Thursday, September 18, 2008

Just Ten Minutes a Day . . .


For spinning, that is. I just found a new Ravelry group where the goal is to spin just ten minutes a day. I think that spinning a little bit each day would bring a small bit of pleasure and relaxation to my life, which has been too tense and stressed-out lately. I've been looking for a larger block of time in which to spin, say an hour or more, and that just isn't possible at the moment.

This reminds me of my former writing life, when I used to look for chunks of 2 hours or more in which to work on my stories - and then finally ended up being much more productive by grabbing 10-30 minutes of time in smaller chunks. Only then was I actually able to get some writing done.

Now as far as spinning is concerned, I have both a drop spindle and an Ashford wheel but haven't really been spinning enough lately. I think I'm held back by one very unsuccessful attempt I made at plying my singles a few weeks ago. That turned out - yuck! But I have been reading more about how to improve my plying, and hopefully have found a few ideas of how to make that better.

For the past several weeks/months, I've been doing long, time-consuming projects, such as the shawl and the vest, that I am craving a chance to work on my spinning again - ah bliss!

Did you know that Knitty now has published KnittySpin online? I've heard that this has actually been out for a while, but somehow I didn't hear of it until I just stumbled onto it a few days ago.

While I enjoy reading about, learning about, and dabbling in my newfound spinning hobby, the important thing is to keep this spinning all about FUN and not pressure myself too soon to produce the type of fancy, beautiful yarm that I envision in my head. Wouldn't that be so gratifying to actually make your own yarn and knit it up? But I need to take it one step at a time . . . one baby step, cause I'm really at the baby spinner stage and enjoying every minute of it.

If you're not into spinning, what activitity could YOU commit to for just 10 minutes a day that would add enjoyment and happiness to your life?

3 comments:

Teri said...

Beautiful spindle! I've also been neglecting my spinning so I should probably pick it up today. Thanks for the inspiration!

Anonymous said...

Miss Chelle you seem to provide some very thought provoking ideas. Thanks! I would like to take 10-20 minutes a day to just knit. Two small children, a full time job, Boy Scouts, swimming lessons, a crazy Mother, an unemployed spouse, laundry, an acreage etc. make for a very full day. In fact, just 10 minutes of undisturbed quiet would be appreciated. Shelly in Omaha

Laura said...

What Teri said, but not so much Shelly. I'm not nearly as busy as she is. :)

10 minutes of bliss? I'd like to write. There's so many stories in the file cabinet of my mind that need writing. Once they're 'out' of there, new ones can be invented.
(Hopefully that makes sense)