Horse Trading 101

It all started when I sold some camera equipment to get a spinning wheel. . .

Then, I let my daughter take the little point-and-shoot digital I'd been using to college, 'cause she dropped her camera--again and really did ruin it this time. Then, I decided the old digital SLR camera I had was too clunky and slow for the action shots I like to take (of what? yarn? ) so, I put my old Canon on e-bay thinking I'd use the money to get a more compact zoom-lens digital. BUT, I read some camera reviews that convinced me I'd really hate to give up the control an SLR offers ('cause ya need a LOT of control to photograph yarn). AND, while I was prowling on e-bay, I just happened to find ANOTHER spinning wheel that might be cool to have to use for plying, 'cause it had really big bobbins. And the whole spinning wheel (mailed from the Netherlands) would cost just a little more than the jumbo flyer I'd like to have for plying. PLUS, changing flyers looks like a big pain in the butt, 'cause you have to unscrew stuff. (I don't mind screwing so much, but unscrewing--no thank you). Can you see where I'm headed here?

EXACTLY! When the fiber all settled somehow there is a new Ashford Traditional spinning wheel (and assorted fibers) in the family room, a Pentax K10D camera (and assorted memory cards and stuff) nearby, and a goofy-looking old spinning wheel (now named Ricky Warpington because he is rickety and a little warped) (and even more assorted fibers) in the craft room. Did selling stuff really pay for all the new stuff? Are you kidding? Can you put a price on fun?

Anyway, here's what I've spun so far:
It took a WHOLE pound of fiber to get this 150 feet of plied yarn, but I did it!

The blue-green stuff on Ricky's flyer is plied corriedale. I bought the dyed roving on Etsy, it's called mermaid tail--a lot more green than the picture appears.

Here is my Ashford with a bobbin almost full of colonial top in the spiced cider colorway (do you call dyed roving a colorway?), I got the roving from Meilke (sp?) an on-line store. The Ashford is named Gladys, after my grandmother who never wanted any of us to have her name because kids called her "happy-ass" when she was a kid--you get it glad/happy . . . . Since I was the first grandchild, I'm especially glad and happy that Grandma's name wasn't shared.