Spinning Yarn from Wool
Ski classes have also started in Nishiokoppe Village
and it has become an even more enjoyable season for outdoor play in the snow.
(At the same time, the cold grows severe,
and we also face a season of heavy snow.)

How do you spend your time at home these days?

Lately, I have been spinning yarn from wool.

A local dairy farmer in Nishiokoppe Village raises sheep,
and because there is so much fleece, they asked if I would join them in spinning.

🐑🐑🐑

First, I wash the fleece again and again
to remove dirt like dung and straw clinging to it.

At this stage the wool is fluffy and full of mats,
so it is hard to pull out the fibers;
I use a tool called a carder to loosen the wool and make it soft and airy.

I am very grateful that an acquaintance does all these pre-spinning steps for me…

The blue fleece in the photos
was dyed by that acquaintance.

They grew indigo leaves for dyeing
and gave the wool a pale sky-blue tint.

🐑🐑🐑

Now, at last, I begin spinning the yarn.

At my friend’s house there was a spinning wheel where you pedal
to twist and wind the yarn.

It pulls fibers from the fluffy mass thinner and thinner, twisting them as it winds.

You control the winding speed with the pedal,
but if drawing out the fibers lags, the yarn can become overtwisted and the process fails.

So I decided to spin using a tool called a spindle.

You hook the drawn-out thin fibers on the top hook
and set the spindle on the floor like a top; just give it a spin and the wool fibers twist into yarn.

When I have spun yarn as far as my arm can reach,
I wind the twisted yarn onto the shaft and continue spinning from there.

🐑🐑🐑

Round and round, twist and twist.

If I move my hands while watching dramas or anime,
the time flies by.

By the way, if you hang the spun yarn on the wall with a weight attached overnight,
the twist won’t come undone.

This is how the balls of yarn you see at craft shops are made.

Today I shared one moment of my time at home.

I’m thinking about what to knit with the yarn I spun…

When the knitted item is finished,
I’ll let you know again.

#sheep #wool #indigo dye