I use yarn at times for my quilting projects and I was thinking about taking a class to learn to 'spin my own yarn'. The course description says, "Learn the ancient and meditative art of spinning your own yarn on a drop spindle". Has anyone done this before?

yes, I spin my yarn on a drop spindle and also an old ashford spinning wheel

I live in Indiana

Wow!

Oh my, is it difficult? I love Indiana too, I just moved to SoCal from northern IN, near South Bend :)

MPO is that anytime you can learn something new you should do it. Since you're all ready interested in it you'd probably really enjoy the class or then again you might totally reject the idea but at least you'll know.

Crafty Bear! Do you buy your own wool or do you raise sheep?

Are you being silly? I hate Elkhart County,
Kosciusko County!

Woooooo....do you actually USE your spinning wheel? We need pics!!!

And, I've tried drop spindle. I was not very good at it. Didn't care to practice enough to GET good at it, either. So, I just buy handspun from the experts. :D

I used to spin, too, before I learned how to quilt. It's a very relaxing thing to do...but I'm sure if I had to make enough yarn to make clothing I wouldn't have enjoyed it so much!

I sold my wheel a long time ago, and I'm not sure I could use a drop spindle any more. I made one sweater out of home spun yarn, then moved on to other things.

I've used a drop spindle, and it is fairly easy to learn - plus, you can't beat the price (as compared to say, a spinning wheel).

I don't do it as a regular thing, but the first yarn I made with it, while lumpy, was useable.

I've used a drop spindle. My mom was big into spinning her own yarn when I was younger, and I went with her to spinning meetings with a little group about once a month. She made me my own drop spindle (out of a dowel rod and a CD actually) and I did it for awhile before (as a young teenager) I tired of it. :P She kept it up for awhile, sometimes using alpaca wool, I think, from one of our neighbors.

Wow.....that is so cool to spin your own yarn. I've never come across anything to be able to do that with but totally admire each of you who do.

I have not taken any classes. Knitting is in my blood. However, i would just you to go for the classes to learn great things and hence produce the better quality quilts.

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ashford spinning wheel

Yep, I have. It was fun to learn, but I won't be doing it except to say I can.

For all the three handed people here, it would be really easy. Otherwise it takes some work. But I'm glad I learned.

A bit of a climate change, huh?

In a previous life I was a teacher. We took a group of 8 year olds to experience old crafts of the Vikings. We did wood turning and spinning. Our drop spinning experience was with a pencil. We all adults and children piked it up very quickly and one of the children was fantastic just had the knack. I loved the wood turning.
Go have a go. I did a landscape course, and discovered I I hated it made one no more. My friend even hated doing one undid all she had done. As quilters we need to be open and have a go just like those children no pressure and also best person showing you, no reading a book and having questions and no answers . Go girl go.

My oldest DD is a knitter/spinner/dyer.

She taught herself to knit when she was 9, and to spin when she was 14. She is now 28 and has a hand dye shop on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/HippiePengu...ref=ss_profile

Anyway, she can spin on a drop spindle or any wheel...she used to have 5 of them, including a great wheel. However, she has downsized now and has only a couple. She even made a drop spindle out of a CD once...

Oh, and Indiana is AWESOME! :)

SW Indiana is for sure!