Coffee Filters and a Drop Spindle

I remember being very young and standing in Jeanne's living room trying to spin something on a drop spindle. I hated it. I couldn't tell you what fiber I was trying to spin, or the type of wood spindle, but I do remember the warmth and eclectic collection of knits, quilts and lovely textiles that cradled me in her living room. The feeling that I learned to expect when in a knitter or weaver's home. I recall standing near the bay window and probably wanting to do anything but trying to spin yarn on an overcast day.

I can buy yarn that's already spun, why would I want to spin it? And thus was my attitude for the next 20-odd years until I saw Sarah C. Swett spinning coffee filters into yarn, weaving them and posting it to Instagram. (More on her spinning fun things HERE).

Last summer I started rinsing and drying my used coffee filters. My husband woke up to coffee filters drying on the back porch and around the kitchen and didn't say a word, he probably thought "well, Jenny's up to something" and moved along with his morning. I didn't have a plan at this point, but I figured if I was going to spin coffee filters, I'd need more than a few. I don't know what it is about being able to make something that is already used up into yarn, but when I feel like playing, I just go for it.

I did check out my local yarn shop for drop spindles, and they have some, just the basic Turkish spindle, and it just wasn't that...pretty. I've found with my textile tools, I'm more apt to enjoy to process when the tool I'm using is beautiful. I decided that the Convergence Conference Marketplace would probably be the place to find a pretty drop spindle. 

Eugene Textiles Center's booth had a collection of used drop spindles. A number of the ones I was eyeing on the first day were already gone by the time I decided to purchase on the second day. Clara and I were meeting for lunch at the Marketplace and she had just taken a class around creating roving and I thought she might know what "whorl" or weight of drop spindle I may need. Ultimately we decided it probably didn't matter at this point and I picked out a pretty top whirl burl wood spindle. 

It's a tool I've never used before (except the one, maybe a few attempts as a child) and I am now captivated at the beauty in it's simplicity. I had packed some coffee filters just in case I found a drop spindle and the time...so when I did find the time I started cutting the filters into strips. I knew I had found the description of how to cut coffee filters to get a long continuous piece, Sarah C. Swett again to the rescue! Her coffee filter cutting blog post is HERE.

"Did Jenny pack garbage for her trip? Yes, yes she did." -Bryan told me this passed through his mind after I had come home and showed him the coffee filter yarn I was starting to make. I love that he told me this.

My spindle started feeling full so I just wound it off into a skein with the niddy-noddy I have in my collection of fiber tools yesterday. This first skein is single ply, 1.4 oz, approx 102 yards. What am I going to do with it? I'm not sure yet. I feel like knitting it, but it's fairly stiff and needs to be damp to be a little more pliable. It seems like most of what I'm seeing paper yarn used for is weaving. I'm not quite there yet, just enjoying this coffee filter yarn spinning process for the time being.

Distracted by Repairing an Old Favorite

I'm supposed to be finishing my weaving, but, since winter hit I've gotten out a few old favorite pieces of clothing that I've had since the 90's which could use some love. One is the Calvin Klein winter dress coat that has remained perfect for my fit and style. Luckily I wore things a little too big back in high school and many of my tops still fit today. 

The outside of this coat is still in good shape but the inside lining was really torn up. I used to wear those jeans with the metal buttons on the pockets which did a number on long coat linings and bucket seats in cars. I started wearing this coat again much more frequently last year and the tears in the lining has been driving me crazy. It's time for a refresh.

I've been doing small hand stitching repairs on many of Bryan's things but not my own, so I decided to "treat myself" with my own hand-stitched and patched things. I did a clean out pass of the studio and realized I have a significant amount of satin-y fabrics in the stash. One has a wine-themed print that is really lovely, but I haven't wanted to use it for myself since I don't drink anymore. I had purchased a yard of this fabric from Spoonflower for a mask commission and the rest of it has been laying around saying "but look how pretty my print is!" and I tell it "but I don't drink!"... So as a consolation prize it gets to be some pop and flash in the lining of this coat. It'll barely be seen and it gives this patch project some extra flare. 

I think it's great that 90's things are back in style, I have been having fun reviving my past fashion choices. I noticed a few weeks ago that Vans even has a purple suede shoe back which was my first shoe purchase when I started shopping at the mall on my own back in the day. I loved those purple Vans SO much I may need to get the new pair while they're available. Of the shoes I have left in my closet from High School those didn't survive because I wore them so much.  I'm glad this coat stuck around so that I could give it new life!