the sea.

The endless sea spreads out like a blanket in front of me, rhythmically rolling its flaired edge to the beach. Somewhere in the other end of that blanket is Lithuania. The sand is soft and warm underneath my feet, but not too hot yet. My feet sink down and the sand yields to my step.

A dip

I get changed and walk slowly out into the sea. The waves meet me, greet me and present a new medium for my body to explore. The water is cold, perhaps 13 °C. The further I walk, the more powerful are the waves. At waist depth I stop, place my feet wide to prepare to meet and receive the striking forces. I stand and breathe, let the sea breathe me through its rolling rhythm. I smell the brackish water and allow it and my senses to have their way with me. All I can do is surrender to the moment.

The power of the sea. To the right, the gate back to the pine forest.

After a few minutes I walk back slowly toward the beach. As I reach it I turn around, thank the sea for having me, get dressed and exit through the magic door at the ridge of the dune.

Lucky ducks who don’t need to remove the sand from their feet.

I spend several minutes trying, in vain of course, to remove the sand from feet and shoes. Is that even possible?

Sourdough surprise

As I walk back along the paved road the view is new. Not only because of the reversed direction of my path, but through the new experiences and sensations that have enriched it. I walk lighter, brighter, humbler and with new tingles in mind and body.

8:15. The bread hatch is open and three people have formed a line outside the truck. I buy four sourdough rolls to bring home to my family. As I walk back to the flat I feel the warmth of the rolls through the paper bag.

The bread truck is open (left)! We have taken a foot photo on every vacation since our very first, back in 1992 (right).

On the following morning walks to the sea I am accompanied by my family. When we get back home to Stockholm I smile at the sand still in my shoes.

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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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Spinning on the road

I have a long vacation and I will be traveling with my family. One important part of packing is of course crafting projects. A student recently asked me how I plan for for spinning on the road. Here is an extended answer to her question.

One favourite spinning technique for traveling is supported spindle spinning. In fact, I started to learn how to spin on a supported spindle after my husband and I had decided to stop flying, for climate reasons. I was looking for a craft that would be practical for the long train ride to Austria, and supported spindle spinning was my answer. And look where it got me! I published a short video of me spinning on the train, and continued to create videos. Just a couple of months later someone asked me if I could teach the technique, and that is how I started teaching spinning.

Favourites

In the post I will talk about how I prepare for spinning and crafting on the road, but first I will give you some of my favourite techniques:

  • supported spindle spinning
  • suspended spindle spinning
  • band weaving on a backstrap loom
  • different kinds of braiding
  • nalbinding
  • two-end knitting
  • other small sized knitting

And if there is room

  • portable spinning wheel.

Important factors for spinning on the road

There are several things I consider as I pack for spinning on the road:

  • how much luggage space I have
  • how I travel
  • having a variety of techniques
  • portability
  • where I’m going.

This year we’re going on two trips – a week in a log cabin where we will be taking day hikes in a nearby national park, and five days in an Airbnb apartment near the beach.

Luggage space

When I plan what crafts to bring on a journey one important thing is the kind of bags I will be packing in – suitcase, soft bag, backpack or a combination? The sturdiness or squishiness will determine what I can bring and what will be wiser to leave at home.

A small band weave and a 10 gram cross-arm spindle takes up no space at all.

If I travel with a backpack I make sure I don’t bring things that can break or that can injure me. I don’t bring combs or cards on a backpack journey, but a supported spindle is a good companion, as well as small backstrap weaving projects. Smaller knitting projects will usually work fine. Perhaps a suspended spindle if I plan to walk and spin.

If I pack in a suitcase I may bring things like combs, they will be easier to pack in a hard bag than a squishy one. In a suitcase I would also be able to bring fleece in a vacuum bag. If I go by car I bring a basket for various tools if there is room.

The journey

The journey itself is also a factor that plays in. Can I spin on the journey? I don’t craft in the car since I easily get car sick if I need to focus on the project. But a train ride is perfect for crafting!

Crafting on the train

When I travel I prefer to do so by train. Knitting is of course a good option, preferably not a stranded colourwork, though, since there are too many potentially loose items to keep an eye on. Supported spindle spinning will always be a favourite.

When I weave bands on tre train I fasten the warp between my waist and the coat hanger on the back of the seat in front of me (left). If there is no coat hanger, I loop the far end of the warp around my foot, either with the leg straight or propped onto my other knee.

