I try the 100 Days of Spindle Spinning Challenge: February (Chaos Vlog - FINAL)

Hello friends! Andrea Mowry, @dreareneeknits has recently launched the #100daysofspindlespinningchallenge. A challenge? With spindle spinning? Count me in! I'm a fiber chaos goblin, so in today's rather chaotic vlog we will continue where we left off at the end of January. In today's video you will see if I was able to spin all the days of February... We spin some lovely naturally dyed floofs of the Flemish sheep and belgian Milksheep breed. And this all with drops spindles, clasped spindles and suported spindles! Are you also participating in the spindle spun shenanigans? And as this is the final installment of this series, you will finally know the answer; was I able to spin on my spindles for 100 days straight?
If you want to join in on the chaos, you can join the patreon via: / mijnwolden
You can also find me on Ravelry and Instagram as @MijnWolden
If you enjoy spinning, yarn, knitting, fiber arts or any other traditional craft and fiber shenanigans then this channel is right up your alley. Maybe you could hit that subscribe button?
#spinning #spindlespinning #handspun #dropspindle

[@christinazook593]

I’ve never heard of sprinkling the ashes on top of one’s head! I wouldn’t like that either. At my church, they make a smudgy cross on our foreheads. I still go home and wash it off, before I forget that it’s there and smudge it all over me, or my fiber!

[@MijnWolden]

Ooff yes, don't want that on your fiber

[@amelia13131]

I've been loving these vlogs! I'm excited to see what you make with all those lovely skeins:)

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you 😁

[@lgassin]

Your energy is so contagious....love it! Congrats on 90 days of spinning. I probably only did about 50% of the days, but it definitely helped my supported spinning skills. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, we still haven't started Lent :-O. It starts on a Monday (March 18 this year), and right before it we have a forgiveness service at church. Hope your Lent has been going well :).

[@MijnWolden]

And here was I thinking our calendar only differed about a week... That's more than a month!

[@lgassin]

@@MijnWolden Usually it is about a week! This year, it's just really different.

[@madamesasquatch]

Such a cozy-looking box! Can't wait to see what you knit up

[@Suzco123]

Chaos reigns supreme ! I loved this video 😁 My own month has been hectic and mind boggling and I've had no peace or quiet reflections, no time to spin on my wheel or spindles. Drs visits, vet visits... too many... and more chaos than was appreciated so seeing your struggles and hearing your ponderings made me feel a whole lot more light hearted about my own of late so thank you 💜 This was just what i needed to watch today. I cannot help you with your drop spindles being in the UK but good luck with that and yay more spindles 😅 xxx

[@MijnWolden]

I'm always glad to hear my videos are helpful in some way :)

[@emmakins0515]

I love how organic your skeins are from start to finish. I cannot wait to see what they turn into!

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you ☺️

[@miserybutane298]

my spinning and knitting mojo went out the window past couple of months as, being an Australian, I am dealing with summer heatwaves and its just making my passion for wool somewhat freeze over ironically. So i sewed a bunch of quilting stuff, and started to learn blackwork embroidery. as one does. also, back when I still went to church, it was the ash cross on the forehead.

[@MijnWolden]

Ah yes, blackwork is of course a logic step when wool will not do 😁

[@miserybutane298]

@@MijnWolden it was that or Sashiko. The allure of tudor period european history won out.

[@silverwitch6863]

Our priest does ash cross, and the crucifix and other parts in church get covered up in dark cloth to be revealed again on Easter Sunday.

[@MijnWolden]

I think it's a white cloth here 😁

[@alexvanderpol1]

I hope the new spindle helped with the spinning mojo! 😁

[@MijnWolden]

It did, as you can see 😁

[@meloowho1373]

Where could someone buy a spindle like the one you just got?

[@MijnWolden]

Alex made it with wooden bobbins from the craft store and a dowel that was sharpened on one point

[@aibell77]

Hi, I bought my supported spindles from etsy - but it was an australian shop (malcom fielding) and he is retired now, so that wasn't very helpful... sorry. But if anyone else knows a european supported spindle maker, I would love to know!

[@MijnWolden]

There are many on Etsy all over the world, but since customs already charged me 21€ for a pair of polymer clay earrings from Serbia, I do not wish to know what a spindle from Australia would cost me in customs...

[@yewikajen]

Loved the video! I personally adore my russian-style spindle from "Regenbogenwolle". It's a shop based here in germany and they have many very beautifully made wood spindles of all types.

[@MijnWolden]

Oh, I'll check them out!

[@linr8260]

The return of paparapapa... We have the same tradition for candlemas in france! Complete with some superstitions about flipping. Glad to actually see Alex's spindles in action, too :D

[@MijnWolden]

I don't know any superstitions about flipping the pancakes here... 🤔

[@kywire._]

I love all the pretty little skeins! And I have enjoyed the chaos vlogs of this journey.

