Mistress Stash Enhancer

Wait! Did you see that? There over there? What? you saw that coming? You new that she would give in eventually? After so many trips to the 2 LYS that sell wheels, spindles and roving's, after drooling over everyone elses own hand spun yarns, and hand dyed roving's... Don't tell me that you didn't see it coming! What in the world am I talking about in the third person? Sorry, here's the story:

My friend MandaJ has been wanting to spin for a long time. She told me how she wanted to learn. I looked for spindles at MDS&W for us. But they where so expensive and we would still have no idea how to use them. I planned on kidnapping her on her Birthday and taking her to Silverbook Farms in Marchland (about 5 miles outside of Punxsytwany, PA on route 199) With soccer and dance ending and all the other jumbo that was going on, we finally made it out there yesterday. 

My whole opinion of that shop as changed completely as of yesterday. We told the owner just what we where looking for and she showed us to the spindles. She talked about the differences, top/bottom whorl, hook or no hook, and which ones she liked the best. Once we settled on spindles that we felt where the most appealing, she said, ready? "let me show you how to use them, come over here." She proceeded to spin on her own spindle and once we saw how she started the leader and spun a bit, she showed us how. Yes, she gave us a FREE LESSON! I told her how nice it was of her to show us. She responded with "well, you have to know how to use it!" We then went into the fiber room and she showed us the different fibers and had us spin a bit more. I'm still in shock on how cheap our spindles and roving was. I picked a Ashford top whorl ($13!) MandaJ picked up a Schacht (15!!) half the price of all the spindles I saw elsewhere. Her roving, we bought a full pound of Corriedale for $14!!! The owner said, well after all this is a farm store!

How about a picture of what I've spun so far? I'm sorry its so crappy, you can click on the picture to make it bigger

Mike will be home on Friday, I'll be stealing his camera!

Charlotte has grown up to row 61, I'm on the 3rd color change. Right now it just looks like a blob and its just going to get more blob like before she hits puberty and blossoms into a big beautiful shawl that points to my butt. Doesn't this picture look a lot like the last one I showed you of her?

It isn't the same picture I swear! I ripped her out and started over. I finally get it, after row 50 you start over again on row 11! Once you get 8 stitches after the first 2 stitches on the beginning and the end, and on either side of the center stitch, you add another maker and start an extra stitch pattern. I get it! ok, I hope I get it!

Please excuse me, Allysa is napping I can't spin when she is awake. And I want to spin!