Lately I have also come to love to weave bands on the train. It doesn’t take up much luggage space, none at all, really. Weaving is also quite unexpected and can be quite the conversation starter. I also like the image of the band getting longer the further I go along the rails.

I usually fasten the warp between my waist and the coat hook in the back of the seat in front of me. From my experience with European rail companies, though, I know that not all have coat hangers. In fact, I think I have only seen them on the Swedish railway companies. But do not fret, fastening the warp with a loop around a foot works just fine. In the beginning I make the loop with the warp itself, and toward the end I use something like the torn off hem of an old sheet.

I’m weaving a linen band on a recent train ride.

Before many train rides I have warped for a band without a specific purpose, but the truth is, there is always room for another band! When planning the travel crafting for this summer I realized that I needed a band to tie the inner ends of a linen pinafore dress that I am planning. And so I had the perfect reason to warp for a sweet linen band.

A variety of techniques

When I pack my crafting for a journey I usually like to bring a variety of techniques, at least if I will be gone for more than just a few days. The techniques can vary for the mental variation, but also to avoid getting strained from doing only one craft.

In two-end knitting (left) the yarn won’t roll away since it is secured with a knot. It is knit with a circular needle (or dpns) and is quite slow. Nalbinding is done with a blunt needle only, and the technique is also slow. Both perfect for traveling, both sitting and walking.

I also consider where the craft may be suitable. For instance, I may bring a small band weaving project for sitting down, a two-end knitting project or nalbinding for sitting or walking, and a suspended spindle for standing, sitting or walking.

Portability

I want a travel project to be easy to grab and go. If possible, I want it to fit easily in a bag, both for the journey and for the stay. I don’t want it to be too flimsy or have too many loose parts. A stranded colourwork knitting is not my first option, neither is a large sweater or a lace shawl. I also wouldn’t pick a sewing or embroidery project. There are just too many needles and threads that can get lost.

A bronze-age braid from leftover handspun yarn from my linen shawl.

I also don’t want the project to end before I get back home, I don’t want to risk being empty-handed. Nalbinding and two-end knitting are perfect travel companions. They are both quite small and compact and I don’t run the risk of finishing them since both techniques are very slow.

Where to?

The destination can be important in choosing projects too. Will I be in a city, in the countryside or in the forest? What will I be doing once we get to our destination? A good project for a city may be knitting and a coutryside craft may be a suspended spindle for example. And there are lots of trees to weave with in the forest.

Forest, city or countryside? I choose my crafting projects depending on the destination. Left and right photos by Dan Waltin.

As you may realize, planning projects for a journey is something I truly enjoy. And, secretly, sometimes I may plan a journey depending on the craft I want to hang out with.

What about fiber?

The student who asked me about spinning on the road was more specific than I have described so far: She wanted to know how I pack fiber. She knew I don’t spin from commercially prepared wool and wondered if I pack wool preparation tools or if I process the wool before I leave. Well, that depends. If I go by car and stay for more than a few days I may bring combs or cards. Or just a flicker if I want to spin from lightly teased locks. Otherwise I may process my fiber before we leave and store it in a sturdy box. I do this usually the day before we leave – wool preparation is fresh produce and will go bad after a time. How fast depends on how the preparation has been stored and handled and how prone the wool is to felting.

Examples

So, my husband and I just came back from a trip to a rented log cabin in the countryside. We drove in a rental car that was supposed to be quite small, since our children decided to stay home, but we got a huge car instead. So I flung my travel wheel in and a pair of combs together with a bag of wool.

For a week in a log cabin we had room for my travel wheel in the for some reason giant rental car. I also brought a pair of combs. I used the wool waste as self-felting cushioning in my socks for a few hikes in a nearby national park.

To be on the safe side I also prepared a backstrap loom with a small band, a twelve-strand linen braid, a supported spindle and a 10 gram cross-armed spindle. I spun a silk yarn on both spindles. Now, I just wrote that I don’t use commercially prepared fiber, but this silk top was something I bought many years ago and was there for me to use.

For an upcoming train ride I am bringing a small band weaving (commercial yarn). These pictures are from when we waited for the rental car to charge. I do not recommend this sitting position for a moving car. Photo to the right by Dan waltin. Please admire the camera setup.

