Summertime in Colorado means the downpour of fluffy white cottonwood seeds. If you are in the right place, it can look like it’s snowing when those seeds decide to fall. The other day, I was walking out of a restaurant with a friend, and she commented that you could make a bunch of sweaters with all that fluffy whiteness falling from the sky. I laughed, brushed it off, and didn’t dive into the differences between cottonwood from trees and the cotton we use for textiles.
But, that did make me want to start spinning cotton! So, I turned to Stephenie Gaustad’s book, The Practical Spinner’s Guide: Cotton, Flax, Hemp. I’ve only gone through the cotton section, but am so glad I did! As a novice to this fiber, if I hadn’t read up on what to do, I would be spinning the cotton the same way I spin wool . . . and would probably be disappointed. But I’ve learned valuable tips on drafting and spinning with a spindle (which at the moment is all I have). I’m so glad I had this book on my shelf because otherwise this bag of cotton I have might have gone to extreme waste.
If you are interested in learning more about spinning cotton, Stephenie’s book is great. She has_ a video_ you can check out as well--both are now on sale for 50% off!
--Whitney