Merike Saarniit received a college degree in studio art, but to her disappointment she developed an allergy to paints and inks that prevented her from pursuing her art career. Rather than giving up the artistic life, she turned to her Estonian heritage and began to spin yarn. "Growing up in the United States as part of an Estonian family, I was familiar with knitting, embroidery, stitchery and hand weaving," Merike says. It seemed a natural step for her to begin experimenting with spinning yarn. She tried teaching herself from a book but found it too difficult and soon sought the help of a teacher, and from then on she was hooked.
One year for Mother's Day her husband bought her two sheep -- one black, one white. "They were like potato chips," Merike says. "You can't stop with just one." She and her husband soon became sheep farmers with a flock of more than 80 sheep and a small business selling fleece and yarns. Merike is an avid spinner and can often be found teaching her craft at the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in Brasstown, North Carolina. "Spinning is very soothing," Merike says. "You have to relax in order to draft the fibers. I love the tactile part of spinning. It's warm, fuzzy and very comforting." The requirements to get started spinning are minimal. In its simplest form all you need is a spindle (figure A) and some carded wool (figure B), wool that has been washed and the fibers separated or disentangled. "It's the twist," Merike says. "The twist of the wheel is what spins the fibers. The art form is in controlling how much or how little fiber one allows to be twisted. It's called drafting, and it's what determines how thick or thin the yarn will be." In addition to using a spindle for spinning yarn, Merike also uses an ergonomically designed spinning wheel (figure C). "It's still the same," she says. "All that spinning is is working with the energy of a twist. As you spin, a thinner draft equals a thinner yarn, and a thicker draft will equal a thicker yarn (figure D). The difference a spinning wheel makes is that it automatically winds the bobbin after you've spun the yarn." For those who wish to try spinning, all the necessary items to begin can be ordered over the Internet. But Merike says that after buying some carded wool, you can make a spindle from a Ttinkertoy set and a cup hook. It's that easy to get started.
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