Why I'm Spinning Cotton: 001 Skills not Thrills

First, I need to deal with why I'm even spinning.

If you're final-product oriented, then there is literally no reason to hand-spin cotton ever. The industrial processes are more efficient, faster, cost-effective, and better at quality control than the world's best handspinner ever will be. I searched around on Alibaba and found some pretty nice cotton fabric, provided I'm willing to order a thousand yards at a time. The factory I'd be ordering from can produce well over 50,000 yards, on demand and to my specifications in one day, and have it at my door in 35. There's no way I'm competing with that as a handspinner. So, why in the world would anyone want to spin their own thread or yarn?

It's topical!

Well, making my own yarn affords me a degree of customization that simply isn't available in the bins of yarn or on the bolts of fabric at Jo-Ann's. But, do I really need customization at the yarn fiber level? I don't like fancy art-yarn, and if I discover that my choices at the store lacking, I'll just buy some white yarn or fabric and dye it myself. Additionally, at my skill level, it's not like I'm going to be able to make anything that would be functional for any of the sewing or crocheting projects I'm currently dreaming up. I highly suspect that my experience with handspinning is going to mirror what I saw at the pottery studio: Novices, refusing to embrace the value of practice, would try and fail to make a functioning mug, and then relabel their mug "art." So, what I'm predicting is that I will make an imperfect yarn, but will become attached to it as you might become attached to a mole that you've been growing since childhood. It's ugly (and probably cancerous (you should have someone look at it)), but you've convinced yourself it gives you personality. This yarn I'm making will certainly still be customized, but only by accident, and surely unfit for anything that I would actually want to make. But I will make something out of it, and probably give it to my mother, because she loves me. She doesn't really have a choice. I'm an only child.

Look at how miserable this woman is. Surely this is the hobby for me!
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Another reason to spin, or do any hobby really, is because it's an enjoyable break from the tasks demanded by work and home. I don't know why it's enjoyable, because all of my hobbies are a lot of work and kind of stressful. Instead, I should probably just sit around for awhile and rest, maybe even meditate if I felt like I just had to be at least minimally productive. However, I have an unrelenting compulsion to always be creating something. It seems to me, the pace of human evolution has not caught up with technological advancements, and while I don't need to create stuff anymore, I still want to on some deep biological level. Whether if it's during a movie, on a long road trip, as a close friend is breaking some important news to me, while enjoying a day at the beach, or even in the middle of pretty good sex, I'm half distracted thinkin' 'bout craftin'. There might be something wrong with me, but I'm going to indulge this ailment. The pill for which comes in many varieties, so why spinning? 

I could have chosen a million things to spend my scarce time on, but here's why I've chosen spinning in particular. It takes a long time to make very little. I've been doing this craft thing for decades, and feel guilty about all the garbage I've made in that lifetime. I, nor the world, needs one more goddamned tchotchke made out of upcycled wine corks and soda can tabs. I can make 10 soda can tab wine cork animals in one hour, or one hank of yarn in two months. Neither of these things does anyone need, but one of those activities creates less weird stuff that leaves friends and family wondering how long they have to wait to chuck it without seeming impolite.

Probably the most compelling reason for me to take up spinning is that I'm still recovering from my masters degree. I just can't get with this new life of not constantly studying something and writing about it. Spinning is a complex, historically rich and important practice that could easily fill such a gap for me. Being that I'm very interested in science, I'm pretty excited about the chemistry of fiber arts and am planning on writing about that as I learn. Additionally, spinning is a difficult and nuanced skill sure to frustrate and challenge the nervous system. While I'm sure these won't be the most transferable skills ever, I'm hopeful the nuisance of learning something new will buy me some extra time before the dementia sets in.

Also, my mother gave me a spinning wheel.

Anyway, in doing my preliminary research, I have learned yet another reason to spin. When society collapses (thanks Obama), those industrial processes I opened this post with will not be able to make fabric for you. So, if you want to be sure that you and yours survive long enough to be raptured, you better learn to make your own textiles. I read The Road. I'm not sure I'll have the time to make yarn.

So whatever your reason for picking up a hobby, I would encourage you to think of a few things as I have done, such that you have a sustainable purpose for the investment of your time. I've chosen spinning for the time being. What will you do?