I have been bitten

By the spinning bug that is. Yep, I knew I couldn't resist, and honestly I have been researching wheels since the summer. At the time wheels were way out of my budget range, but the idea of spinning is so romantic so I didn't give up my dream of acquiring one. Well, while doing my end of the year budget (yes I am a geek) I saw that I would basically never be able to afford a wheel. I was so upset. I knew I needed a plan to come up with some cash, and I was not willing to compromise my integrity to earn it. :) So, I scoured the house for treasures to unload on ebay. I came up with a few. It is amazing how much stuff I can accumulate, and so much of it I don't even need/use. I unloaded some designer bags, some general rick rack and a few other items. I raised enough money to buy this.

Yes, it is a Majacraft Rose. It gets rave reviews on every forum I have checked. I ordered it today! Isn't it beautiful. Too bad it is going to take a few weeks to get here. It is coming all the way from New Zealand. I hope she has a safe trip.

Now let me back up a bit. Until this past Saturday I hadn't even sat down at a wheel or held a spindle. I took a spinning lesson over the weekend with a member of the Orlando Weavers Guild. It was a mini-lesson...more of an introduction. She was kind enough to cover the basics, and she let me use one of her amazing wheels for the lesson. I had a really hard time with the drafting...I just could not get the feel for it. I guess I just need lots of practice.

So, I need practice and my wheel won't be here for weeks. What's a girl to do? There are no shops within hours of my home that sell any spinning supplies, so I went online today to order a top whorl spindle to practice my drafting. I decided to get a spindle kit from Hello Yarn. It's a great shop, and the price was unbeatable. That should be enough to get me started along with some great videos I found online.

But wait, there's more. For months I have been drooling/admiring Funky Carolina's lovely rovings. She has an awesome knack for color, and everyone just raves about the quality of her fibers. So, I went a little nuts during her shop update yesterday. I got this, and this and finally this. The last one is way out of my ability range, but I can admire it, and one day I shall spin it.

So needless to say, I will not be shopping for anything for a very long time. I have spent enough money to make me queasy. At least it's on quality stuff right!

Any advice from you spinners out there? Are there any books that I should check out, good online tutorials?