Saturday, April 12, 2008

Experience Comes with...Experience

I'm now going to go on a mini rant today about an experience that I had related to my spinning. I was at the Western Alpaca Extravaganza and I was doing a spinning demo. I was spinning this colorful alpaca that I've had for the past year or so:


There were people coming by to see what we were doing and I brought a sample of a very different kind of yarn that I've been working on and showed it around. The very experienced spinner to my right say something to the affect of
"Oh, she's a new spinner. That's what someone who's inexperienced spins. I couldn't do that now even if I wanted to."
I explained that it was something quite intended and that it was a lot harder to achieve than it looked and I explained my technique. To which she said
"Oh, that's 'novelty yarn'."
Ya know, I have a lot of patience with people but this really got my goat. I kept my mouth shut. I kept on spinning but then I got home and here I am, venting about something that obviously really bugged me.
What I appreciate about most knitters and spinners is their interest in learning new things, regardless of their skill level.
Not the case with this person, who in other ways was perfectly pleasant, intereacting in a kind and thoughtful way with children who came up to her.
Okay, enough. this is what I was showing her:



I have to loosely card these locks in the right color combinations. Then, as I start spinning, I pull just a certain amount of each color with contrasting noils in to create a tweed color/texture thing going on.

And, on another note, the Alpaca experience was thus:




5 comments:

Bobbie Wallace said...

WTF was her problem? The way I see it is: if you want yarn that looked "machine made", then go to JoAnn's. Part of the joy of spinning is that the yarn produced is unique to the spinner! It's one of a kind, none other in the world just like it, made especially for whatever project is knitted up from it. Pay no attention to her - she's got her own thing going on. Let's just be glad that we are not such closed-minded on our craft!

Anonymous said...

The woman was one of those know-it-all "experts." Unintentionally, she paid you a compliment: "I couldn't do that now if I wanted to."

Yes, but you want to, and you CAN. So fuck 'er.

Oh, "novelty yarn." She demeans what she doesn't know, she's just a sadly typical rude dumbass.

Spinning novelty yarns is a very tactile experience and a tactical challenge, and tact is something of which she knows naught.

But at least you got to log some cute fuzzy butt viewing.

Melissa Barton said...

Clearly, I have my peeps defending me here with some spirit! Thanks.

Dharma said...

OMG how rude! I love the color of those rich brown beasties. Would love to work with that stuff. Cute fuzzy butts indeed!

You spin the way you like, you are an artist!

NJ Rainy said...

I say FOOO on her and may she NEVER be able to spin that way if she wanted to ! HRMPH!!!!! People like that make me want to smack them upside the head ! Your yarn is wonderful Melissa and I'd love to learn how to do that ! My current spinning has been of the spider web variety except for some roving I accidently felted and salvaged by shredding and running thru the carder . YOU GO GIRL !!!! HUGS, Loraine