Highly tempting, but I already worked entirely too hard on it to not turn it into something I can brag about excessively and at length 🤣

I love her videos!! I was dying all the way through that one, though- she really decided to start on hard mode! I think she addressed this, but most spinners start with a drop spindle, which gives you so much more direct control than a wheel. For another thing, most of us spin wool top which comes with all the fibers nice and aligned in a uniform direction. Wool fibers also tend to be longer and more coarse, which helps them stick together with less twist and makes it much more forgiving when you're finding the balance between too much and not enough twist. Flax has no chill 🤣

I keep hoping to find a handspinning community, but no luck yet 😔

I like to tell my nieces that I'm doing really complicated magic, and you can tell because it requires so many extra wands! 😂

I work in an environment where the accuracy and detail in my notes is critical, and the faster I write, the better both are. More than once, notes I took on something that seemed unrelated at the time were the key to figuring out what went wrong. Additionally, it's common in my field to work in places where the best case for being caught with an unauthorized device is said device being nuked from orbit, and worst case, still that but also being charged with treason 🙃

Plus, it's just really satisfying to take notes in whatever color I feel like for the day 😁

Thank you!! I'm so obsessed with the way the colors laid out across the side of the cake!! Not sure I'll ever find the will to actually commit it to a pattern lol

Oh! That looks just like it! I bet that's it, thank you!!

I mainly buy dyed top roving, so I don't actually do any of the carding myself. I really want a blending board to make my own blends, but life keeps getting in the way. Maybe someday...

I know a lot of spinners actually prefer spindle spinning to wheel spinning! Personally, I went through quite a few different kinds of spindles before deciding I wanted a wheel, but I have a close friend who prefers the more precise control of spindle spinning

I haven't, what is that? Google's only showing me a Motown group lol

The way I started was actually by going to my LYS's celebration of World Wide Spin in Public day which falls on the third Saturday in September! But all you really need is a drop spindle and some fiber!

(Disclaimer: I am in the US, so this is all based on what's available here and all monetary values are in USD.)

A basic starter spindle should run you between $15 - $20, but they're actually really simple to DIY if you prefer. My first spindle looks like someone assembled it in a craft store (which, honestly, they might have), but it gets the job done!

As for fiber, my favorite places are The Spinnery Store (I buy directly from their website, but their fiber is on Etsy under slimchicken) and BlueMoonAlpacas on Etsy, but any combed top roving will do. Corridale wool is my favorite, but most of what you'll find for cheap will probably be Merino. A lot of it will be in 4 oz braids, but 1 oz is plenty to start.

After that, I'd highly recommend JillianEve's Drop Spindle for Beginners video on YouTube! She has a wide range of spinning tutorials and guides and does a great job of explaining things!

What really helps me is having the Kindle app on my phone! So, now, whenever I'm in a waiting room or in line for something, I can read my book instead of playing a game or scrolling social media, and I'm never at risk of forgetting my book somewhere :-)

How dare you. Take my disgruntled upvote!

This was on a wheel, but could absolutely be done on a spindle! It definitely takes some practice to get a feel for it, but everyone spins "art yarn" for the first little while 🤣

I thought I recognized that art! I just love her work!! She did some character art for my D&D group, and it's phenomenal! This is her site, if anyone else is interested: https://galadrielcoffeen.com/

If you like things that are on the less serious side, the Humans Are Weird series by Betty Adams is hilarious, adorable, lighthearted, and fun. Usually written from the perspective of the various aliens, and she does a damn good job of it too. Been reading I Have the Data with friends, and it's been a grand time

Glad I could help! If you're interested, Worldwide Spin in Public day is the third Saturday in September, so you might check if your LYS is celebrating! They'll have better suggestions specific to your area and might even have some basic spindles and fiber to get you started!

Admittedly, I've never processed my own wool before, but I do know the combed top roving I generally use is subject to a pretty long cleaning and preparation process. I know that the first thing to go is the natural body oils of the animal as well as any barnyard debris that might carry bacteria. Dyed wool, like what I've used here, is also bleached first to remove any natural variation in the color of the wool that might interfere with the dye color. The difference between dyed combed top roving and wool yarn you'd find at the store is one water bath to set the twist. I found this site detailing the process here: Processing Wool to Yarn

If you're still concerned about it, there are vegan alternatives, such as bamboo or flax fibers out there! I get a lot of my supplies from thespinnerystore.com (not affiliated, just a fan) and they stock a fair few alternative fibers.

Pulchritudinous! It means pretty, but it sounds like an insult :-D

Absolutely! I usually have a podcast up, but sometimes it's really soothing to sit with just my thoughts and the sounds of the wheel

Not nearly as well known as the other suggestions, but I really enjoyed Jubilant by Galadriel Coffeen and Anneliese Knop! If you like pirates and magic with lovely, deep worldbuilding, I'd highly recommend!