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Spinning: Intuitive or Technical? Part 1

© Suzanne Griffith

Some of us love figuring things out, observing them, measuring them. In spinning, this involves counting treadles, yards of yarn spun, and wraps per inch (wpi's), and weighing our finished yarn. Obviously there are great advantages to a technical approach to any craft -- accuracy and reproducibility being foremost. Some of us, however, would prefer to minimize this aspect of our craft or ignore it totally in favor of an intuitive approach or, to see the difference in another way, to have fun with spinning rather than treat it in a scientific manner.

In June a discussion started on the SpinList about technical vs. intuitive spinning. I'd like to pass along some of the informative, funny, and thoughtful things that people on the list had to say about this subject. If the posts I quote seem a bit slanted toward the intuitive side, please consider the source! This is what I said: "Although I have a decent analytical mind, when it comes to important things (like spinning and knitting), I am an intuitive person. I have to put my mind in a state of quiet attentiveness, and then my fingers will do the rest."

Several spinners, like Viki H. Worley, love to spin by intuition. "I for one," she said, "am a fly by the seat of my pants type spinner. Very intuitive, meditative even. . . . My fingers have memory. I like to spin on autopilot. I like to spin to relax." Marian Gall of Arizona agreed: "Spinning isn't brain surgery. I think it is supposed to be fun and relaxing. We have too many instructions and directions that must be followed in this world."

"Yippee!" said Lisa Souza, of Lisa Souza Knitwear. "How nice to read the letters of a big bunch of seat of the pants people, like myself. If you have to start thinking about it being perfect, you can't have any fun. I too, applaud and marvel at the big brains of the folks that write the articles on how-to, but I have been spinning and selling hand-spun for over 15 years, and perfect is not necessary for the likes of this scalawag! Spin in the car . . . spin on a hill . . . spin in an ashram . . . just spin and bless you for doing it!!!!!!!"

Many SpinListers talked about their experience with both the technical and intuitive aspects of spinning. "I think I vacillate on whether to be intuitive or technical," said Tan Summers, whose website describes The Chocolate Sweater Weight Loss Plan. "I really enjoyed the Celia Quinn class on spinning to specification," Tan adds, "and produced a nice skein of sock yarn that was exactly what I wanted. Now I'm spinning another skein to go with it . . . and I just don't feel like checking my wpi and tpi all the time. That was fun last time, and it's not this time."