[@MijnWolden]

I'll check them out, thank you for the tip 😁

[@AndreaAlexander]

Congrats on finishing the challenge!! 90 days is a crazy amount of spinning. I can't wait to see what you knit up with all of those gorgeous skeins 🥰 I do hope you keep the little pop of neon orange in there 🤗

[@MijnWolden]

I might 😁

[@dawidkuziemka8174]

Hi :) I noticed that you don't make a knot on top of your spindle when spinning, which may be the reason you don't feel comfortable with long draw (You mentioned in one of your videos that it's awkward and you prefer park and draft). If you want, try making 2 cast-on-like knots on the top end of your spindle and then doing long draw :)

[@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761]

I have also made some handmade spindles using a ceramic drawer pulls/handles, pieces of dowels sharped on one end with pencil sharpener, small metal hooks from the hardware store, and a little bit of wood glue. I put a touch of wood stain on the dowels with a cotton ball before I assembled the spindles. They have turned out really nice and are a relatively inexpensive way to get and gift unique spindles that actually work well. Also, I picked up a little brass bowl at a second-hand store for my supported spindles that I use when I am travelling.

[@MijnWolden]

I should check the thriftstore for some extra bowls too

[@resourcedragon]

Other than pushing a pencil through an old wooden cotton reel and making about 18" (max) of rather knobbly yarn several decades ago, I've never used a spindle. I've been thinking that supported spindles sound like the way to go and I think you've convinced me that's the case. Given that they seem difficult to obtain, I may end up with a DIY one. We'll see. I'm still working on my wheel skills. There is something incredibly cute and attractive about mini skeins. Yours look lovely.

[@MijnWolden]

The wooden cotton reel and a dowel is a great place to start for a DIY one :) I one macgyvered one from a pencil and a plastic bottle cap. It works too...

[@rheaskye3056]

Not the first time I've been a third wheel.🤣

[@MijnWolden]

Awh, I'm sorry ❤️

[@rheaskye3056]

I'm not.😂Excellent video as always.

[@leslieambailey]

I love your yarn. I can hardly wait to see what you make with that. Do you think you have a sweater quantity? And I am a Presbyterian (USA) and we have an ashen cross imposed on our foreheads by our pastor in worship. Our service is at 7 PM so I don’t have to go out in public with mine!

[@MijnWolden]

I hope I have enough, but if I don't, more spinning videos for you 😁

[@leslieambailey]

@@MijnWolden I would expect nothing less

[@woolaroundtheworld]

If you can wait until summer i can send a ladakhi phang your way from India

[@MijnWolden]

Oh that would be too Precious...

[@elizabethstreeter2145]

I love how you talk about your husband and include him if only by mention in all your videos ,so many you tubers ignore that fact as though it is not important in their life. We get the cross on our forehead and normally early in the day,it is a way to start conversation if you feel like it. Do you feel as though your spindle spinning improved over the 100 days it looks like it might have

[@MijnWolden]

I'm not sure if I improved, they all look very similar...

[@bubblez3177]

I am also an Eczema sufferer. It's really sucks when I have a flare up! Since eczema is an autoimmune inflammatory response, you can take a 24 hr allergy med (in the States we can get it over the counter) before service, and see if that works for you. Though it's always good to remove the irritant- so I'm all for you-know-the-lesson-so-lets-get-clean method! Also, never thought I would be a third wheel viewer😂 Your affection for each other is so wonderful!

[@MijnWolden]

I never thought of taking an allergy med for that, I might try. I always have some in my medicine cabinet because sometimes my body wants to behave in extreme ways on mosquito bites

[@hawthorngrove3629]

I use my drop spindle in the park and draft method which i think is much like the support spindle method. I add a bit of twist the park the spindle between my knees to draft.

[@MijnWolden]

You could very Well spin in a park and Draft way with support spindles yes, it's more of a long draw/woolen Draft than with support spindles however

[@retrocraftdreams]

I haven't tried spinning yet, but I think the losing mojo thing is one big reason why I do so many crafts. I get tired of one, I just move on to the next, or sometimes I move on before I have a chance to get tired of it. But one reason I haven't got around to trying spinning is the standing up part. I can't afford a wheel atm, and haven't come across a used one in the wild, and watching you do drop spindles made me question whether I could do that because I just can't stand for that long. But now I know about support spindles! That can definitely be my spinning gateway. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for one!

[@MijnWolden]

Support spindles are generally a bit more expensive than drop spindles, but nowhere near a wheel. You could also try to DIY one, like my friend Alex did: it's just a wooden bobbin from whatever craftstore and a wooden dowel that you sharpen to a Point on one side

[@retrocraftdreams]

@@MijnWolden Thanks for the tip!

[@sadiesspincraft6319]

I know exactly how you feel when im filming. i struggle in front of my husband and children and friends xx

[@sadiesspincraft6319]

I also love pancakes too xx

[@MijnWolden]

It's weird, right?

