Popular Wheel Mechanics on DVD
I readily admit to being an Interweave junkie. I get 4 of their e-newsletters, am subscribed to two of their magazines and own way more of their books than I care to admit to but the bookshelves groan accusingly.... Suffice it to say that when they turned their publishing sights to video I am SO there! Some of their latest offerings revolve around spinning (pun intended) so of course I just had to indulge!
Let me begin by saying that if you only ever buy one DVD on spinning this should be "IT" for SO many reasons! It's no wonder Judith is in such demand as a teacher for workshops at Fiber Fests, Conferences etc etc. Her voice is well modulated and easy to listen to. She exudes a relaxed confidence that is contagious. Her manner is laid back and confraternal - she might be "the teacher" but she's really just one of the girls passing along some helpful advice, you know? To me, this is the true mark of a Master (much like Elizabeth Zimmerman), she does not condescend or "instruct" in a preachy way, in fact her whole approach is conversational. You feel more like you're sharing a cuppa' than taking a class. However, the sheer volume of information she gives out means I'll be watching this DVD more than once!
I consider myself to be an intermediate spinner, not a raw novice anymore, but still with a great deal to learn. This DVD gave me a glimpse of the scope of just how much there is to learn! The funny thing is, most of this learning must be hands-on. You can't acquire it from reading a book, you simply have to "do" it and with Judith as a guide the road ahead is a lot less daunting! I really think this is what has been missing all along with my spinning journey - a chance to actually see how things are done and just as important, have a thorough wheel investigation. I have begun to realize that understanding my wheels better is key to progressing as a spinner. Seeing the difference even small adjustments makes, and also realizing (with some small satisfaction, I might add) that some of the things I am already doing by blind fumbling, are, in fact, very much correct. It's a very pleasant thing to find that one actually has SOME spinning instincts! LOL!!
The other thing that surprised me, is that, in a previous post I said that if you ever own only ONE book on spinning it should be this one - and guess who wrote it? That's right! Judith MacKenzie!! Go figure! I never made the connection until after I watched the DVD!
I consider myself to be an intermediate spinner, not a raw novice anymore, but still with a great deal to learn. This DVD gave me a glimpse of the scope of just how much there is to learn! The funny thing is, most of this learning must be hands-on. You can't acquire it from reading a book, you simply have to "do" it and with Judith as a guide the road ahead is a lot less daunting! I really think this is what has been missing all along with my spinning journey - a chance to actually see how things are done and just as important, have a thorough wheel investigation. I have begun to realize that understanding my wheels better is key to progressing as a spinner. Seeing the difference even small adjustments makes, and also realizing (with some small satisfaction, I might add) that some of the things I am already doing by blind fumbling, are, in fact, very much correct. It's a very pleasant thing to find that one actually has SOME spinning instincts! LOL!!
The other thing that surprised me, is that, in a previous post I said that if you ever own only ONE book on spinning it should be this one - and guess who wrote it? That's right! Judith MacKenzie!! Go figure! I never made the connection until after I watched the DVD!
So after giving this glowing review of one DVD I am putting in a short review of a second spinning DVD I bought from Interweave and then promptly sold - Start Spinning with Maggie Casey & Eunny Jang.
I guess I imagined that even a beginning spinning DVD would have some useful advice and tips that could help someone who has already been spinning for a little while - wrong! I don't want to mislead - it's not a horrid-waste-of-time DVD but it's very short on technical info and is mostly a pleasant Maggie-and-Eunny-spin-and-chat video. If you were interested in taking up spinning and had never touched a wheel, maybe this DVD would convince you to give it a try but it certainly wouldn't make you run out and buy a wheel and start a fiber stash! Maybe there is also some personal preference in this too, but I just didn't find Maggie's teaching style very engaging or relaxing. She is a talented and accomplished spinner but she certainly didn't make me feel like I could reach her level from anything she had to say. Let me qualify this opinion by saying that I bought this video, watched it then sold it and used the proceeds to purchase Popular Wheel Mechanics so it's not a question of having watched a superior teacher/production before viewing a lesser one. It's not "bad', it's just not "great" either. So if you happen to be browsing Interweave, thinking about purchasing one of their new spinning DVDs, this is my 2 cents on a couple of their videos. Cheers all! 
Posted by Gloria Patre at 6/2/2010 7:02 AM 
Categories: Spinning, Fiber, Books, Musings
Tags: DVD popular wheel mechanics review Judith MacKenzie
Categories: Spinning, Fiber, Books, Musings
Tags: DVD popular wheel mechanics review Judith MacKenzie
Comments