Snow!

After the thunderstorms we had this past week, this afternoon it started snowing!

What a weird winter!

In spinning news, I bought a drop spindle. :-)  I love that the Chinese coin replica has a dragon and phoenix on one side:

And I actually had pretty good luck spinning the bit o'fluff that came with it:

Though one drawback is that the 'coin' is rather... 'flimsy'.  I think I bent it the first time I dropped it, as I hadn't noticed that it wasn't flat before then. :-/  Still spins like a champ though, and I've even learned to do the thigh roll (I had to - the shaft is so slick I couldn't hardly flick it!).

This is a very lightweight spindle and spins very fast, and I was thinking of spinning this lovely batt from Blushingewe

Turquoise Dream  merino wool, bamboo, alpaca, soysilk

 as laceweight - this spindle would be perfect for this if I can take spinning 3.5 ounces on a drop spindle.  Though I'm in no rush, so I should be able to do it if I pace myself.

This also came in the mail:

Northern Lights alpaca/silk

I kind of went on a shopping spree last week.  Anyway, it's sooo sooooft, and from a new to me vendor, KnittyandColor.  I'm going to need to do some experimenting with this, as I don't want to the separate colors to get muddied. 

I've also done a bit more on the great wheel:

What a fun spin!

Today I was out in the woodshop for a brief time, and fiddled with turning a spinning 'puck' out of a leftover piece from turning. 

I twirled one of my Baataras in it, and it seemed to like it. :-)  I definitely need practice in turning these though.  I think I'll work on my Baatara project tonight and give the puck a good test-drive.  Next up on the lathe are experiments: a wool finger for my great wheel as I'm curious about them, and a wrist distaff, as I'm going to need some kind of wrist distaff if I end up spinning that lovely turquoise fiber on a spindle and I'm curious how the wooden distaves work.
 


And for my sister: