On the Occasion that I Have a Wool Party and Contemplate Marriage

Hello, everybody! Happy feast of Blessed Junipero Serra!

Typically, I try to avoid naps, but...well, the thought is ever lovely, especially since today's been a bit overcast. As I was going about, making a "To Do" list for the day, and finding that I didn't have any major chores to do this morning, I pondered what I could do that would be more productive than sleep. My eyes drifted over to the bag of wool that was sitting on the edge of the living room. And the pieces clicked together. I needed to have a wool party. Meaning, I would spend a morning playing with wool and lovely fibers!

Watching yarn be created is so fascinating!
I love it!!!!!!!

A couple years ago at a festival, a person at a booth discovered that I spin, and gave me (yup, freely gave me!) a couple medium-sized bundles of unwashed wool. Well, since I lived in the dorms (which weren't very conducive to a wool-washing party), and was itching to spin, I had no qualms with spinning unwashed wool. Well, I never did finish off the yarn that I started with that wool, but a couple days ago thought, "hey, I need just a little bit of brown yarn for a project I'm working on. Hmm, I have some unfinished brown yarn on the spindle." Then, I realized that "Hey, I actually have space to spread out and wash this. This will be a blast!"

My setup: Unwashed wool, washed wool, and spindle!

                                                              I'm a bit unconventional at times, and didn't want to use the methods proposed by the internet to wash wool (the methods ranged from using a special cleaner to dumping your wool in the washing machine). Noticing my wig box, I decided it would be perfect. And, while my wool soaked in sudsy water, I began to finish off my incomplete batch of brown yarn. I had to spin it together, to create two-play yarn that I can use for projects!

Spinning is a relaxing, fabulously epic activity, and it provides a wonderful chance to contemplate the wonders of marriage. Marriage, when God bonds together two individuals in a strong union, just as I spun together two cords to create a strong strand of two-ply yarn.  Marriage is the building block of society, just as yarn is the foundation for weaving, knitting, and crocheting garments and fabrics. Even the most lumpy yarn (and I'm not a perfectionist by any means, I create some very lumpy and irregular yarn!) can be used to make lovely scarves. Even the most crazy marriages can be healed by God and be used to create more beauty and love in the world.

 In order to hold together a garment, the yarn must be strong, so that the garment does not fall apart. In order to hold together a society, community, and family, the marriages must be strong. Let us always continue to place our lives in God's grace, seeking to sanctify our marriages all the more!

A spindle of finished, strong, two-ply yarn!