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 Now with New and Improved™ Images! Throughout the years, I have noticed a curious phenomenon, many of the knitters I spoke to or read their blogs had started researching and practicing spinning. This lead me to two conclusions: 1) I want to spin!, and 2) Knitting is a gateway drug. Spinning your own yarn gives you many benefits over buying yarn to craft with. - You make the EXACT yarn you want. want a tighter twist, you got it. Want a wool singles yarn with low twist, make it! - You spend less money vs. time when you spin your own yarn. That $60 of roving you bought now has to be turned into yarn, which you can then knit/crochet/weave/tat/felt/dreadlock/whatever. You get two crafts for the price of one. - I find it INCREDIBLY soothing. Just me and fibers working together. I've been spinning like crazy due to a few high stress situations in my life right now. - If you are nerdy, you get a geek high from doing something that has been done the same way for centuries, not to mention all of the mechanics of it. I. SPINNING HISTORY (paraphrased from wikipedia) No one really knows when a caveman (or cavemom) twirled some grass fibers together and discovered they're stronger that way, but archaeological evidence in the form of representation of string skirts has been dated to the Upper Paleolithic era, some 20,000 years ago. In the most primitive type of spinning, tufts of animal hair or plant fiber are rolled down the thigh with the hand, and additional tufts are added as needed until the desired length of spun fiber is achieved. Later on, the fiber was fastened to a stone which was twirled around until the yarn is sufficiently twisted, then it was wound around the stone and the process repeated over and over. Later on, people discovered handling a stick was easier than constantly rolling a string down your thigh. At first, the stick was just a stick, with a notch or hook carved in the end, and it was still rolled on the thigh. Then weight was added (like the stone from before), and the drop spindle was born! Drop spindles with whorls (the weighted disk) showed up in the Neolithic Era. The spinning jenny, a multi-spool spinning wheel was invented in 1764 by James Hargreaves, and hand spinning started to became a poor person's requirement, instead of something that most women did for clothing. It regained some popularity as people began to reject industrialization in their lives and even more exposure as modern people have the time and money, but people still give you a funny look when you say you spin your own yarn. II. SPINNING TOOLS a) Drop Spindles A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a wooden spike (known as the shaft) used for spinning wool, flax, hemp, cotton, and pretty much anything into thread. It is commonly weighted at either the bottom, middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object called a whorl, and may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without these are also common. Spindle whorls have been found in archaeological digs around the world. Modern spindles are commonly available in high-whorl, low-whorl, center whorl, or supported varieties. In a high-whorl spindle, the whorl sits very close to the top of the shaft. A hook is placed on the top of the shaft to secure the developing yarn, and the newly-spun yarn is wound around the shaft underneath the whorl. In a low-whorl spindle, the whorl sits near the bottom of the shaft. The newly spun yarn is wound around the shaft just above the whorl. If there is a hook at the upper end of the shaft, the yarn is spiral-wound up the shaft and caught in the hook; if there is no hook at the top, then the yarn is spiral-wound up the shaft and secured with one half hitch (or more, for slippery fibers) at the top. Some low whorl spindles are notched at the top of the shaft to keep the half hitch secured, although this is not necessary. An alternate method of securing the yarn involves passing it down over the edge of the whorl, around the bottom end of the shaft, and back up over the whorl to be secured with a half hitch at the top of the shaft. b) Supported Spindles Supported spindles are used mainly where the yarn is ether too thin to support a drop spindle on its own, or where the short staple length of the fiber prevents most spindle types of drafting to be used. Supported spindles are usually bottom-whorl, or the whole drat spindle is the whorl. The bottom of the spindle is sat either in a rounded dish, or on the ground. c) Wheels History The earliest clear illustrations of the spinning wheel come from Baghdad (drawn in 1237), China (c. 1270) and Europe (c. 1280), and there is evidence that spinning wheels had already come into use in both China and the Islamic world during the eleventh century. According to Irfan Habib, the spinning wheel was introduced into India from Iran in the thirteenth century. According to Mark Elvin, 14th century Chinese technical manuals describe an automatic water-powered spinning wheel. Comparable devices were not developed in Europe until the 18th century. However, it fell into disuse when fiber production shifted from hemp to cotton. It was forgotten by the 17th century. The spinning wheel replaced the earlier method of hand spinning with a spindle. The first stage in mechanizing the process was mounting the spindle horizontally so it could be rotated by a cord encircling a large, hand-driven wheel. The great wheel is an example of this type, where the fiber is held in the left hand and the wheel slowly turned with the right. Holding the fiber at a slight angle to the spindle produced the necessary twist. The spun yarn was then wound onto the spindle by moving it so as to form a right angle with the spindle. This type of wheel, while known in Europe by the 14th century, was not in general use until later. It ultimately was used there to spin a variety of yarns until the beginning of the 19th century and the mechanization of spinning. In general, the spinning technology was known for a long time before being adopted by the majority of people, thus making it hard to fix dates of the improvements. In 1533, a citizen of Brunswick is said to have added a treadle, by which the spinner could rotate her spindle with one foot and have both hands free to spin. Leonardo da Vinci drew a picture of the flyer, which twists the yarn before winding it onto the spindle. During the 16th century a treadle wheel with flyer was in common use, and gained such names as the Saxony wheel and the flax wheel. It sped up production, as one needn't stop spinning to wind up the yarn. Numerous types of spinning wheels exist, including the great wheel also known as walking wheel or wool wheel for rapid