Spinner Spotlight! Courtney

I'm Courtney and I am one of those knitters who said "NEVER WILL I EVER" to spinning yarn (Yes, I can hear you fellow-spinners laughing all the way here in middle Tennessee!). I purchased some Polwarth fiber and a Schacht Hi-Lo spindle at Maryland Sheep and Wool, gave it a couple of tries, and promptly put it in time out. Fast forward to November of 2014, when I pulled that spindle out again... and that's when I fell Down the Rabbit Hole, just like Alice.

My default yarn is 3-ply fingering, usually destined for handspun socks. Though it might be a sin to put cashmere on feet, I'm going to do it! I wanted Alice to become a traditional 3-ply. I split the braid into identical thirds. Then I split each third into 2/4/8 strips, respectively, and spun each strip from green to pink. I'm shooting for lots of barber-poling goodness. I spin my singles in double drive, and my rule of thumb is spin soft and ply hard.A month after finishing my first handspun on my Hi-Lo spindle, I decided I wanted.... nay, NEEDED a wheel. After a visit to the Woolery to test drive wheels, I came home with my very own Schacht Matchless for Christmas 2014. I love the cherry wood, I love the versatility of the different drive systems (DD/ST/IT), and I just love how effortless it is to use. I can't see ever needing another wheel. (Wanting is a different story...).I plan to knit toe-up socks out of this yarn... but as I've petted the skein (it PURRS, it's the softest yarn I've ever made!), I've been tempted to weave it on my Cricket loom. Decisions, decisions... Final stats: Fingering weight / 366 yards (+ a tiny chain-plied skein of 45 yards)

So this is what Alice looks like as a sock. So... feet or neck? I still haven't made my final determination. If you would like to see how the story -eventually- ends, you can find me on Instagram @microgirl32 or on Ravelry (same username). Many thanks to @threewatersfarm for letting me play along, and for the never-ending supply of gorgeous fibers to spin!