Some of these things I prepared for both this trip and an upcoming train journey, especially the weave and the braid. But I did weave for a bit in the parked car while we were waiting for it to charge. So for the train ride I will bring two small project bags – one with the band weave and the braid and the other one with the two silk spinning projects. I will have plenty to do!

Here is a video I shot a few years ago when we took the train to Austria, featuring lots of travel projects.

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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

Stitches and garden beds

I get out in the fresh morning air to dig my hands into the soil at our community garden allotment. In the evening I sit down with an embroidery. It occurs to me that these seemingly different creative outlets do have a common ground. Today I will guide you through stitches and garden beds.

Come what May

May is a hectic time in the garden beds – the window sill is filled to the brim with pregerminated plants looking towards the garden with longing in their buds, waiting to come out. To make room for them in the pallet collar greenhouses just outside the front door I need to find a spot in the garden beds for the plants already in the greenhouses. The plants need to go in the right quarter of the crop rotation and with the proper companion plants. It’s a giant puzzle with aesthetics, context and function to consider.

Baby kale plants accompanied by tiny Cosmos. Slugs have already started to nibble at the leaves. Imagine floral abundance and bombast in a month or two!

I plant, take a few steps back to imagine colours, height, shapes and space a couple of months from now, coming in closer to add another plant. Back and forth, trying to imagine all the parameters, worrying about plants that haven’t germinated yet or the absence of rain. Taking into account trees and shadows, garden paths and soil depth.

Flowers fit for a queen

I remove the lace curtain from atop the kale patch
and look at the plants I have just snuggled down in the soil.
The pointy and dark black kale leaves with almost burgundy undersides,
the light green rounded brussel sprout leaves with a matte finish.
All plants only three apples high at the moment,
but in a month or two considerably taller.

I imagine the bubbly black kale,
tall and mighty, looking out over the garden like a queen at her subjects.
Yes, she is the queen of all the lands.
I close my eyes and see the brussel sprouts holding on to the stem,
tightly, tightly,
top leaves sprouting out above like tufts of hair.

Flowers! The kale needs flowers, something fit for a queen.
Marigolds, certainly, brightly orange in the sun.
A nasturtium or two, winding their way between the stems.
And cosmos, sweet cosmos with their pink flowers
almost floating on top of the dill-like greenery,
moving softly, majestically in the breeze.
Fit for a queen indeed.

I open my eyes and tuck the plants back in under the lace curtain,
heart singing of gardening joy.

Afternoon bliss

At noon the sun becomes too strong. I wave the allotment goodbye and go inside. I tell myself it’s enough for today, but I still get back a few hours later when the garden is cooler, looking against my better judgement to see if any plants have grown or germinated while I have been gone. They usually haven’t.

I stay for a while, enjoying the stillness of the afternoon. Having my hands in the soil is a joy. I feel the earth in my hands, see the busy workers in the soil and smile at the sweet sprouts as I imagine them all grown up and ready to harvest in August.

Evening stitches

In the evening I work on a påsöm embroidery. I have the main shapes all finished and need to embellish with greenery, small flowers and extra sparkle, fill out the empty spaces and find harmony in colour, shape and distribution. I stitch for a while, put the project down, take a few steps back to imagine the finished result.

Stitch by stitch, petal by petal I grow my flower bed with yarn.

Just as I am ready to walk away I see something in the corner of my eye, a shape for an empty patch. I can’t help myself, draw the shape onto the fabric and start stitching again. Just one more leaf.

Plentifully green 

Flowers all set, in pinks, whites, ruby and deep purple.
now to add greens.
I want overwhelm, abundance,
stitches so plentiful there is no room for a single more.
Stitch by stitch I fill in the blanks,
add leaves to every naked stem,
sneak in a daisy or two.

I stitch to the very last piece of the wool.
I back away to see the entirety,
come back close to add another leaf.
Details and whole in a sweet dance,
choreographed by colour, texture and shape.
With needle in hand
I grow a flower bed with yarn.

Parallel creative processes

Creating an embroidery is not that different from creating a vegetable garden. As I work with these two processes at the same time, imagining a result I can’t really predict, I realize they are in some way part of the same process; of wholeness and details, context and creativity. I have gone through these processes before, just not at the same time.

It still needs lots of greenery, but it’s getting there!

