I’m Llyn Payne and I was a knitter long before ever thinking of spinning. In 1982, my husband and I bought a one acre property with a great home and a large weed problem. So we got a couple of sheep - my husband saw self-propelling lawn mowers and fertilizer spreaders; I saw sweaters on the hoof. The only problem was that I knew nothing of sheep, wool, or spinning. I bought a book, some hand cards, and a wheel . . . what else could one possibly need? I had my knitting and my weaving and only planned to spin enough wool for a couple of sweaters and maybe an afghan if there was enough wool left. Little did I suspect two sheep and one spinning wheel might just lead to a lifetime passion . . . or, as my husband would call it, an obsession.
Six years after I first touched a spinning wheel, we bought a small sheep farm in southwest Oregon. The more I spun, the more fascinated I became and I began collecting spinning wheels and delving into the technical aspects of spinning and into spinning different fibers . . . cotton, flax, silk, dog hair, dryer lint, even the cat wasn’t safe. Note: spinners wishing to try cat fur should harvest the fur with gentle grooming methods. Cats do not take too kindly to being sheared.
Besides doing a lot of self study and a whole lot of practice spinning, I took every workshop and seminar on spinning that I could and have been most fortunate to have learned tips and techniques from some of the best spinners out there: Judith McKenzie-McCuin, Rita Buchanan, Celia Quinn, Jeri Lucas, Deb Menz, Elaine Almquist - all gracious and knowledgeable teachers.
The members of my local spinning guild have also contributed much to my understanding of spinning and honored me by their recommendation for a SOAR scholarship in 1998 which gave me the opportunity to meet many accomplished spinners.
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