Comments on: Whew.

By: nida

nida — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:52:14 +0000

hi!
i was wondering if its at all possible to spink human hair?
i have a lot of hair collected that i want to use for an art porject. just wonering if its possible, to spin, knit, and crochet with human hair

By: Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:09:57 +0000

Total SOAR envy. I have hopes of attending next year, since it will be in Bend, which is a lower altitude than Tahoe… that’s kept me from even trying in the past. I cannot even THINK of flying east.

As it was, I wouldn’t have made SOAR this year, if I’d not been wait-listed. My father died unexpectedly,in the midst of it happening, and I’d just had surgery two days earlier, and was NOT released to fly or drive anywhere. So if I HAD been there, I’d have had to leave and head for South Carolina.

BUT… the GREAT news is that I was able to go to Coupeville on Whidbey Island (next island over from me), and spend two days with NILDA and Floria… had the lecture in the morning, followed by knit workshop in the afternoon on the first day; second day was ALL BACKSTRAP WEAVING, all the time, and I want MORE. Nilda is a great teacher, fabulous person, and I couldn’t believe that I was actually getting to meet her, be with her, and learn from her, after all this time of having you talk about her! I am SO wanting to spend more time with her, two days were definitely not enough. I could easily see spending months or maybe years with her and the spinners and weavers there in Peru. WOW, what a blessing.

I never would have known about this and undoubtedly would have missed it all, if not for you, so THANK YOU, Abby, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing about the whole Peru/Nilda experience with the rest of us. I want MORE. Gonna keep working on my poor little Jakimas, and hope to have made great advances (for me). I wish with all my heart I could go to Peru… they both asked me if I was coming. With hubby’s cancer right now, I can’t commit to anything, and with my altitude sickness, unless I am cured of that, I can’t possibly go.

Hoping I can go to SOAR next year, and spend time with you, if not be in one of your classes!

By: CAT

CAT — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:58:05 +0000

Abby,
I so thoroughly enjoyed your workshop. You are an excellent, relaxed, caring and knowledgeable mentor and I soaked up everything you taught us like a sponge.
Even though my sample yarn and swatch turned out not to work for my “project”, I learned so much in doing it that not only did I save myself from making a sweater’s worth of yarn that wouldn’t work, but I figured out exactly what will work and made a sample. Here it is http://www.flickr.com/photos/8425339@N04/3000695828/?editreplace=1
Thanks so much! I hope to have the opportunity to take one of your classes again in the future

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:47:57 +0000

Lovely report – and now I really, really want to go to SOAR, which is next to impossible, but… but…

Oh, you inspirational smartass, you!

(thanks!)

By: kristi

kristi — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:19:32 +0000

Wow. I really want to go to SOAR next year, regardless of the distance and lack of justification. Spinning, so far, is avocation rather than vocation, which makes it so damned tempting.

But, speaking of large gatherings of like-minded souls, you coming to TNNA this year? I’m the hometown hostess here in San Diego. Mi sofa es su sofa and all that.

By: Beki

Beki — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:38:08 +0000

Abbey, Thanks for the wisecracks and wisdom. So excited that SOAR will be in Oregon next year and I’ll stand a chance at being able to go. Would love to take your Spindling for Productivity but anything spindle related would be great. Cheers!

By: Kayten Kraft

Kayten Kraft — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:02:21 +0000

I had so wanted to go to SOAR, but with the waitlist and recent financial issues, I couldn’t attend, even when I was offered the added class, which I would have loved.
My friend Laurie did go, and kindly got me your autograph, as I had hoped to take your classes since I learn so much from your blog and videos. Maybe I’ll get to meet you somewhere sometime soon.
Glad it was terrific.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:47:10 +0000

Your description did the whole thing ultimate justice. Perfect catching of the continuous tenor of experiences, until you fall down asleep from exhaustion in your tracks. It was so good to actually see you in person.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:30:21 +0000

I AM SO JEALOUS!!! I’m having mental pictures of throwing myself on the floor in a full-blown foot-kicking, fist-banging tantrum.
Argh. I got to go to SOAR in 2000, but I swear I didn’t appreciate it like I would now. But I do remember Phreadde–she was sitting on a column support, spindling, with her foot in a cast.

Oh, and to have gotten to mingle with the Peruanos!! Gah!

Off to have another tantrum.

BTW, where will it be next year? Do you know yet? Give us a hint if you do.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:54:18 +0000

Hi Abby:

I totally enjoyed SOAR.

I know what I would love you to teach next year. Backstrap weaving and spinning yarns for backstrap (wheel and/or spindle). To include spinning yarn that would hold up to the backstrap loom and doing some supplemental warp backstrap weaving. I was totally amazed at Aquilina weaving, and want to try it (although on a smaller and less complicated scale.)

Another idea would be spinning pre-industrial age yarn. It would be awesome to try to reproduce yarns typically made by hand. Trying to duplicate those yarns from raw materials similar to what they would have had and sample the typical uses, i.e weaving, knitting, etc. You made the point several times how we try to duplicate commercially available yarns, but that is recent history and not typical of hand spinning over the history of hand spinning. I think many people would like to know what the “old time” standard was. I think we have lost a lot of good historical knowledge and it would be nice to reclaim some.