I can feel the neural pathways from the two processes come closer to each other and suddenly wave; ”Hi! Fancy meeting you here, let’s flow together!”. And they do, side by side, diverging and converging, all at their own pleasure. The power of plants and stitches suddenly walk together in a new pathway, discovering new perspectives and aesthetic connections between beds and embroideries, plants and stitches, together.

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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

Postcards

Earlier this week I shot, edited, transcibed and captioned what I call a video postcard – a simple and straightforward video greeting from me where I talk about a project I am working on. I create the postcards for my patrons.

If you want to get my video postcards you are welcome to become a patron on patreon.com.

I made my first video postcard a couple of years ago when I was on holiday in Abisko with my family. I talked about the area and the vast landscape in the northernmost part of Sweden and the middle of Sápmi.

A compelling format

That first video postcard was just a spontaneous greeting. I did enjoy the format and decided I would do it as a regular thing, just saying hello to my patrons once a month. It gives me a more personal connection to a smaller group of readers than I can provide in my public videos.

In the March 2022 patron postcard I start weaving a rya Beach pad for my husband’s 50th birthday (video screen shot).

Since then I have made several video postcards, some from vacations, some from home and some from the weaving room. I have talked about spinning bulky yarns, weaving a rya rug, spinning a lopi style yarn, teaching at Sätergläntan, picking a fleece, spinning silk and lots more.

Patron perk

I create my video postcards as a perk for my patrons. They have chosen to support me financially because they enjoy what I do. By the monthly fee they support me with, they play an important role in helping me keep my free stuff free for those who can’t pay. This way a large part of what I publish is free and accessible for a larger audience; this blog, my youtube videos, webinars and a lot of the courses, challenges and lectures in my online spinning school.

Cutting down the rya warp in the Weaving room in the June 2022 patron postcard (video screen shot).

Relaxed

The video postcards are always very simple and unpretentious. To keep them as simple as possible I don’t use a script and I usually shoot the video in one take and with a minimum of editing. I allow these videos to be as natural and low tech as possible. I want to enjoy making them and not see them as a burden. It’s very liberating to make these videos totally unscripted for a group of people that is as nerdy as I am, very differently from how I would approach a public youtube video.

In the August 2022 patron postcard I am in Austria, pointing out Schafberg/Sheep Mountain (video screen shot).

Sneak peeks and deep dives

Sometimes I make the postcards as a sneak peek into something I blog about later, sometimes I dive deeper into something I write about. Other times it’s just a simple greeting from a place I am visiting. Every postcard is a sincere thank you for the support I get from my patrons.

An improvised camera setup for a weaving moment for the October 2022 patron postcard. Photo by Dan Waltin.

Fresh from the editing room

The video postcard I made this week was about a project I have been working on for several years now and that is almost finished. Two shots in different angles, a bit of editing, transcribing the narration (this takes time, though) and captioning.

In the May 2023 patron postcard I show some påsöm embroidery on my two-end knitted sleeves.

Just to give you a glimpse of what a video postcard can look like, I will share one of them with you. This one is from July 2022 at Sätergläntan where I talk about my course A spindle a day. Enjoy!

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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

If wool could talk

Do you ever wonder what the wool would say if it could talk? How would it then describe its characteristics? How would it sell itself in an ad, like a pice of fine chocolate?

Featured image: Staples from a black rya lamb’s fleece and a white Klövsjö ewe’s fleece.

There are many systems of describing wool, most of which have their foundation in quantitative parameters. Length, micron count, wool type and distribution of fiber types. More or less of shine, strength or crimp. While these parameters can describe part of the characteristics, I sometimes feel something is missing; a qualitative aspect. Today I play with the thought of the wool describing itself to me.

Glimmering Gotland

Look at me with all my fancy curls,
twirling about in concentric waves.
See my silvery shine,
how it lights up the room
when the sun casts its rays upon me.
You have never seen grey like this,
I can promise you that.
I will make the prettiest tailspun yarn you have ever seen.
Did I mention my neck curls?
Sweeter than raspberry pie
with their perfectly spiraled soft locks.
Don't they remind you of
sipping elderberry lemonade
in the shadow of a birch tree?

