Spinning with Delight

On Sunday, Jeff and I took a day trip to Palmer to attend the Alaska State Fair. Both Jeff and I love the fair: the farm animals, fried food, vendors, exhibits, and demonstrations. I am always drawn into the Fiber Arts exhibit, and this year was no different. I was smiling with pleasure as I examined intricate lace crocheted by teenagers, and elaborate color knitting created by seasoned veterans. I didn't enter any items into the fair, but each year decide that next year is my year for a ribbon.

As I was walked the Fiber Arts aisle, I was immediately awed by a row of spinners. There was a line of about six people just spinning away and chatting. I snuck up to one spinner who was allowing a child to touch the roving wool, and I shamelessly asked if I could also "touch the roving." She must have seen my huge smile, and asked me if I knit. I shyly replied that I am just a wee bit obsessed with knitting, and she shared her love of wool with me.

She told me how she bought her spinning wheel used ($120!), and learned to spin so she could weave her family's tartan. She told me wear she gets her wool, and explained that she loved raw wool because of the lovely lanolin that softens her hands as she spins. I was still smiling and listening, when she stood up and said, "Come on over. Sit down. Try it."

I was stunned.

"Really?!"

"Of course." She smiled and waved me in.

I sat down, scared, and she talked me through the motions. I moved the spinning wheel by pumping the pedal with my foot and "pinched and fed" the wool through the machine.

She was unbelievably sweet, and said loudly, "I've never seen anyone pick it up this easy."

I was like...yeah right...

I felt like a five-year-old.

I could have stayed there all afternoon.

I excitedly thanked her, and she said to a neighboring spinner, "Hey, do we have any drop spindles left?"

The other sweet woman, dug into a large sack and pulled out a little cloth bag full of roving and a drop spindle. She showed me how to spin on a drop spindle, and I could not get the Mists of Avalon out of my head.

I was, again, gitty with delight at the little spinning stick. She smiled at me, and handed it to me.

"Here ya go."
"What? You're giving this to me?"
She laughed. "Of course. Have fun."

I was stunned and overwhelmed at the seemingly random niceness of these women. It was like I was sucked into some old world tradition of the necessity to pass on the art of spinning. I'm so excited to get to know the little spindle, and maybe someday graduate to a spinning wheel. I floated out of the fair thinking about my sweet free souvenir, and all its possibilities.

But mostly I just felt like a child who was given a sucker at the bank. AKA-awesome.

Now I just need a little lamb.

 xo
Alli