mind of winter: Hemingway & Faulkner

October 20, 2006

Hemingway & Faulkner

I've heard it said that if you want to write, you should read all of Faulkner, and then read all of Hemingway to get the Faulkner out of your system. The styles of these two greats are well-known for being at opposite ends of the writing spectrum, and I enjoy them both. (Though if I had to pick, I'd take Faulkner.) This quote found its way into my head after the long ordeal of spinning the raspberry merino tencel was over. After all that precision, concentration, patience, and striving for evenness and perfection, I wanted to spin something positively organic. (Okay, so this is more like reading Hemingway and washing it down with Faulkner - bear with me.) First, I pulled out my Maggie spindle:

Mystery roving from Spunky Eclectic.This was definitely an experience on the road to satisfying, and it was fun to play with a spindle again, but it was just a little wisp of roving (maybe an ounce?) and I was looking to make a big hank of soft, fluffy, thick and thin yarn, and really have some fun. So I pulled out the Rose, put it on the slowest ratio on the big whorl, and spun up the last few ounces of the chocolate-covered cherries bfl which was my very first roving purchase ever last year and the first thing that I really spun into something approximating yarn. The ChocCherries bfl has brought me good luck. It was also the first roving I spun on my Rose.

Treadling with Townes on board.When you are first spinning, more experienced spinners will look at your lumpy yarn and tell you that at some point you will have to work to achieve thick and thin like that, and that you should appreciate not having to work for it now. (Due to woeful inexperience, no less!) I've taken this to heart and made note of exactly what it was that I've done "wrong" to produce such incredibly large slubs, so that I could later reproduce them at will. If you're just starting, take note - your own foibles put you in a position to learn a lot about making designer yarn. One of my favorite thick and thins from early on was this Tahiti handspun, which reminds me of Manos (but lumpier). I was going for an even more extreme, fluffy version. This is what I got:

So fluffy! So soft! So fun!

I'm going to set the twist using Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' method of simmering the yarn, but I'm waiting until I have a chance to hop over to the Goodwill and buy some old stockpots, because I think it's probably a bad idea to simmer dyed yarn in the ones we use for our soups and stews. I've been really impatient to knit with some thick and thin yarn, though, so in the meantime, I've pulled out my Tahiti skeins and started knitting a Christmas Scarf for my little niece, Sophie. I really like how it's coming along so far:

Zoom in, zoom out.

This is almost as good as reading The Bear.

Comments

Funny how you can find a blog through a search on spinning and knitting...and find something else so completely interesting. Definately going on my blogroll!!!

I grew up in Oxford MS, home to William Faulkner, so I have read all of his works. "A Rose for Emily" is my favorite of his short stories. (and it is a good Halloween story.)

Posted by: Melissa at October 24, 2006 12:28 AM

Faulkner. For sure. Love pink and orange. You inspire me so much - knitting your handspun! Someday I hope to also.

Posted by: Jenny at October 23, 2006 08:18 PM

So lovely, Julia, and I had much delight in the literary framework of this post. I choose Faulkner over Hemingway for what you've said--Hemingway is just too manly for me, although I do love his short story, "A Clean Well-Lighted Place". Now off to read the excerpt of _The Bear_; thanks for sharing!

Posted by: kodachrome at October 21, 2006 10:28 AM

The "My So Called Scarf" stitch is absolutely perfect to showcase that orange and pinky, sherberty goodness!

I love that you're spinning from the couch. That just rocks outloud!

Posted by: Sachi at October 20, 2006 03:52 PM

Thanks for letting us know what the pattern is for the scarf. I have been looking for a similar pattern for my hank of first spun. I think that would be perfect. Thanks so much.

Lucky Niece

Posted by: Kitty Kitty at October 20, 2006 02:50 PM

Maybe I need a cat, because I'm sure it does something with treadling speed! :-)

You're right about the thick and thin, by the way. It's hard to let go of consistency and just have fun. Beautiful stuff, you.

Posted by: MJ at October 20, 2006 12:46 PM

Mmm, your yarns look so deicious. YOu always choose such fresh and lovely colors, the results of which make for true eye candy.
I may even have to think about spinning a thick and thin single, one of these days.
~m

Posted by: Marnie at October 20, 2006 11:38 AM

how funny! i had marked that scarf as something i wanted to try when i got better at knitting and forgotten all about it! stacey's is another knitting blog i drool over. *blush* thank you again.

Posted by: renee at October 20, 2006 11:31 AM

Lovely! I have found that after you have gotten comfortable spinning a thinner yarn, it's a bit of a challenge to go back to spinning thicker stuff. The Tahitian is so pretty, and I love the herringbone pattern.

Posted by: Leah at October 20, 2006 11:13 AM

Hi Renee, the stitch is herringbone, and it's used in "My So-Called Scarf", which is a free pattern. There's a link in my sidebar under In Progress, Sophie's So-Called Scarf. Thanks for the compliment!

Bekka - Faulkner is work, but he's worth it. I especially love Go Down Moses. Hemmy can be a bit, um, "manly". Have you tried A Moveable Feast? A Farewell to Arms?

xox, J

P.S. Christine - it would be a workout if Tuna was sitting on me, but Townie is pretty petite. He weighs about 5-6 lbs!

Posted by: Julia at October 20, 2006 10:47 AM

oh gorgeous. what lovely yarn you spun. and what a nice wheel, too. between faulkner and hemmy? oh, pooh. i don't like either. i've tried to read hemmy several times and just want to vomit with each word. but faulker? his writing is daunting.

Posted by: bekka at October 20, 2006 10:44 AM

hi! i've been knitting for about a year (i taught myself continental) and lurking on your blog for about 6 months. i love seeing everything you do. so far i only spin with a spindle and thick and thin comes very easy. hehe

my question is... what stitch is that on the scarf? it seems so well suited to the handspun. i'm sure it's probably a very basic stitch but i'm still quite the newbie when it comes to different stitch patterns. :) thanks!

Posted by: renee at October 20, 2006 10:21 AM

Um, cat on thighs while spinning - probably a pretty good workout!

Posted by: christine at October 20, 2006 09:48 AM