This has to be the slowest yarn I've ever produced. I started this at the beginning of March using my one and only drop spindle. I really didn't find it easy at first to use and the air was often blue as I discovered the reason this is called a "drop" spindle. I think I was probably at least half way through this project when I finally started to find it a bit easier.
Still, it took me until almost the end of May to finally finish this. I really bought this spindle so I'd have something to spin on while we were on holiday in the English Lake District in March. We were away for 10 days and I thought I'd have this finished in no time. Well, the 10 days came and went and I was still struggling to get the hang of this.
When we returned home, it was put aside and picked up occasionally. For the first time in 30 years, I really was not enjoying my spinning.
The turning point came when hubby and I were forced to spend two 3-day visits to hospital in Toulouse in May. After straining to lift something too heavy for him, Eric suffered a heart attack. We didn't realise at first that it was so serious because he had absolutely no pain. Just a "strange feeling" in his chest and right elbow. We really thought he'd just pulled a muscle, but the next day, even though he was feeling better, imagination took over and we thought he'd better see the doc. He actually didn't think there was a huge problem, but said he would put him through some tests anyway. Two days later we saw a cardiologist who confirmed that he had indeed had a heart attack. To say we were devastated is putting it mildly. He just isn't a typical candidate for heart problems : doesn't smoke, low blood pressure, normal cholesterol, good diet, no family history, etc.
At the beginning of the next week we checked into a hospital in Toulouse where he was to stay for 2 nights. I was able to stay with him while he was in there, which was nice. On the second day he had an angiogram which showed one artery with some narrowing, and another artery totally blocked by a blood clot (caused when he over-strained whilst lifting). We were sent home on the 3rd day with a bag full of medications, and he then had two anticoagulant jabs in his stomach each day in the hope (small hope) that the blood clot could be dispersed.
The following week, we were back in Toulouse for another stay. He was supposed to have an MRI when he checked in so the cardiologist could look at the blocked artery and see what he would be able to do to repair it. The other narrowed artery was easy - just put in a stent. We asked on every possible occasion when he was going to have the MRI and no-one seemed to know, the following morning, after asking two or three more nurses what was happening, he was told he would not be having the MRI because they hadn't been able to book him in. It was too busy. Therefore he would have the stent fitted to the other artery and would have to come back another time for the MRI and treatment for the other artery. We were gutted!! But, there was nothing we could do, so in the afternoon he went down to the operating theatre for angioplasty. After the procedure, the cardio gave him the good news - the blood clot had disappeared!! He was able to put in a stent and finally put an end to the problem. I can't tell you how happy we were. He is now home again recuperating and taking things very easy.
Anyway, back to the slowest yarn I've ever made. During all the inactivity in the hospital, I finally managed to finish it. By the end, I'd actually started to quite enjoy the process. So much so that I even started another one.
However, this is how it turned out. 154 yards/142m, weighing in at 75g.
I think the spindle may stay in its box for a while, but we do have a trip to Switzerland in July when I'm sure it'll surface again. Now that I've got used to it, I can't believe it's taken me 30 years to buy a spindle!
Still, it took me until almost the end of May to finally finish this. I really bought this spindle so I'd have something to spin on while we were on holiday in the English Lake District in March. We were away for 10 days and I thought I'd have this finished in no time. Well, the 10 days came and went and I was still struggling to get the hang of this.
When we returned home, it was put aside and picked up occasionally. For the first time in 30 years, I really was not enjoying my spinning.
The turning point came when hubby and I were forced to spend two 3-day visits to hospital in Toulouse in May. After straining to lift something too heavy for him, Eric suffered a heart attack. We didn't realise at first that it was so serious because he had absolutely no pain. Just a "strange feeling" in his chest and right elbow. We really thought he'd just pulled a muscle, but the next day, even though he was feeling better, imagination took over and we thought he'd better see the doc. He actually didn't think there was a huge problem, but said he would put him through some tests anyway. Two days later we saw a cardiologist who confirmed that he had indeed had a heart attack. To say we were devastated is putting it mildly. He just isn't a typical candidate for heart problems : doesn't smoke, low blood pressure, normal cholesterol, good diet, no family history, etc.
At the beginning of the next week we checked into a hospital in Toulouse where he was to stay for 2 nights. I was able to stay with him while he was in there, which was nice. On the second day he had an angiogram which showed one artery with some narrowing, and another artery totally blocked by a blood clot (caused when he over-strained whilst lifting). We were sent home on the 3rd day with a bag full of medications, and he then had two anticoagulant jabs in his stomach each day in the hope (small hope) that the blood clot could be dispersed.
The following week, we were back in Toulouse for another stay. He was supposed to have an MRI when he checked in so the cardiologist could look at the blocked artery and see what he would be able to do to repair it. The other narrowed artery was easy - just put in a stent. We asked on every possible occasion when he was going to have the MRI and no-one seemed to know, the following morning, after asking two or three more nurses what was happening, he was told he would not be having the MRI because they hadn't been able to book him in. It was too busy. Therefore he would have the stent fitted to the other artery and would have to come back another time for the MRI and treatment for the other artery. We were gutted!! But, there was nothing we could do, so in the afternoon he went down to the operating theatre for angioplasty. After the procedure, the cardio gave him the good news - the blood clot had disappeared!! He was able to put in a stent and finally put an end to the problem. I can't tell you how happy we were. He is now home again recuperating and taking things very easy.
Anyway, back to the slowest yarn I've ever made. During all the inactivity in the hospital, I finally managed to finish it. By the end, I'd actually started to quite enjoy the process. So much so that I even started another one.
However, this is how it turned out. 154 yards/142m, weighing in at 75g.
I think the spindle may stay in its box for a while, but we do have a trip to Switzerland in July when I'm sure it'll surface again. Now that I've got used to it, I can't believe it's taken me 30 years to buy a spindle!
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