Well, it had to happen sometime. After 25 years of knitting (and weaving, and sewing, and embroidering, and being generally obsessed with yarn-related crafts), I finally tipped over the edge. On Saturday at the Purple Purl, with a gift certificate (thanks, Tina!) burning a hole in my pocket, I succumbed to the siren song of a spindle. Of course, if I'm going to learn anything, there needs to be a book involved, so in addition to the beginner spindle and the oh-so-soft blue-faced Leicester fleece, Jennifer hooked me up with a copy of Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont. It's a comprehensive guide to using a drop spindle and it starts at the very beginning, which is perfect for a total novice like me. And believe me: I am a total novice. Let's just say that the way I thought a spindle worked, and the way a spindle actually works...are completely unrelated. Embarrassing! But this book is matter-of-fact and completely down-to-earth, which made it easier to bear. As long as I didn't spend too much time looking at the pictures of an 8-year-old Abby and her Peruvian friends spinning without even looking. Oh lordy, I've got a steep climb ahead of me. Then again, maybe it's not as hard as it seems? By Sunday night I had made about 8 inches of chunky me-made yarn. Hey, I had to start somewhere...Thankfully, there are also helpful videos to watch – like this one, Drop Spindle Basics. I'm looking forward to this learning journey – I'll be sure to post occasional progress reports. Have any of you got spinning tips and tricks to share with this rookie?