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*Knitting is from 2-5pm in my studio and spills over into the house or gazebo as necessary. Any knitter, beginner or not, is welcome to come along regardless of if they are spinners. It is a great place for free help and advice and no fee other than a donation of £3 for tea.

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Long draw technique is the only way to spin on a Great wheel and to make things more difficult, the draw must be made using the left hand as the right hand is needed for turning the wheel. If people could do this in medieval times I can’t see why so many people think it is difficult today (I recently taught 12 members at the W. Essex guild meeting).  This wheel is a replica of the one illustrated in the Luttrel Psalter C1330, which was commissioned by the Luttrel family who owned land near Stamford which is not far from where I live.

I begin to teach long draw by making a thread between two hands. Then we make a thread using a drop spindle  – just turning the spindle by hand  not necessarily spinning and dropping it.

Next I go on to a wheel and control the twist while the pupil draws the thread so they can begin to feel the plasticity as the fibres attenuate between our hands. It is only a matter of achieving the right balance between fibre and twist before one can feel this stretchiness – I call it the ‘chewing gum moment‘  – and  make the long draw – a really satisfying way to spin that makes yarn in timescales to suit out busy lifestyle.

Spin long draw – life’s too short for anything less

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She has had two lessons – the first got off to a bad start: I had agreed to pick per up at Market Harborough Railway station  – she was coming from Leicester which is a 15 minute journey. Unfortunately she got on a train that didn’t stop at Market Harborough and got swept off to Luton – an 45 minute journey. By the time she got back to Harborough it was two hours later and she was not in the best mental state for a spinning lesson. But she had her lesson and I put her back on the train at Harborough carrying her borrowed wheel at 9pm. This picture was taken on her second lesson. Most of my pupils learn in the first two lessons.  She was very pleased with her first spinning – its was brilliant. This first spinning was plyed and then skeined on the Kiwi Skeiner which is much quicker and  easier to use than a giddy noddy. I took this picture in my studioon her second lesson. She was very happy and so was I. It is always a pleasure to teach someone young – I like to think that they will be still long draw spinning and inspiring others long after I’ve gone….what a joy.

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Am really inspired about the Churro fleece and can’t wait to get my hands on it! It comes in glorious colours including a Red Mesa which Carol tells me is a terracotta colour – there is also an Antique Grey, dark and light red Mesa and a dark chocolate brown. The trouble with applying words like ‘chocolate’ to fleece is that it becomes even more desirable and yummy – so I just have to have some….

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