Pictured is 24 grams of flax roving on the left and 22 grams of flax single yarn and 2 grams of flax roving dressed on a distaff on the right. I would like to make a two-ply yarn so have divided my roving by weight in an attempt to get similar yardage. I can spin about 2 grams on a 30 minute walk, so it will be awhile until I ply.

Flax roving is an unusual preparation. Usually flax fibers can be measured in feet, but the staple length of this preparation is 1-5 inches. That is what I get for buying through a generic sales site rather than a fiber specific store, and not knowing anything about flax spinning prior to the purchase. It is a good learning experience on many fronts, however.

For spinning flax, author Stephenie Gaustad recommends wetting the point of contact between the leader and fibers to be drafted with moistened fingers. To facilitate this, I made a sponge bracelet. I cut a rectangle of sponge, sewed on some swim suit material, and slipped it over a metal cuff-style bracelet.

Before I start spinning, I wet the sponge. My favorite spit substitute is alcohol-free lens cleaner. I usually have a spray bottle for cleaning my glasses, so it is readily available for spinning use as well. And yes, I did try actual saliva, but since this is flax roving it has many short fibers that get caught on fingers and tongue. Yuck.

I’m continuing my quest to spin all the things, and I grabbed my purchased prepared flax roving and set out on a walk. Hm. Flax does not spin like wool.

After the initial (abysmal) trial, I pulled up a book on spinning flax (and yes, I often do my research after trying on my own). There are several different preparations of flax. I did not have the yard-long fibers, I had combed top roving, which has a staple length of about 5-8 inches. The Practical Spinner’s Guide – Cotton, Flax, Hemp recommends using a distaff to hold the fibers. My sister gave me a distaff, but I hadn’t successfully used it yet. So I separated out sections of roving, pulled out the distaff, a handkerchief (also from my sister), and some cord, and “dressed the distaff”.

I changed up spindles as well. The freshly spun flax single is stiff, and the book’s author (Stephenie Gaustad) recommends wrapping the yarn at a low angle along the shaft to minimize bend. So I pulled out one of my top whorl student spindles with a long shaft. Drafting is different too. I tend toward worsted draw (short draw, keeping fibers aligned) but do rely on a little twist to draft out the fibers. Most spinners fall somewhere on the worsted to woolen draft spectrum as a default. Spinning flax I need to pull out the fibers, hold them, then let the twist in. It is a two handed operation (or at least a four opposing digit task). Flax also doesn’t need or want as much twist. If I spin the spindle too vigorously the thread snaps. I have dropped my spindle many, many times. I’m learning to give a gentle spin. It is enough.

I am gaining a deep sympathy for the miller’s daughter in Rumpelstiltskin. If it was flax she was spinning (which honestly looks like straw and is spun into valuable linen), and her Dad had a tendency to the poetic embellishment, and the king was literal minded and greedy… well. Stuck in a room full of the wrong kind and preparation of straw with a spinning wheel (that was also probably the wrong kind), I can see her despair. It is still too bad that her cleverness didn’t extend to explaining metaphor, but not all of us are quick with the spoken word.