[@sadiesspincraft6319]

@@MijnWolden very xx

[@seanlang3910]

😻 *Promosm*

[@MijnWolden]

Ja gij ook 🙃

[@missmeakat]

The background noise is quite buzzy throughout the video? Not sure if youve got a new microphone or something!

[@MijnWolden]

Not a new one, but I think the settings got messed up, so I had to digitally amplify the sound on some parts, and that causes extra buzzing... (and in a video coming up in a couple of weeks the setting get blown off entirely to the other side of the spectrum and the audio gets very uh... breathy.) Having the control buttons so close to the side of the microphone is a dangerous place!

[@missmeakat]

@@MijnWolden urgh what a hassle! Enjoyed learning about supported spindles, I've not used them before ❤️

[@partyfiesta1557]

Where can I get Alex’s info to purchase one of spindles please?

[@MijnWolden]

I'll notify him of your comment 😁

[@partyfiesta1557]

@@MijnWolden how sweet of you! Thank you so much!

[@livaarstad414]

I would like to know too.

[@alexvanderpol1]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I thought I answered this months ago... But I don't sell spindles, I just made some for a project. I sent them out to Jente and some of her patrons. But they're really not that hard to make! I ordered the bobbins online and got a long dowel rod at the hardware store (6 mm diameter). The only tools I used were a drill to get the holes in the bobbins to the correct size (also 6 mm obviously), a pencil sharpener and some sanding paper to shape the shaft. And to cut them to length I actually just used pruning sheers.

[@partyfiesta1557]

@@alexvanderpol1 no worries that’s actually super sweet of you to take the time and answer with details. I’ll have to give it a try. It could be a nice challenge for TdF : make your own tools! Thanks for all the info. Hugs!

[@alexvanderpol1]

Oh gosh, that orange is really bright compared to the rest. You can see it very clearly in the box in the end 🙈

[@deborahspins2909]

Yay! More spindles!

[@ginaheutink968]

Love the orange fluff

[@jayedwards647]

Hello! I am also doing the challenge. I must admit February was a challenge as I also lost the will to spin. Like you I did persevere but I missed 5 days. Being retired I have a bit more time so I plan to go to the 100 and make up the days I missed. I am not from the UK but I find Etsy a good source for support spindles. Mingo and Asho is my absolute favorite. Thank you for another great video. Take care.😊

[@MijnWolden]

100 days at first sounds doable, but keeping the motivation is hard

[@Laverne732]

We get the smudge cross where I am in the US (but admittedly, it has been several years since I attended an Ash Wednesday service). I am so curious what you will make with your nifty collection of mini skeins! I immediately thought of Sea Glass by Wool & Pine (have the pattern, but have not actually made one yet) but it sounds like you already have one in mind!

[@MijnWolden]

Yes I have a pattern in mind😁

[@genier7829]

i'm a Unitarian, and we don't do Ash Wednesday, but the cross is common locally. I noticed on the news a congressional debate where one Congressman had the ash cross, must have gone early before the session..... I would say Congress has not been acting Christian recently, but apparently some are, at least nominally.

[@MijnWolden]

We often complain that our christian political party seems to forget what the C in their name stands for too...

[@caylarivera2804]

90 days is so much spinning, I would have a hard time doing all that because I would never have time to knit. I really support your decision to start knitting with this yarn so you can have fun and not burn out on spindles!

[@MijnWolden]

Some of the days I missed in february were exactly because I was knitting and didn't feel like putting my needles down 😅

[@buzzy.bee.crafts]

Woohoo! I think it still counts as 90 days of spinning :) so excited to see what you make with it! that blue yarn is stunning

[@MijnWolden]

I'm excited too 😁

[@alyssad.1217]

Your box of mini skeins is so inspiring. I'm gonna have to take up natural dying.

[@MijnWolden]

Be careful, natural dyeing is one heck of a rabbithole :D

[@ShenanigansinMotion]

Ik ben het helemaal eens met in de sofa willen zitten. Ik doe ook niks liever en dan dan breien. Ik spin zelf niet, maar als ik ergens support spindles tegenkom laat ik het zeker weten. Ik zou wel graag zelf wol kleuren, dat lijkt me erg leuk :).

[@MijnWolden]

Wol kleuren is erg leuk! En aangezien je het vaak gewoon een hele tijd moet laten doen, kun je weer in de sofa zitten breien 😂

[@ShenanigansinMotion]

@@MijnWolden bonus! Klinkt echt als iets voor mij :D

[@ginaheutink968]

The yellow is nice too

[@MijnWolden]

They're both really Nice

[@sabimidz]

I only know of a swede called Björn Peck who makes 💸fancy💸 spindles and has a waiting list for orders... But they are sublime 🤌

[@MijnWolden]

I'll check whether it is worth getting on that waiting list :D