As you may have already guessed, during my absence over the past month, I've felt that strange pull again - and this time, it's been to the magic of working with soft, fluffy, humble cotton. Though I'm just at the start of this exciting new journey, I already have so much to share!
But first, a disclaimer: I've spun cotton before, so I wasn't a complete beginner at the start of this recent escapade. A year or so ago, I worked on spinning cotton on my beloved Kromski Sonata as an experiment in busting out of a spinning rut, and managed to spin some very pretty (if a bit lumpy) skeins of organic color-grown cotton yarn. But as a "process" creator, I was troubled by how unpleasant I found the act of spinning cotton. I didn't feel in sync with my wheel, despite multiple adjustments, and the thread broke frequently because the take-up was just a little too strong, no matter what I tried. Spinning is usually a time when I can breathe deeply and slowly, letting my body relax as my hands draft out the fibers with little effort. Spinning cotton on a wheel didn't feel that way to me, and as a result, I packed up what was left of my cotton fiber and moved on projects that filled me with joy instead of anxiety.
Then, I discovered a YouTube video featuring cotton spinner extraordinaire, Joan Ruane. I sat transfixed as she created a strong, even cotton thread with a tiny supported spindle called a takli. The process looked elegant, graceful, and nearly effortless - and I wanted to learn how to do it with my whole heart.
The day after watching the video, I placed an order from The Woolery for a Learn to Spin Cotton kit, Joan Ruane's Cotton Spinning on the Takli DVD, a ceramic spinning bowl, and a bag of organic cotton sliver. When the package arrived, I brewed a pot of herbal tea, arranged all my new tools around me, and gave myself the evening to watch the DVD and practice along until my hands got used to this new way of spinning. Friends, I won't lie to you: at first, the movements were incredibly awkward and my thread kept breaking over and over again, but after an hour or so of slow, careful practice, it started to feel more natural. Following Joan's advice in the DVD, I committed to practicing spinning on my takli for 10 minutes a day, though I often lost track of the time and went a bit longer. My movements became more sure and less hesitant. My thread evened out and looked beautiful. And, most wonderfully to me, I started to relax my body and truly enjoy the process. In short, I was hooked! Here's a picture of some of the cotton I've been spinning lately.
Since learning, I've been spinning cotton almost daily, with a full heart and no real plans for the finished yarn. My little cotton fiber stash is slowly, yet steadily, shrinking. I've acquired a bag of ginned cotton and a pair of cotton hand cards for making my own punis in the near future. And perhaps most incredibly, I stumbled on a once-in-a-lifetime deal, for this...
... a vintage Bosworth book charkha. It spins just as beautifully as it looks, and I can't wait to tell you all about it in a future post, which will be devoted to this wonderful tool. Like the takli, learning to spin on the charka has been a bit of challenge, but I'm thrilled with the thread I've been spinning and I can't wait to share more with you!
Have you experienced being pulled by your muse? Do you love working with cotton? I'd love to read all about your own creative adventures in the comments. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
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