The raving rya lamb

Rya lamb with the adorable lamb’s lock in the tip end.
I am the raving rya lamb.
See my long and glimmering fibers,
shining their way forward
like a gushing river in the morning light.
With equal measures
of undercoat and outercoat
I am soft and strong.
In any way you combine me
I will give you what you want –
the durable warp,
the shiny rug,
the warm sweater and the soft shawl.
The sweet curl of my tip end,
the one I was born with,
will catch your eye and make you mine.

Generous gute

Soft undercoat, strong outercoat and quirky kemp in a Gute lamb’s fleece.
We are strong!
Undercoat, outercoat and kemp.
Together we stand by this staple,
making it sturdy, yet light,
strong, yet gentle.
We may look rough,
but underneath we are mostly air
hiding between the fibers,
keeping you light and warm.
Our kemp may look quirky and rough,
and it is.
But wait until you see what happens
in the pockets of air
we leave behind
as the kemp falls out of the yarn.
The captured air
turns to softness and warmth,
protecting you from the elements.
When fulled
we stand even stronger,
keeping you safe
on the harshest of winter days.

Feather-light finull

A white fleece with fine, crimpy staples.
Nypon (Rose hip), a silver medal winning finull fleece.
Little crimp, little crimp,
feel my gentle bounce,
see my subtle shine,
watch it reflect
the early spring light
like velvet.
I will be your softest friend
right next to your skin.

Sail away with mother rya

Shiny and white wool in a wood basket.
Strong and shiny rya wool
I need no curls,
I need no loft.
I am long and strong
and will keep
this boat
afloat
as the wind fills the sails
you weave from my fibers.

Versatile Värmland

Pälsull, rya, vadmal and finull type wool frame one Värmland fleece.
Staple types from one single fleece of Värmland sheep
I will give you all the staple types.
The long and strong
with lofty feet like ballerina skirts,
make mittens for everyone!
The fine and crimpy,
sweet like an evening breeze on your cheek.
A lacy shawl for you.
Steady, strong outercoat only,
sturdy socks perhaps?
Softy, lofty, thin tails of strength
for fulling and filling
the gaps
in mitts
In midwinter wind.

Dalapäls creamy dream

Dalapäls locks drying by the fire.
I am your dalapäls
creamy dreamy
billowing curls.
I shine on you
Like no other curls.
I give you the loftiest of loft
and the most gentle touch.
Don’t think I won’t provide strength
because I will.
My wool is what you never thought
to even wish for.

Oh, Åsen

I come in grey
I come in white
I come in all the shapes
Of your woolly dreams.
I dress you
inside and out,
I give you warmth,
and strength,
and carpets to walk on.
Lean on me
as I comfort
your soul.

What do you think your fleece would tell you about itself?

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 miss anything!
  • 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.
  • Follow me on Instagram.  I announce new blog posts, share images from behind the scenes and post lots of woolliness.
  • Read the 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

New readers

Two weeks ago I published a reel on Instagram and for some reason it went viral. As I write this it has over 2 million views and nearly 90000 likes. It has also resulted in nearly 18000 new followers on Instagram. Some of you new readers may have found your way here to the blog and I thought I’d introduce myself to you.

First of all: Don’t forget to enroll in tonight’s live talk with me and Christiane Seufferlein!

Enroll here (replay)

While I’m happy my work has been so well received I’m also quite overwhelmed by the attention. I have the ambition to reply to every comment on Instagram, but the feed has gone through so fast and it has been impossible for me to keep up with the pace. Just know that I want to read all your comments, but it’s a bit hectic at the moment.

About me

So, I’m Josefin Waltin, a Swedish spinner, spinning teacher, course creator, blogger and youtuber. I have been spinning for the past 12 years.

Knitter

I have been a knitter since I learned to knit in school at the age of 10. I knit my first sweater at 12, in lilac mohair yarn, aboat neck and penguin sleeves. The sweater of my dreams back in 1985.

Josefin, agen 12, in my aunt’s summer house garden in Austria, knitting my very first sweater. Isn’t this the loveliest time document?

Spinner

12 years ago I talked about wool with a knitting friend, Anna. I was shocked when she told me she had heard that around 97 per cent of Swedish wool was burnt, dumped or otherwise wasted. Many sheep owners didn’t know what to do with the fleece. At the same time we imported tons and tons of New Zealand merino. Then and there Anna and I decided to learn how to spin, to be able to take care of a fraction of the wool that would otherwise be wasted.

The wool from Pia-Lotta the Swedish finull sheep was my very first fleece.

