I was really missing my spinning wheel (couldn't fit it in the bus) and a lovely new friend called Anita lent me hers to help restore my sanity. The cool thing about living in a small community is that as soon as you say something out loud, someone hears and responds. Hence I have been given or lent heaps of cool stuff since we have parked up.

I have been spinning for 37 years (on and off) but have never spun carded wool. I was taught to spin straight from the fleece and back in the day, I used to take my wheel to the woolshed when the shearers were there and spin a warm fleece straight off my knee. Nothing finer. But when Anita delivered the spinning wheel to me, she also brought a bag of carded wool. When I started spinning I couldn't believe how much quicker it is to spin! Then another new friend Helen lent me her carder while she is in Oz so I am learning lots of new stuff. I find the secret to carding is to feed it in really slowly with lots of tin showing on the tray (this will make sense when you are doing it) and turn the handle slowly.

I prefer the uncarded yarn, but in the meantime I'm having a great time spinning for the grandchildren.