oooooh i got a parcel from june :D the parcel contained 2! drop spindles, a bundle of white fibre and a bundle of brown. i've spun all the white fibre on the smaller spindle (will weigh it once removed). the white was wonderful stuff - long staples, around 4-6 inches. i did some predrafting as per icanspin.com, split it into narrow lengths, shimmied the fibres apart and spun! i can't believe how much easier it was than i expected. i even managed to get past parking and managed to draft the fibre on the fly standing up. the single was surprisingly even and the spinning got easier towards the end, suggesting maybe that the spindle was on the light side.

i've started on the brown but it's much crimpier, 2-4" max. so i'm turning out a fatter single, for fear of the whateveryoucalltherolloffibreyouspinfrom breaking off. it also has a few fluffy lumps in the roving (?I guess?) which are difficult to iron out as they pass by. i'm definitely still at park-and-draft with this one.

oh but it's fun :D

update:

the smaller spindle weighs 1 3/8 oz. i think that's about average?

i andean plied the white single, going from the still pix. it's nowhere near as complicated as it looks, just wrapping around the hand but going round the back of the middle finger. it worked surprisingly well. i couldn't find specific instructions on how to set the twist (in my unseemly haste) so i just soaked in hot water for 5 mins then squeezed dry in a towel. i don't think it needs a weight on it, the plied yarn twisted up a little on itself but only when you held it really close together. will have to read up on how much twist is too much.

so at 3.30 thisafty i had a bag of fluff, i now have approx 20 yds of 2-ply yarn. i LOVE it :D

also wanted to add my pride at twisting up my own leader out of the white fibre to start off the black.

methinks we'll be needing a "spinning" category....