On our first spinning lesson we got a box of newly shorn wool in our laps, from sheep that were grazing outside the door of the barn we were sitting in. We got a suspended spindle in one hand and a pair of hand cards in the other. Little by little I learned how to prepare my wool from the shorn fleece.

I always work with hand tools to prepare my wool.

This is the foundation of how I spin and teach spinning today. I don’t buy yarn, I spin it. I don’t buy commercially prepared fiber, I prepare it myself. To feel the connection to the fleece that once grew on a sheep I want to have my hands in every part of the process. This way I get to know the wool. I allow it to tell me how it wants to be spun.

Youtuber

When I started spinning I was quite fascinated by the whole process from raw fleece to yarn and garment, and I still am. To document the process I made a YouTube video that spread far and wide. I called it Slow fashion – from sheep to sweater. I really loved showing my craft and the beauty of making in a video format. Since then I have made 70+ YouTube videos. They are mainly in a documentary style, focusing on the beauty of spinning rather than teaching the craft.

Slow fashion – from sheep to sweater.

All my videos are shot outdoors in nature. I want the setting to be peaceful and inspiring and I think the setting in nature helps express that.

Blogger

That first video made me want to express my craft in other media too, so I started this blog back in 2018. In the beginning it was somewhat disorganized, but after a couple of years I found my rhythm and way to express myself. Now I write every week, mainly about spinning and preparing wool for spinning. Sometimes in a more tutorial way, sometimes documentary. When I feel like it I write in a poetic style to honour the craft that is so deeply rooted in my heart.

There are over 300 posts in this blog. Browse around or use the search function if you are looking for something special. I’m sure you will find a post or content you like. If not, you are always welcome to suggest new topics.

Make sure to subscribe to the blog if you don’t want to miss anything. You can also check out my official Facebook page, I link to my blog posts there too. My private Facebook page will remain private though.

Webinars

Every now and then I host live breed study webinars. This is when I talk about the fleece from a Swedish or Scandinavian sheep breed from a spinner’s perspective. I walk the participants through the breed, the wool characteristics and show how I prepare, spin and use the yarn from the breed. It is a lovely time for me to spend some time with my readers and I keep these occasions close to my heart. I have done around ten so far, all of them paired with a blog post. about the breed, and hopefully I will be able to arrange another one before the summer.

Spinning teacher

In 2016 my family and I decided to stop flying. We took the train to Austria where I have family, a trip of around 25 hours and 6 changes. To have something to do on the train I learned how to spin on a supported spindle. I really fell in love with the technique and the mindful, rhythmic process. I made a couple of tutorial-style videos about spinning on a supported spindle.

One day a friend asked me to teach a class in the technique. And so I did. And I did it again. Ever since then I have loved teaching spinning. When I teach I grow as a person, as a spinner and as a spinning teacher. I strive to guide every student into becoming confident in their spinning. When the course is over I want them to leave with something more than just new skills, I want them to feel the spinning in their hearts.

I love teaching spinning and watching the students grow.

I teach mainly spindle spinning techniques and the process from raw fleece to finished yarn. One of my favourite courses is the five-day course A spindle a day, where the students learn four different spindle techniques in five days at Sätergläntan craft education center. There are still one or two seats left for this summer’s course!

Course creator

I also have an online spinning school You can find lots of both free and paid courses here. For the past three years I have published a five-day challenge just after the new year. I also offer courses in supported spindle spinning, in how to get to know your fleece, short lectures and much more.

Knitting designs

I won’t go so far as to call myself a knitting designer, but I have designed some knitting patterns. All of them are created for handspun yarn: The Heartwarming mitts, Selma Margau Sweater and Cecilia’s Bosom friend. You can find them in Spin-Off magazine.

Co-author

A few years ago I was contacted by Sara Wolf, an American who was writing a book at the time. She asked me if I wanted to contribute to it. We started a collaboration that ended in her putting me as a co-author of her book Knit (spin) Sweden! It is sort of a journey companion for knitters who travel to or just enjoy Sweden. She makes an excellent overview of the history of knitting in Sweden as well as a guide to where to find yarns from Swedish sheep breed. My contribution in the book is an overview of wool from Swedish sheep breeds and how I have experience them as a hand spinner. I have sent my handspun yarns to Sara in the U.S. who has shared her thoughts about the yarns from her knitting perspective.

