What is it about Spinning Fibers?

Spinning fibers is an art form.  YES, ART!  It is an amazing thing to see in a moments time a fiber that starts out as delicate as a dandelion, become something that protects us from the elements, gets tossed around in a washer/dryer and can be worn under the harshest of circumstances time and time again.  It is an art form that needs to be respected, preserved and upheld, so I vow to do my part in ensuring that happens.  I wanted to see what others had to say about spinning fibers and it all just makes me love it even more.  Take read and enjoy!

The Joy of Handspinning states:
Handspinning is the art of twisting fiber into a continuous thread by hand or by using a spinning wheel. The thread can be spun thick or thin, plyed or unplyed, and can later be dyed or left natural. Handspun yarn can be used for knitting, and weaving projects. You can also use unspun fiber for knitting, weaving and felting. 


Wikipedia displays and writes:

An Nepali charka in action

A Tibetan woman spinning wool in Pokhara/Nepal

Hand-spinning is still an important skill in many traditional societies. Hobby or small scale artisan spinners spin their own yarn to control specific yarn qualities and produce yarn that is not widely available commercially. Sometimes these yarns are made available to non-spinners online and in local yarn stores. Handspinners also may spin for self-sufficiency, a sense of accomplishment, or a sense of connection to history and the land. In addition, they may take up spinning for its meditative qualities.^[11]
Within the recent past, many new spinners have joined into this ancient process, innovating the craft and creating new techniques. From using new dyeing methods before spinning, to mixing in novelty elements (Christmas Garland, eccentric beads, money, etc.) that would not normally be found in traditional yarns, to creating and employing new techniques like coiling, this craft is constantly evolving and shifting.
To make various yarns, besides adding novelty elements, spinners can vary all the same things as in a machined yarn, i.e., the fiber, the preparation, the color, the spinning technique, the direction of the twist, etc. A common misconception is yarn spun from rolags may not be as strong, but the strength of a yarn is actually based on the length of hair fiber and the degree of twist. When working with shorter hairs, such as llama or angora rabbit, the spinner may choose to integrate longer fibers, such as mohair, to prevent yarn breakage. Yarns made of shorter fibers are also given more twist than yarns of longer fibers, and are generally spun with the short draw technique.
The fiber can be dyed at any time, but is often dyed before carding or after the yarn has been spun.
Wool may be spun before or after washing, although excessive amounts of lanolin may make spinning difficult, especially when using a drop-spindle. Careless washing may cause felting. When done prior to spinning, this often leads to unusable wool fiber. In washing wool the key thing to avoid is too much agitation and fast temperature changes from hot to cold. Generally, washing is done lock by lock in warm water with dish-soap.


I can't quite explain why I enjoy this so much, but the more I do it the more it seems to become part of what allows me to be me.  Do you have any favorite quotes or statements on spinning fibers?  Post a comment!