For 20 years I knit scarves. Versions OF scarves.  And STOLES. My idea of lace was size 13 needles & zero tension. All were thrilled with my "unique"  creations. I however was bored. TO TEARS !!! While instagraming one day I discovered handspun yarn. Hand spun ! Holy crap on a cracker ! I have to do that !! 15 min later I had ordered a simple spindle,$3, top whorl. And I ordered Yak fiber. Yes. Yak. For first time spinning. Learning. I'm ambitious,what can I say. Took me a week but I did it ! I spun it. Looked like crap but it was YARN !
                  Most of my life was spent partying hard. H. A. R. D.  Spinning on drop spindles along with being in a program got me clean. Why am I telling you this ? Because I am seeing so many people drink,drug,pill themselves into oblivion swearing they can't stop. Don't want to stop. Think it's to late to stop. AS LONG AS THERE IS LIFE THERE IS HOPE.  I stopped. Used for 25 years. Speedballs. That's when one takes heroin and cocaine,mixes it in a spoon(cooker),shoots it into vein. If one can find said vein. I'm fat,my veins were always bad so I was doing this against every obstacle put in front of me. Didn't care. I went back to the program & for a year. Continued to use drugs. Didn't want to stop. You see heroin made me function like all of you ! Heroin /coke did for me what doctors claim antidepressants are supposed to do. But as soon as I woke up I qas in withdrawal,sick, very much in pain. Throwing up skin on fire in pain. Like being skinned alive. Hence the program.  People that never used drugs look at people like me & shake their heads. I'm just like yoy. I just took a bad turn where you took a good one. I went wrong you went right. It wasn't because I was raped at 6 yrs old. It wasn't because my mom is a narcissist. It's because I made a choice to TRY A BAD DRUG. I let the monster in.
            Spinning  calmed the monster. Allowed me to process my thoughts. I love spinning. Especially Namaste Farm fleeces. Natalie Redding is the best. She has been a mentor and a friend for my entire recovery.  I am so grateful to her. I adore her fleeces. The softest silky. Yummy , ugh I can go on & on about her fiber ! That lady produces THE BEST !  No one else can compare!  I spun up a Scrapbox along with some stashed licks from previous packages she sent me. When I tell you I'm in recovery I mean I do not use ANY drug. Because her fiber is addiction itself!  Who needs dope ? Just get some fiber and spin ! It's so much better! And you have yarn as end result!  Spin on a Turkish ! You'll have a turtle so you can knit 2aat,two at a time socks. The best !

 I taught my friend,Taught another friend to needle point. I'm getting my life back together. It's all like making socks. You get the fleece. Skirt it,wash it. Pick it. Card it. Spin it. Then choose what colors to paint it. What pattern to knit it into. Normal people never think about any of this. We addicts do. Every min of every day. We over think everything. Spinning has brought me so many good friends. So many caring wonderful people. I am SO VERY GRATEFUL.  Happy Knitting.
     

Mystery skein

I went to my LYS to buy circular needles. I came out of the store with 2 skeins,3tubes of beads and bead needles. Went back in to get the circs I went to the store for in the first place!! I know I'm not the only one that's done this. I HOPE I'm not the only one that does this each & every single time I go to my LYS !!

So now I have these two new skeins. I HAVE to knit one ,at least,up NOW!! I choose the mystery skein. I decide a shawl. The simplest pattern I can think of. It's also got to be closed enough so I can wrap it around my head ala  Russian peasant woman style.
I got so into knitting it that I didn't stop until I finished it !! Well I stopped a few times but it was to " sleep"= nap for 2 hours knit for 6. Anyway I didn't take wip pics but I did take a finished shawl pic. Now to figure out how to add it to this page from my I phone. Did I mention my laptop will not turn on?! Yeah well. I'll get it fixed. Eventually.

I have an  shop -CustomKnitsByLana's shop on Etsy.
I have support spindles that are such a dream to spin with! I have Rosewood and I have a very 
Deep Red Blood Wood ,a cross between a Russian & Bulgarian.Beautiful! There's also
a dark chocolate Mahogany support spindles.FREE SHIPPING!! 
Please come check out my shop!! Also just added a couple handspun ,on these spindles,I kept a rose wood
! Hats are all hand knitted with positive energy flow. I'm a huge believer in it. 
Ok time to get to work on the pics! Wish me luck. 

SPIN TILL U DROP 2

I also customized my Turkish spindle.I replaced the shaft with a chopstick from the sushi place-works better than ever!!!Now I actually tried several sticks.I carved one that I found,tried different chopsticks cause they were so pretty.And I used African Porcupine Quills-xtra large got it from Knit Picks,I recommend this place to all by the way the luxe fiber content + price point just is too good to pass!!!Really The way they make their yarn drape!
Now about the Trindles.I got my first around my birthday,6/25. It spun great I loved it.But the weight kept flying off.I told the man that makes them.He told me to send it back, he would replace it.Well I couldn't!! I just could not be separated from it!! This is how awesome it spins people!!So what happened?He sent me a brand new one with brand new weights!!I also got the "standard size"I couldn't help it! It spins even better!!And now I will advise you on which weights to get with your shaft.Once you pick the wood,mine is red heart and the micro long I don't know.I'll get back to you on that.OK Weights are attached to carbon thin rods.Either very shorter long or in between.I love the long and the very short.I also love themed to heavy weights.With these I spin super thin or i can spin a perfect fingering or Alpaca thick and thin artsy yarn.
I have no way to prepare my raw fiber after I wash it so I use the cat brush,cleaned,and I fluff it up like crazy.Depending on the brush you have and the fiber you will be using your results will vary,a lot.You can end up with a smooth even yarn or what I call artsy.
Now I have to say this if you want really luxurious expensive yarn coming from your hands then go get fiber from
https://www.facebook.com/namaste.farms
You will never find any thing else like it!Raw spins up as if it was carded and combed.And the way the locks hold their own when you spin a lock spun yarn!! OH! I feel guilty about thinking od dyeing it! I have white,grey and black waiting.And I am itching for more!!Ok So off I go To take pictures and show you what I am knitting-Lace shawl with misty alpaca437 yards.It Is a bit challenging but I like that!!

HAPPY SPINNING!
BLESSED BE!!
Sveta Avrutova