Hey From Tucson!

Hey all!

I thought I would introduce myself too. I am Amy and I live in Tucson AZ. My blog is here. I am a crochet designer and a virgin spinner. I am saving all my pennies for a Majacraft Gem. I adore looking at the yummy roving online and imagining what it would look like when it was spun. Since I am a mother of two young children, I wanted to learn to spin to have something special just for me. I learned how to knit about a week ago because I wanted to use my handspun yarn for some of the beautiful patterns I have seen online. I am looking forward to this swap!

hello all

hi folks. i'm meera and my blog is here. i've been spinning for 2 years and my first wheel was a Louet s10 (still my sentimental favorite). i also have a Louet s75 special edition, and an Ashford Joy for all the travelling i haven't done yet (just an excuse to get another wheel). i am probably the only person in the known spinning world who does not like spinning on a Lendrum.

i've been interested in spinning for years because i have a keeshond dog and thought (and read) that spinning her fur would be a good thing to do, to make warm mittens, scarves and hats. finally 2 years ago, i learned to drop spindle at Rhinebeck and the wheel collecting began. as for the dog yarn, alas, i am too late as she is in her last days and now is not the time for me to brush her vigorously to get all that luscious kee-fur.

i'm so happy to have found this swap as i have an abundance of roving, and i dye my own, so it's always a pleasure to share. if you're my swap pal and have color preferences please let me know.

Introducing...

Hi there! Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Lori. I live in ND, spin when I can and knit and read everyday. Right now I'm spinning up some fawn alpaca into what I hope will be a two-ply laceweight yarn. I'm thinking of making the swallowtail shawl in IK with it, maybe, we'll see. At any rate, I've had my wheel for a year now and have been spinning for 2. I have almost as much fiber stash as I have yarn stash, which is quite a lot. Looking forward to this exchange. Spin on!

Thought I would introduce myself...

My name is Cayli and I am an avid spinner. I started out 2 years ago on a spindle and jumped quickly into a wheel. In fact I now have 2 wheels an Ashford Joy and a Majacraft Rose. This swap sounded like so much fun being devoted to spinning. I have always used my spinning for other swaps but getting new stuff to spin is the best. You can check out my blog here.

My Wheels

AmysBabies asked me about my wheels and I figured other people may want to hear about them too. I love both my wheels for very different reasons.

The Minstrel was my first wheel and lives in my Living room. It spins great but isn't very portable and is also not very versatile. But it is Gorgeous! Mine is stained mahogany and looks like an antique. I couldn't imagine many other wheels looking like they belonged in my living room

The Gem comes with me everywhere, It can even go in my carry on when I travel. It is also very versatile and can use almost all of the many flyers, whorls, and other attachments that Majacraft makes. It's not an ugly wheel by any means but it is definitely a modern wheel.

If I was forced to pick between them I'd probably pick the Gem but I'd fight tooth and nail before giving up either of them.

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd join in the introductions here. I've been spinning for about a year and I absolutely love it. When I first got a spindle I knew it would be a quick gateway to a wheel. I now have 2 wheels, Kromski Minstrel and a Majacraft Gem II.

This swap sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I've participated in some knitting swaps but this will be my first spinning one.

Can't wait to go shopping!

I can't wait till this exchange starts. I am co-running the International Scarf Exchange, and that starts at the same time. I love exchanges and am addicted tothem - can you tell? :)

I haven't been spinning for a while, and I am hoping that this exchange is what it takes to inspire me to pull out my wheel again. I love trying out new fibresand I am fibre-crazy. I can't wait to start shopping for my swap partner too!

Sign-Up Deadline Extended

Wow! Christina and I are overwhelmed and overjoyed by the number of participants we have for our humble little swap.

By special request, the deadline to sign-up has been extended to Friday, September 1st, midnight PST. Matches will still be made over the weekend and should be out by the end of Monday (September 4th) at the latest.

Thanks everyone. =)

Hey!

I am so excited to be part of this swap. Can't wait.
I really just wanted to say hi to everyone!

Hello from Canada

Hi everybody! This morning is really chilly, and I think I might curl up with a coffee and spin some. What is on all of your wheels/spindles at the moment? Right now I'm spinning up a 6 pound bag of chocolate romney fleece for a friends sweater I'm designing. Are there any other Canucks out there?

Looking forward to this one

My last swap experience in KSKS was fantastic and I am looking for an opportunity to pay all that great Karma forward for my next partner. Here's a way I just discovered to generate lots of google hits.

