I Love Silk!

We had our monthly program at our Guild meeting on spinning silk. I was happy to finally get to see this because I LOVE silk. I began my love affair with silk when my daughter and I took a Japanese embroidery class--you stitch with silk on silk. After handling the silk fiber threads, seeing how it reflects in the light and adds depth to the motifs, it is very hard to go back to using cotton threads to embroider! So the silk program this month was of particular interest.

Ms. B gave the presentation and walked us through how the silk is obtained and formed into bells and hankies. It is always amazing to me how human beings get from point A to point B. It was very cool to watch the layers come apart from the bells...you'd pull apart a bell and think you had one layer and it was actually 3 or 4! It was great watching everyone stretch that one nearly-transparent layer of silk, to see how loooong the fibers would stretch before breaking! Of note, don't "chokehold" the silk!

During the spinning it was interesting to watch the progression of expressions on the faces of my sister spinners and weavers. First, frustration, because the silk is not behaving like other fibers they've worked with before. Second, doubt, as the spinners frequently checked to see if anything was even spinning onto the bobbin. Third, consternation, as the silk being drafted was not smooth and even, or drafting out too thin/thick, not enough twist, etc.. Fourth, ah-ha! (with a HUGE sigh of relief), when a silk layer was completely spun onto a bobbin. I thought there was going to be a break out of spontaneous happy dancing around the spinning circle!

I think some folks are concerned that I'm not learning anything because I'm taking pictures for most of the meeting and program. I am learning, just not in a hands-on fashion--trust me, I'm listening and absorbing and watching. I am going to get my volunteer teacher and I lined up with our schedules so we can get me started. I've decided to have our class in my library, which I think is an appropriate room (west side of the house, facing the pasture where our sheep roam) for optimal passing on and receive of this knowledge that I crave to gain.

In the meantime, as snow falls to the ground, I continue to study books and articles, to pick through washed fleece, to think about renting the drum carder to try out, to practice with the drop spindle, and to feel confident that someday I too will make spinning look as effortless as those who inspire me every month.