I must admit, I am becoming a bit of a yarn snob. I have had the pleasure of working with some gorgeous yarns lately but one of my absolute favorites is hand spun yarn from Spinning Wheel Studio.
The yarn I ordered came wrapped beautifully and the yarn smelled divine thanks to the lavender satchel that came along for the ride (you can request not to have the lavender satchel included when you place an order).
I was so excited to work with this fabulous yarn. I decided to make two newborn beanies. One for the photographer I work with and one to keep as a future gift.
You can find the pattern for this handspun newborn beanie here.
I can’t wait to order more of this delicious yarn. The customer service I received was beyond compare and the selection of yarns is always mesmerizing. My only complaint is that I can never decided what I want to order next because it’s all so beautiful.
I recently interviewed Tricia about her business. Let’s get to know a little more about Spinning Wheel Studio.
1 – How long have you been spinning?
I learned to spin when I was in high school. I grew up in a rural town in NH. My family raised sheep and I was in 4-H. One of my 4-H leaders taught a group of us how to spin and we competed in a Sheep To Shawl Competition as teenagers — One team member shears a sheep, a couple card the fiber, a couple spin it and someone weaves the yarn into a shawl… all in an afternoon! I’ve been spinning ever since, though my spinning became full-time (or what my husband might call “obsessive”) a bit over four years ago when I started my handspun yarn business on Etsy. In the last four years my hobby has become a full time job and I have taken over a floor of our house with my colorful fiber studio. It has been a dream come true!
2 – Do you also crochet or knit?
Yes! I knit! I love to make smaller projects like hats, cowls and scarves and mittens, but I’ve also made a couple of afghans from my handspun yarn and am currently making a handspun yarn cardigan sweater. One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to learn to crochet. I am also anxious to learn to weave. I’ve just located a good teacher… it’s just a matter of time! I have experimented with a peg loom made for me by my husband, but I think there’s a rigid heddle loom in my future.
3- What is your favorite yarn to make?
My favorite yarns to spin are 2 ply in a DK to worsted weight. I just love watching the colors blend as the ply is spun. I do like to mix it up, though, and spin a variety of yarns, some entirely practical and some quite funky.
4 – What is your favorite thing about crocheting/knitting and/ or spinning?
Spinning is SO meditative! I can lose myself in it. I never get tired of being able to combine colors and textures in limitless combinations. I go to bed planning the next day’s projects and wake up excited to start them.
I love how spinning has evolved over the years from a traditional practical craft to a creative art and form of self expression. I also love the connectedness of spinning. I feel connected to the spinners who came before me for many generations. I feel connected to the animals and the farmers who raise them. And I feel connected to my customers who share with me what they’ve created with “my” handspun. I feel like one small piece of a big picture.
5 – What are your favorite fibers to work with
I work mostly with wool and my favorite wool to work with is blue-faced leicester. Most people think of merino when they think of wool but each breed of sheep produces a unique type of wool. I enjoy trying new wools, especially local wools. Earlier in May I had a great time at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival buying some local wool breeds that I have never spun before. I know these sheep breeds from my 4-H days, so it’s going to be fun to spin them. Wool aside, I also enjoy all the fabulous goodies that can be spun in a blend along with wool or, in some cases, on their own: angora, mohair and wool still in their curly locks, bamboo, silk, banana & sari silk threads, nylon firestar, Angelina glitz, sequins, fancy threads…. There are SO many possibilities and it is great fun to experiment.
6 – What was your inspiration for your yarns?
I find my inspiration for yarns in all aspects of my life but especially in nature, art and music. My family and pop culture also inspire new ideas. I keep a notebook next to my spinning wheel to jot down ideas as they come to me so when there is no inspiration I can always revisit a previous idea. I also love working with customers to fulfill their inspiration by creating just the yarn they are imagining for their special project.
7 – Tell me a little something about your personal life… kids, family, pets, etc.
This summer my husband Rob and I are celebrating our 23rd anniversary. We have two wonderful kids – a 19 year old son entering his sophomore year of college and a 16 year old daughter. We home schooled both of our children, though our daughter now attends the local public high school part time while continuing to home school. We have two kitties and I have a little tiny yorkie named Chloe who is my spinning buddy as I work away. My handspun yarn business blossomed just as we were realizing I should probably have a plan about what I’d do when the kids were grown & my home school years were over … and now I know what I’ll do! Lucky for me, it is what I love most!
“Chloe”
~Tricia
You can visit Tricia on the Spinning Wheel Studio Facebook page, or on her in the Spinning Wheel Studio Etsy store. As a fan of Cre8tion Crochet you are privy to a 10% discount off Tricia’s entire stock simply by using promo code “cre8tion” at check out.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Tricia and Spinning Wheel Studio. Have a great day and as always…
happy hookin’
