FInally Finished!

 Well, I am have finally completed my hand spun sweater, the lovely Rhinebeck cardigan designed by Lisa Lloyd from the book, A Fine Fleece. And it is not so itchy after all,  thanks to Donna, my spinning teacher, who told me to put some hair conditioner into the water when I blocked the sweater. I think using the outrageously expensive Aveda Be Curly, as the conditioner, as it was the only thing I had in the house, probably made a difference in the softness of the fleece.

I don't know what I was expecting when I started this project, perhaps some kind of epiphany , when there really has been none - just a lot of hours and hard slogging. I found out it is ok not to know where you are going when you start out on something, the joy is in the journey and sharing that with people you care about.

I am pretty sure that I am glad not to be a pioneer woman, like Ma on Little House on the Prairie, who had to balance making clothes for her family, with all of the other things she had to do, like putting up food for the winter, chopping logs and killing bears. I thought about her as I sat spinning in my basement with all of the comforts of my life as I watched enless reruns of Six Feet Under and the Young and the Restless. I wonder what Ma would say about the TV and how so much of our lives are spent watching the invented lives of others.  Ma would have been spinning her wool while Pa, her husband, played the fiddle as she sat by the fire. I think they would have told their own stories.

I do want to thank all of my dear friends who gave me support on this project - Greg, Sheila, Annie, Mary and my family members -- Rick, Char and Nora. A special shout out to Nora, my sister, for learning to made socks, when she was staying with me last winter.

Finally, a special greeting to my dearest and oldest friend, Owen, who is celebrating her birthday today. Thank you for the loan of your spinning wheel and for helping me get started.