Time
is moving along at a fairly rapid pace, and my journey to the Interweave Yarn Fest
is drawing quickly nearer. One of the big items on my to-do list
involves being properly prepared for the classes that I'll be taking.
During the four-day event I am enrolled in six three-hour classes and
one six-hour class, which means that I need to carefully plan and
prepare so that I have all of the necessary supplies and equipment
for each class that I'll attend.
Item
number one is a spinning wheel. Five of my seven classes are
spinning-related, and all require a spinning wheel in good working
order. Although my beloved Kromski Sonata folds into a carrying case
and travels well, it is somewhat heavy and bulky to carry, and since
I'll be having to carry not only a spinning wheel, but extra tools,
supplies, equipment, a water bottle, and even a knitting bag, I
decided that a more compact wheel would be helpful in this regard. I
chose to purchase an Ashford Joy 2, which is lighter and more compact
than the Sonata; it also sets up and folds up more quickly. (Ironically the smaller travel wheel costs more than my full-sized one did - go figure!) I had
test-spun on a friend's Joy about a year ago and really liked it, and
it comes with a padded travel bag, so all that remained was to save
up the money for the purchase. Fortunately I was able to accomplish that by leaving my PayPal earnings from the fall craft fairs untouched until I had acquired the necessary balance, and I ordered the wheel in January, along with some other necessary tools.
The
second necessary item was an assortment of extra bobbins. My first
class requires four extra bobbins and the second one three; since
these classes are scheduled back-to-back I don't anticipate having
time to wind off yarn to free up bobbins between classes. I'll have
to have additional bobbins for other classes later in the week but
will be able to wind my yarn off in the evening in order to reuse
these bobbins for subsequent classes. My travel wheel came with three
bobbins included, and I purchased five extras at the same time for a
total of eight bobbins for this wheel. I trust that should be a
sufficient supply; otherwise I'll be stalking the dealers in the
exhibit hall to try and purchase more.
The
third item which was required for several of the classes was a Lazy
Kate. For my many friends named Kate or Katie, please rest assured
that the name of this item is in no way meant to cast aspersions on
your varied industrious natures. I'm not certain where the name came
from, but in essence the Lazy Kate is meant to hold bobbins which are
being used for plying (in other words, twisting two single strands of
yarn together to make a thicker, stronger yarn). I got the simplest
and least expensive one I could find because it was also the lightest
and easiest to carry – an important consideration on this
adventure.
One
plying class requires that I arrive with a bobbin mostly filled with
a fine-gauge single yarn, so that's my current spinning project.
Before I leave home I'll have that bobbin safely secured in its own
zipper bag to keep the single from unwinding during travel. I'm
guessing that I need to step up my game a bit on the spinning, as I
was so tired the other afternoon that I fell asleep at the wheel and
didn't get any spinning done that day.
Other
items on the class “required” lists include tags for marking yarn
samples, knitting needles, a cable needle, and other minor tools and
supplies. I'll also be carrying a notebook, pens, pencils, and
folders for class handouts, notes, and other useful information. My
plan is to sort the necessary materials for each class into
individual zipper top bags so that each will be readily accessible
without having to dig through a bag of “stuff” to locate
everything.
I'll
also be taking along my yarn swift, ball winder, and niddy noddy, so
that I'll have options for winding off the yarn that I'm spinning as
well as any yarn that I happen to bring along or purchase for
knitting in the evenings.
Last
but not least, most of the classes I'm taking will have a supply fee
to be paid to the instructor at the beginning of class. I'll have the
cash for these supply fees sorted into labeled envelopes before I
leave home, so that I don't have to spend time scrambling to find the
correct change at the last minute. I'm hoping that will simplify
things for the instructors as well as for me.
I'm eagerly awaiting these classes, and hope to absorb all of the knowledge that is imparted. I know that what I can bring back will be extremely beneficial as I continue my fiber arts journey.
Next up: Packing and Organizing
