An Unpopular Spinning Opinion

Earlier this afternoon I saw that Tazhi of Stitches and Starlight asked for unpopular spinning opinions on her IG stories because she was considering making one of those videos reacting to viewers "unpopular" opinions.  I'm not sure if she will decide to make the video, or include my answer, or even agree with me, but I really want to expand on it here.  I actually thought I had at one point, but apparently I just alluded to it and said that it was a blog post for another day.  Well, I guess that day is here!

What I said was something like "It is ok if you can't test out a new spinning wheel before buying.  Most of the time you will be just fine!"

[So...a couple disclaimers and clarifications right off the bat. To clarify, I am talking about a spinner or would-be spinner selecting a make/model of spinning wheel to purchase new, out of the box, from a dealer.  I am NOT talking about testing out an individual wheel that someone is interested in purchasing second-hand to determine if it is in working order or whatever.  In addition, I am not discouraging anyone from testing out wheels if that is an option for them.  I'm just saying it isn't a requirement.  Lastly, you know how I say "most?"  Anyone who has a unique physical challenge (i.e. knee issues) or known specific needs or is just really, really particular  is going to be better off making an effort to test to be sure they aren't getting a wheel that is impossible for them to use or is particularly uncomfortable for their body.]

Why do I consider my statement and unpopular spinning opinion?

Spend any amount of time on a spinning forum and you will see someone ask for advice on which wheel they should purchase (usually as a beginner) or someone will ask for opinions on Wheel A vs Wheel B.  Underneath those questions you will get a handful of real responses to the actual question, but mostly you will get a chorus of "try them out!" and "go to your lys/fiber guild/festival and test them!"  So clearly the idea that you should go "test spin" several wheels before purchasing one is popular advice.  On the surface, it is good, practical advice.  Experiencing a wheel first hand is going to give you more information about it than reading an internet stranger's opinion could alone.  Here's why I would like to see people stop giving that as the default answer so much and why my opinion is that test spinning usually isn't nearly as necessary as some people would have you believe.

The first, and most minor issue I have is that apparently this is advice that needs to be repeated multiple times in the same post.  I wonder if it would get under my skin nearly as bad as it does if I saw it less.  Honestly, I think most people looking for a wheel have probably heard that advice at least once in their preliminary search so repeating it is just kind of unhelpful.  I think that if someone has got so far into considering a wheel that they've joined a spinning forum to ask a question about wheels, they've probably done enough of a search to know what is around them and they are asking on-line because they are coming up short on answers in real life, which bring me to my next point, which is...

Not everyone lives near a store that sells wheels!  In my fantasy world, spinning wheel dealerships would be as common as car dealerships, but sadly, in reality that just isn't the case.  The nearest store to me that sells multiple brands of wheels is The Woolery.  According to Google Maps that is a 10-11 hour round trip.  It wouldn't be completely out of the question to make it a weekend trip, but at least for my life right now, it would be a hassle and take a bit of planning, not to mention it would get a bit expensive when you factor in gas, food, and lodging that the trip would require.  There is a yarn store about an hour and half away from me that is also a Schacht dealer.  I know that store will rent out a Ladybug for a week at a time, but that is just one wheel and it is still a bit of hassle since it would require a minimum of two trips in a short time span.  As for festivals, my local festival is on the small side, and there are usually a few booths with wheels you can test, but it is pretty limited.  For example, I have seen someone testing a Spinolution wheel once and last year I got to sit down at a Lendrum, but it isn't like there's an opportunity to test out any wheel you like.  Plus, with a fiber festival, you would have to hope it lines up with when you are actually looking to purchase something.  We do have some fiber guilds in our region, but as far as I know, none of them have wheels to rent or borrow, and testing a wheel would depend on someone having it and being willing to let you try it out.  I think many spinners are generous, but if someone is in the middle of a spin at guild meeting it isn't going to be practical for someone to test out the wheel mid-project.  

All the above said- I very well may have more potential opportunities to test at least a few wheels than many other people.  I get frustrated when people are fortunate enough to have a lot of resources available to them and assume everyone has the same opportunities and resources in their location.  Which is really why I am putting my unpopular opinion out there.  I'm afraid that the "try it out first!" advice is actually creating a barrier to entry.

I really believe that most spinners can learn to spin on most modern wheels.  Sure, I have ideas about some specific wheels and features that are more beginner friendly, but ultimately if you want to learn to spin, you are going to learn how to do it on the wheel that you are spinning on.  If the wheel works, you'll learn.  I have two treadle wheels and an e-spinner.  They've each taken me a little time to get used to and they all have a different feel, but they are all terrific and I have just come to realize that spinning on a new-to-you wheel is going to come with a get-to-know-you period.  For the record, I didn't spin on any of them before I got them.  Maybe I'm just lucky, maybe I did enough research ahead of time to be sure that what I was getting was what I wanted, but mostly I think that the goldilocks thing with wheels is more than a little overhyped.

So next time you see someone ask that question about wheels, please answer what they are actually asking, and if you really must throw in that tidbit about testing first, please emphasize that it is a suggestion and a great idea if it is an available option for them, and not a requirement for having a successful spinning wheel purchase.

Everything Old is New Again...

I learned to knit in 2005.  It was the height of the Stitch 'n Bitch era, the scarf knitters, and fun fur.  In a discussion on Reddit that I read recently, someone pointed out that the resurgence of knitting (most specifically in the U.S.) came in those post-9/11 and Afghanistan/Iraq years.  The writer saw it as an attempt to connect to something tangible and creative and maybe a little nostalgic? or domestic? when the wider world felt increasingly scary and unsettled.  I'm sure there were new knitters of all generations at that time, but the Stitch 'n Bitch groups, the blogs, and later the podcasts that popped up were mostly populated by younger Gen X and older Millennials.  (Side note- I really prefer the term Xennial, and my definition has a a simple cut off line.  Xennials had already graduated from High School when 9/11 happened. )   

I didn't notice it at first, perhaps because I'm not on TikTok, but in the last few years there has been another knitting boom.  This time it is people (and most especially Gen-Z 20-somethings) who picked up knitting at some point in the pandemic, perhaps out of the need for a hobby to fill the time, but likely for similar reasons that people did 15-20 years ago.

Now that I've realized this is happening, it is really interesting to observe what's different, what's similar, the trends then versus now.

One thing I am noticing now is the sudden interest in spinning, particularly among prominent YouTubers.  I remember this really picking up in about 2006 or 2007.  Suddenly all the big bloggers were buying wheels and learning to spin.  Of course my interest was piqued too, but other than an ill-fated attempt at spinning on a drop spindle, it didn't go anywhere at that time.

This time I will actually know what they are all talking about though.  I'm really interested to see where the spinning goes this time, what it creates, etc.  Without having actually been involved in the spinning last time I can't speak to it too much, but I do think there was a lot of focus on the dyed fiber at that point.  The indie-dyed yarn had really taken off at that point and so that trend carried over into fiber.  I know there were people talking about spinning breed specific wool back then too, but it seems like the dyed braids were most prominent.  I'm sure they will be just as appealing to new spinners now, but I also wonder if there will be an even greater focus on breed-specific wool and natural color fleece?  Considering the trend of neutrals we've been seeing so much over the last several months in knitting, I wouldn't be surprised if the undyed fibers are just as appealing.  Of course with the  Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program to thank, we also have a head start on shining a spotlight on specific breeds and rare ones in particular.  

I know I'm not the only spinner who learned to spin because or SE2SE.  It is interesting to see that there was a separate spinning boom related to that and I'm curious what might change or come about with a new spinning boom from the knitter to spinner pipeline this time.