My blog has had over 200 hits in the last day or so because I mentioned Patons SWS. Maybe we could have a spinning discussion about the Soy part of Patons SWS? Maybe we could try to figure out just what kind of wool they used in Patons SWS? Maybe we could just type Patons SWS over and over again?

Question about the Patterns

Hi Silvia here (www.fromthesheepsback.com) although I am posting from my blogger account.
I have a question re the pattern. Are we to write one? Or can we send one we may have found on the net or in a Magazine? I have only just mastered the spinning and think I may have a problem writing a pattern!!!!!!!!!!

Clarifications

This is just to clarify some of the questions we've received through email and figured I'd answer them here too, since some of you may also have the same questions.

The intent of the swap is to give your partner the chance to experience something new or different, whether that be a new fiber type, a new spinning technique, or a color outside of what they may normally choose for themselves. If your partner has a preferred fiber, that's perfectly acceptable to send! But by all means, if you'd like to spin up a small amount (outside the 4 oz /2 oz exchange requirement) for your partner to see a mini sample skein to match the wpi of what's in the pattern, that'd be awesome. I could see how that would be useful in developing, or sending an appropriate pattern to your partner.

The pattern need not be a knitting pattern either. If your partner crochets or weaves, patterns for handspun items created in other ways are acceptable as well. There's no firm rule that you must spin and create what your partner sends, but wouldn't it be a fun challenge to do so? (I'm channeling Scout's and Beverly's KSKS swap spirit here) ;)

For those of you that have signed up to be invited to the blog, feel free to post about items related to the swap. For example, you may post about your package ideas, spinning advice/techniques, recommended online/offline spinning vendors, sources for patterns, questions to the hostesses/participants... I think you get the idea. If you'd like to be invited to the blog, just drop us a line and we'll get an invitation to you.

Oh, another quick note. We have a small number of Virgin Spindlers, so go out there Rebels and infect invite a virgin to the swap to make it fun for them too!

Christina and I are so excited to have everyone on-board to share the spinning love!

Contest: Button, button, whose got the button?

They're not as great as I'd like, but they're a start. Please save them to your own server.




We're going to run a contest for those of you creative enough to make some buttons for us. Just submit them to spinroveswap AT yahoo DOT com before August 30th. We'll enter your name into a drawing for a spindle bag in the colors of your choosing. Click here for some of my previous sewing handiwork. Also, we've noticed we've had a little trouble recruiting participants. Go out there and spread the word ladies!

Welcome to the Spinning Roving Swap!

Ever been curious about what's so fascinating about spinning? Been spinning for a while and own several wheels? Have you never tried a drop spindle in your life, but been wanting to?

Christina and I were bitten by the spinning bug and have not been able to put our spindles down since Lambtown. We came up with the idea of a roving swap to share the obsession joy.

Here's the deal:

Sign-ups will start on Wednesday August 16th and end on Wednesday August 30th (midnight PST), with matches to be sent out around September 3rd. The final date for mailing out your package will be October 27th.

The Rules are simple:

1) Have fun! We just want others to experience the joy we've felt in spinning for the first time.

2) There will be two groups you can sign up for. Please choose one:

Rebel Rovers
The package shall contain a minimum of:
-4 oz of roving
-a pattern appropriate for use with handspun yarn

Virgin Spindlers
The package shall contain a minimum of:
-2 oz of roving
-One moderately priced spindle (valued at a minimum of $25 US)
-a pattern appropriate for use with handspun yarn

For both groups:
3) Each participant shall contact their partner a minimum of three times.

-The first time is when you first get your partner.
-The second time is when you've finished putting the package together.
-The third time is when you've sent the package to your partner.

4) We'll put a questionnaire up shortly after sign-ups are over. Please post your answers to the questionnaire on your blog or send them to your pal.

That's it.

We highly encourage you to find out more about your partner, other than what they post on their questionnaire. You may also want to spoil your partner above and beyond the minimum, but we won't make it a rule. In your package, please include a note or card to reveal your identity so your pal can properly thank you.

Please, do not sign up if you think you cannot meet these rules and dates. If life happens (which it does), please email us right away so we can make arrangements so no one gets left out of the fun.

Interested in joining?

Email us at spinroveswap AT yahoo DOT com with the following information:

What is your name and mailing/postal address?

What is the url for your blog (if you have one)?

Would you like to receive an invitation to this blog?

What is your email address?

Are you a Rebel Rover or a Virgin Spindler?

Are you a beginning, intermediate, or experienced spinner?

Are you willing to swap with an international partner?

Are you willing to be an angel, in case someone's partner cannot follow through?