Knit (Spin) Sweden!

Patreon

A lot of what I do and share is for free – blog posts, YouTube videos, webinars and some of the courses in my online spinning school. If you enjoy what I do, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon. That way I can keep offering things for free for those who can’t afford my paid courses. If you become a patron you will get access to patron-only goodies like previews of videos, course discounts and a monthly video postcard.

One of my favourite spinning tools is the supported spindle. This one by Björn Peck.

Once again: Welcome all new readers

and happy spinning!

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Raffle results

Last week I presented a spindle case raffle. The winner would get an embroidered spindle case made by me and the ticket money would go the Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, the CTTC, in Peru. Today we have the raffle results!

79 people entered the raffle, which would mean that you raised 395 USD. But 11 of you decided to donate more than the 5 USD ticket fee, so the total sum you raised is 443 USD! That is amazing and I can’t thank you enough. I emailed with Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, founder of the organization and she asked me to thank you all for your generous donations.

The spindle case was the perfect container for the raffle tickets.

Now, for the winner in the raffle: My daughter helped me draw the winning name. The winner is

Susan P.

Congratulations Susan! I have contacted Susan but she hasn’t replied yet. Please get back to me so I can send you your prize!

The spinning community is built by such generous and kind souls and I am so happy to be part of it. You all help me become a better spinner. So once again, thank you for your generosity.

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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Spindle case raffle

My 50th birthday is coming up at the end of next month. Just like Pippi Longstocking gives gifts to her best friends I have decided to give a gift to one of you in this spindle case raffle. In return, you will give a gift to someone else.

In last week’s blog post I wrote a poem about an embroidery. Some of you might have guessed that a giveaway of some sort was coming up, and you were right. The richly embroidered spindle case is the prize in a raffle. There is only the one spindle case and only one happy winner.

Påsöm embroidery on needle punch felt and a hand woven band from my handspun yarn.

How to take part in the spindle case raffle

The raffle is over and the winner will be announced in an upcoming post.

Deadline for entering is March 16th at 4 pm CET (World clock here).

I will donate all the ticket payments to the Centro de textiles tradicionales del Cusco, the CTTC in Peru when the raffle is over. The CTTC is 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. You are more than welcome to donate more than the ticket cost to support their causes, but you will still only get one ticket to the raffle. If you win you may need to pay an import tax or something similar.

Påsöm extravaganza for a sweet spindle case.

The spindle case

A few years ago I designed a spindle case that I now make (without the embroidery) and sell to students on my in-person courses . I do not sell these online. I did have a giveaway of three cases back in 2019, where the lucky winners lived in Sweden, Canada ant the U.S. This time I have only one spindle case, but it’s a pretty one.

Påsöm embroidery looks very good on a spindle case, don’t you think? The lining is a vintage 1950’s linen fabric by designer Viola Gråsten (shown underneath the spindle case to the right).

Here are the details:

  • The design of the spindle case is my own.
  • You can put one or two spindles in the case, perhaps some wool. In the bottom of the case is a loose circular piece of needle punch felt. You can remove this, put a spinning bowl (for supported spindle spinning) in the bottom and place the circular piece on top of it to protect spindle tip and bowl from scratches.
  • The needle punch felt comes from Ullkontoret and is made of Swedish wool.
  • The seams to assemble the spindle case are hand sewn by me with my handspun yarn from outercoat Rya wool.
  • The lining is a 1950’s vintage hand printed linen fabric by Swedish/Finnish designer Viola Gråsten.
  • The button comes from a cardigan that one of my Austrian grandmothers knit for me back in the -70’s.
  • The button loop is my handspun yarn from a skein I won a silver medal for in the Swedish spinning championships back in 2017.
  • I have woven the strap and lid band on a backstrap loom with an Andean style pick-up technique. I have spun the band yarn from hand teased Norwegian NKS wool on a Peruvian Pushka spindle and dyed it.
  • I bought the påsöm embroidery yarn at Flodaros.
  • I planned and embroidered the spindle case, the lid and the lid brim, stitch by stitch.
A sweet dahlia at the base of the spindle case.

Please enter to support the CTTC in Peru and good luck in the spindle case raffle! Hopefully I will be able to announce the winner in next week’s blog post.

Happy spinning!

You can find me in several social media:

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  • 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.