#sifudesignstudio

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Can't wait to know what these do! #knittingmachine #sifudesignstudio (at Sifu Design Studio)

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Look what I get to make on my knitting machine. #knitpants #sweaterdresses #sifudesignstudio (at Sifu Design Studio)

[sifudesignstudio]

Look what I'm setting up today. #machineknitter #sifudesignstudio (at Sifu Design Studio)

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A stop action music video of sorts using knitting? We like it!

[sifudesignstudio]

This beautiful shawl - named "Road Warrior - was designed by Lisa Whiting, the owner of Sifu! She's previously been published in Vogue | Knitting! This will be up as a ravelry free pattern download on Saturday! It will be available for both crochet and knitting.

[sifudesignstudio]

Tour De Fleece!

In honor of this year's Tour De Fleece (which started this weekend!)  We here at Sifu are offering a sale on any and all spinning supplies!  To kick off these great days, I decided to do a short interview with one of Sifu's favorite spinners - Natalia Wilson.  Ever been curious as to how a spinner gets started?  Read on!

KJ Minnerath

Could you tell me a bit about when and why you started spinning? Were you a knitter or other crafter first?

Natalia Uribe Wilson

I learned how to knit in college, but I didn't take it up as a hobby until the end of 1999, and have been an avid knitter ever since. I started spinning in 2006 after a friend of mine, who had moved to Montana, brought me a drop spindle, a book on spinning, and some wool as a gift. I had never even seen a drop spindle before he handed it to me, but I was intrigued. I made a few sad attempts, and finally went over to Loopy yarns where Kristin Rengren got me started. Later Vera Videnovich taught me to spin on a spinning wheel, and I knew I had a new hobby.

KJ Minnerath

What drew you to spinning as compared to other crafts?

Natalia Uribe Wilson

I like making things from scratch. I already enjoyed knitting, but by making my own yarn, I was really making the thing I was making, if that makes any sense.

KJ Minnerath

Definitely! What advice would you have for beginner spinner?

Natalia Uribe Wilson

Patience. All those almost silly sounding tips, like treadle for a while with an empty wheel, or draft and park your spindle, are really good tips, learned through experience. Also, consider taking a class. Having an experience spinner watch you as you get started and guide you through some early stumbling blocks really makes getting started so much more pleasant. Lastly, be willing to experiment. There is no wrong way to spin so long as you are getting yarn you like in the end.

KJ Minnerath

That's great! Why do you choose to participate in the Tour de Fleece?

Natalia Uribe Wilson

I'm a geek. Seriously. Also, it's nice to set some goals (publicly), and be somewhat accountable for them. Every active day of the Tour, you post your progress. That's a big incentive to keep on spinning. There's also the comradely, you check in to see how your team-mates are doing as you post your own progress.

KJ Minnerath

So what are you and your team working on for this year's Tour de Fleece?

Natalia Uribe Wilson

This is my first year, so I joined the Rookie Team. I also joined Team Babe (for folks who spin on Babe spinning wheels (http://www.babesfibergarden.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 ) and Team LSG (Lazy, stupid and godless). The goal are pretty loose in these groups, mostly along the lines of spin every day. In these groups people set their own goals. My goals are to spin fibers I have not worked with before. I will be spinning flax, and silk roving, and if I can get to it, some ingeo corn fiber. If I can get all of that spun, I have some super soft yak fleece to card up and spin.

Many thanks to Natalia for answering these little questions, and to all of you participating in the Tour De Fleece: spin on!