Spinning a tale with Rachael

The love started yesterday…if you're wondering what's going on today, take a peek!

The lucky winner of yesterday's "Name the novel you'd write that would combine knitting and your favorite genre contest", chosen by Rachael herself, is "Needle Me Knot, Little old ladies using unique methods to kill." She loved both the title and the premise.  Although it was DIFFICULT to pick, sez she. Winner is Sherry from Idaho. Congrats, Sherry — you'll be receiving a copy of Rachael's brand-new book, HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME!

And now, onto day 2 of the week of Looooooove!

Rachael and the cat of her heart, Digit*

Knitty: Your first novel was full of sheep and fiber and spinning!…but nothing in book two. Will it return?

Rachael: The spinning comes back in the third book, WISHES AND STITCHES (out in October). In fact, we see Eliza spinning, and the fiber she spins becomes integral to the plot (and hides a secret). And hey, I just learned to weave on my darling little Schacht Cricket loom! So there's nothing saying that weaving won't play a role somewhere, someday soon…..

K: Do you spin? What wheel(s) do you have?

R: I am passionate about spinning, although I'm only intermediate at it. The more classes I take, the more I realize that I'm a production spinner more than anything else. While the action is soothing, I really love having the finished product (I'm similar in knitting this way, too). I'm fast, and I use the long-draw method. I have two wheels, both Ashfords (my mother was from the town they're from, Ashburton, New Zealand): a Joy and a Traditional. I'd love a Majacraft someday—I think they're lovely.

K: What are you spinning right now?

R: Ooooh, I'm spinning a GORGEOUS yellow-brown merino/silk batt from Lisa Souza. I'm addicted to her batts. Now there's something I can spin without worrying about what I'm going to make from it—I just love spinning her stuff. Such colors! Such softness! (However, now that I think of it, I believe I'm going to spin it up and use it as the weft in a scarf with a dark brown warp. Oh, YUM.)

*One of the most amazing things I've ever read was the day that Rachael's cat Digit, lost for months and thought dead, came home. You must read it.

Today, we've got a copy of Rachael's new book for another lucky KnittyBlog reader!

This time, to win, leave a comment to this post by Tuesday, March 8th, at midnight, eastern time. In your comment, tell us what you'd name the heroine of the novel you've always wanted to write. Rachael will pick her favorite and that lucky person will win a copy of HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME. Good luck, y'all, and stay tuned…we've got prizes every day this week with a special big surprise on Friday, and lots more Rachael!

How would you combine these colors?

Jillian sez: There will be more spinning fun next week. I'll be continuing my investigations into marling. I want to explore how to use natural colors to make a variegated colorway go further and how to blend two colorways to create depth of color. Anything you'd like to see?