Spinning my own Yarn

 

After spinning and plying I got my result! Still have a lot to learn but i'm proud of how this came out!

I am enjoying my new spinning adventure! 5 hours after being gifted my spinning wheel I figured out how to spin and began to ply!

 My sweet husband (with the help of my daddy) made me a blending hackle under $20, that would have cost me $200 if bought commercially! 

 I hope to soon learn to wash and card my own fleece and dye my own colors (natural dyes i'm more interested in) and blend them into lovely batts! 

I love this wheel!

My first time spinning!

The best kind of view! Beautiful Christmas tree, a gorgeous fire and spinning wheel!

I didn't want to purchase a niddy noddy right away so I used my dining room chair instead!

my husband's homemade blending  hackle he made me!

Blending different colors!

The result of blending different color roving!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

We had a joyous Christmas!

Christmas and New Years was an amazing blessing! First, we got to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in our new home state of Tennessee, and we also had the blessing to have my parents drive all the way here for 2 weeks!!!

My parents on the Appalachian Trail on Smoky Mountain at the Tennessee / North Carolina state line!

 We missed them SO MUCH! Though we saw them last a month ago, but being one day away from them has been hard on Dustin and I, and sometimes it was harder on Dustin because he became very close to them since moving to California from Hawaii.

My husband doing what he does best... being goofy! He can always make my mom laugh, she loves him so much! He's an amazing son to her.

 But I think the one person they missed the most was not Dustin or I... but Sadie. My goodness how much they missed her! Right when Sadie heard their voices, i've never seen her go that crazy!!!!  We had to hurry and let her out of her crate or else she would bend it (she's quite strong), she made a beeline for them and was so excited she was running in circles and between their legs and licking their hands and faces, she was practically crying for joy! She's obviously their baby. I've been over ruled now as the baby in their lives. HaHa! 

My parents "grand dogger", Sadie! She has them wrapped around her paw. She was ecstatic to see them, she missed them so much!

My parents are our best friends, we look up to them so much, their wisdom and giving hearts and selflessness is inspiring and I can't help but beam with pride that I was raised by them and I hope I have made them proud of the daughter they raised!

In our living room playing Apples to Apples, watching reruns of the Office and having amazing family time! When us four are together, it's always fun. Haha!

 Dustin and I talked in our first year of marriage about Christmas. We decided that we won't be giving out gifts unless it's from the heart. We don't believe in going into debt over gifts that really doesn't come out of love but obligation. We have not only enjoyed Christmas more this way but have sometimes pitied those who felt obligated to give or else they will offend! So sad!

 But anyways, my parents have known since September how I desire to own a spinning wheel and make my own yarn! I want to process, dye and spin my own art yarn and have a small home business to sell my designs, for months i've researched and did my homework and already knew the wheel I desired! 

 Christmas morning I woke up and did my morning routine, and as I walked out to the living room, I stopped in my tracks and completely flipped for the amazing gift I saw underneath our tree...
 There was my dream wheel... an Ashford Kiwi 2!

 I felt my heart fluttering, and my mouth slowly opened and I didn't know if I would scream, cry, laugh, or speak in tongues! HaHa! I was so excited and in an overwhelming shock, nothing dramatic came out of my mouth but a whisper, "Is this for real?", to my mama smiling ear to ear and saying, "Merry Christmas!"...

 This was absolutely the best Christmas ever! I was spending it in my dream home, with my dream man, with my dream dog, my dream state, my dream city, and my amazing parents to gift me my dream spinning wheel!!! To God be the Glory!!!

My Ashford Kiwi 2 Spinning Wheel!

 My parents didn't have the instructions for the wheel (as the ladies at the place they purchased it from, were in on the surprise and they had to sneak the wheel from its resting place to their vehicle without me knowing, and they didn't have time to get into a box, they had to get it off display quickly before I found out anything... They have a sweet little shop in Gatlinburg, TN. www.smokymountainspinnery.com), but that didn't stop me!

 Months of watching videos on spinning and blogs and articles, I kind of had an idea... after almost 5 hours of investigating the wheel and refreshing my memory with youtube videos, I began to spin my first yarn from a merino top and hand dyed wool. The next day I finished the spinning and began to ply with another yarn that I spun on my drop spindle some weeks ago!





 There is so much more I need to learn and practice hands on, but i'm excited for it!!!

 For New Years us four went to fellowship with other believers and enjoyed fireworks and a bonfire and yummy food, and rang int the new year with the most amazing worship and prophetic prayer! Oh, how grateful I am to know them and call them my friends and family!!!! 

Amazing Worship!

 I am ready... SO READY for 2015! This year has been full of growth and learning new things, I am now ready to apply certain things in this new year and see what other surprises will come our way, no matter what in all things we give thanks to the Almighty for giving us the blessing of living a new year in Him and whatever comes our way and whatever things we will be experiencing... To God be the Glory!!!!!

My Beloved making the fire!

These 3 are the best family in my life!

Mom and Dad always make the best turkey meals!

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