Transcript for

Episode 94:

Why New Spinners Should Start Using Their Yarn Right Away

Did you start spinning recently? Or have you been spinning for a while and have yet to actually use your handspun in a knitted, crocheted, or woven project? If you're in either one of those categories, this episode is for you, because I'm going to give you three reasons why you should start using your yarn right away. Like, today.

Hello there darling Sheepspotter! Welcome to episode 94 of The Sheepspot Podcast. I'm Sasha, and my job is to help you make more yarns you love.

I've had students who have been spinning for years and have never made anything with their handspun. Really. And I must admit, this always shocks me. And when I ask them why they usually say one of two things. Some of them are just stumped by finding an appropriate pattern. But most of them tell me that they are waiting until their yarn is better, that it isn't "good enough" to use. And that breaks my heart. In another episode later this month I'll help with the pattern-finding piece as well, so if that's you, I've got you. But today I want to talk to the spinners who don't think their yarn is good enough, and give you three reasons why you should start a project with some of your handspun right away. Today, if possible.

Reason #1: I want you to celebrate every single step in your spinner's journey. All of it. Even the lumpy-bumpy accidental art yarn stage so many of us go through at the very beginning. Actually, let me revise that. I especially want you to celebrate those beginning yarns. They are miraculous. They connect you to thousands of years of human history. They deserve to be appreciated.

We have a tendency to equate being hard on ourselves with becoming better at something. More and more research suggests that this is actually not the way we get better at things. The way we get better at something is by doing it, and being really mean to ourselves while doing something is a very efficient way of ensuring that we'll do it less. The way to build a thriving spinning practice is to associate spinning with feeling good. So celebrate your yarn. And the best way to do that is to use it.

Reason #2: Fabric is forgiving. Really. Fabric is forgiving. Many of the things you don't like about your yarn actually won't be that visible when that yarn is made into cloth. When we're spinning, we're examining every inch of yarn as we make it, up close. That's actually not the way we usually see yarn. Actually working with your yarn—making cloth with it—will teach you a ton about what will actually show in the finished object and what you just don't have to worry about. Knowing what to worry about and what not to will transform your spinning experience for the better because it will help you relax. Which will help you make better yarn. You know what they call that? A virtuous cycle (according to Miriam Webster: "a chain of events in which one desirable occurrence leads to another which further promotes the first occurrence and so on resulting in a continuous process of improvement"). Gotta love a virtuous cycle!

Reason #3: You will learn so much! Working with your yarn will tell you so much about the kind of yarn you like to work with, and you can then take that information back to your wheel and use it to inform your spinning choices. If for example, you find that, when knitting with your yarn, you're constantly getting your needle tip in between your plies, that means that you need more ply twist, so next time you'll add more. If you find that while knitting you really are bothered by your yarn's inconsistent diameter, then working on consistency should be a top priority for you when you're at your wheel (I have a couple of episodes on consistency that will help, and which I will link in the show notes). When you have direct experience of what it's like to work with the yarn you are creating, you can start creating the yarns you most love to work with.

Quick recap: Celebrating your yarn will keep you spinning, which will keep you improving. Fabric is more forgiving than you think. And you're depriving yourself of a huge learning opportunity by waiting until your yarn is "good enough." It's good enough now, and using it will help you make it even better.

So, go forth and use your handspun!

As always, there's a post in The Flock, Sheepspot’s free online community for inquisitive hand spinners, where you can comment on and discuss this episode with other listeners. I'll link to the thread in the show notes, which you can find at https://sheepspot.com/podcast/episode94.

That's it for me this time. In the next episode I'll give you three tips for knitting with your handspun. While you're waiting, spin something! You know it will do you good.