long draw spinning of woolen-spun yarns; the flax wheel, which is a double-drive wheel used with a distaff for spinning linen; saxony and upright wheels, all-purpose treadle driven wheels used to spin worsted-spun yarns; and the charkha, native to Asia. Until the acceptance of rotor spinning wheel, all yarns were produced by aligning fibers through drawing techniques and then twisting the fiber together. With rotor spinning, the fibers in the roving are separated, thus open end, and then wrapped and twisted as the yarn is drawn out of the rotor cup. Hand powered wheels Hand powered spinning wheels are powered by the spinner turning a crank for flywheel with their hand, as opposed to pressing pedals or using a mechanical engine. The tabletop or floor charkha is one of the oldest known forms of the spinning wheel. The charkha works similarly to the great wheel, with a drive wheel being turned by hand, while the yarn is spun off the tip of the spindle.The floor charkha and the great wheel closely resemble each other. With both, the active spinning must stop in order to wind the yarn onto the spindle. The charkha (etymologically related to Chakra) was both a tool and a symbol of the Indian independence movement. The charkha, a small, portable, hand-cranked wheel, is ideal for spinning cotton and other fine, short-staple fibers, though it can be used to spin other fibers as well. The size varies, from that of a hardbound novel to the size of a briefcase, to a floor charkha. Mahatma Gandhi brought the charkha into larger use with his teachings. He hoped the charkha would assist the peoples of India achieve self-sufficiency and independence, and so used the charkha as a symbol of the Indian independence movement and included it on earlier versions of the Flag of India. The great wheel was one of the earlier types of spinning wheel. The fiber is held in the left hand and the wheel slowly turned with the right. This wheel is thus good for using the long-draw spinning technique, which requires only one active hand most of the time, thus freeing a hand to turn the wheel. The great wheel is usually used to spin wool, and can only be used with fiber preparations that are suited to long-draw spinning. The great wheel is usually over 5 feet or 1.5 meters in height. The large drive wheel turns the much smaller spindle assembly, with the spindle revolving many times for each turn of the drive wheel. The yarn is spun at an angle off the tip of the spindle, and is then stored on the spindle. To begin spinning on a great wheel, first a leader (a length of waste yarn) is tied onto the base of the spindle and spiraled up to the tip. Then the spinner overlaps a handful of fiber with the leader, holding both gently together with the left hand, and begins to slowly turn the drive wheel clockwise with the right hand, while simultaneously walking backward and drawing the fiber in the left hand away from the spindle at an angle. The left hand must control the tension on the wool to produce an even result. Once a sufficient amount of yarn has been made, the spinner turns the wheel backward a short distance to unwind the spiral on the spindle, then turns it clockwise again, and winds the newly made yarn onto the spindle, finishing the wind-on by spiraling back out to the tip again to make another draw. Treadle wheels This type of wheel is powered by the spinner's foot rather than their hand or a motor. The spinner sits and pumps a foot treadle that turns the drive wheel via a crankshaft and a connecting rod. This leaves both hands free for drafting the fibers, which is necessary in the short draw spinning technique, which is often used on this type of wheel. The old-fashioned pointed distaff spindle is not a common feature of the treadle wheel. Instead, most modern wheels employ a flyer-and-bobbin system which twists the yarn and winds it onto a spool simultaneously. These wheels can be single- or double-treadle; which is a matter of preference and does not affect the operation of the wheel. Double drive The double drive wheel is named after its drive band, which goes around the spinning wheel twice. The drive band turns the flyer, which is the horse-shoe shaped piece of wood surrounding the bobbin, as well as the bobbin. Due to a difference in the size of the whorls (the round pieces or pulleys around which the drive band runs) the bobbin whorl, which has a smaller radius than the flyer whorl, turns slightly faster. Thus both the flyer and bobbin rotate to twist the yarn, and the difference in speed continually winds the yarn onto the bobbin. Generally the speed difference or "ratio" is adjusted by the size of the whorls and the tension of the drive band. The drive band on the double drive wheel is generally made from a non-stretch yarn or twine; candlewick is also used. Single drive A single drive wheel has one drive band, that goes around the fly-wheel and the bobbin or the flyer. Most of the drive bands for single drive wheels are made from synthetic cord, which is elastic and does not slip easily on the wheel. While the spinner is making new yarn, the bobbin and the flyer turn in unison, but when the spinner wants to wind the yarn onto the bobbin, the bobbin or the flyer slows down and thus the yarn winds on. The one part slows down because of the brake band, which loops over that element. The tighter the brake band is, the more pull on the yarn, because the more friction the bobbin has to overcome in order to turn in sync with the flyer. EXAMPLES OF WHEEL STYLES GREAT WHEEL  CHARKHA  SAXONY  CASTLE  IRISH  NORWEGIAN  MODERN  d) Accessories With spinning, you can buy fiber to spin, or shave your cat or something, but you'll usually need some extras to help you along. CARDERS Carders, drum carders,combs, flicker brushes, are all used to prepare your chosen fiber. All work in different ways to get the fiber opened up and pointed in generally the same direction. You can spend a ton of money to get a drum carder, or less money to get hand carders. Or you could use a dog brush. All have degress of cost vs. effectiveness. Most spinning tools, like everything, you have a system of cheap, high quality (including or limited to looks), and fast/easy to obtain. You get to pick two of the above. For example, a swift is a spinny holder thing for skeins (big loop) of wound yarn. You put it on the swift, and the swift holds it taught and rotates so you can unwind the skein into a ball winder or throw it around your house, whatever. You can buy a pretty maplewood handmade swift and get it overnighted to your house, but it will cost you. You can turn your desk chair over and use the holes for the wheels to hold sharpie pens and use that as a swift, but it will look funny and your husband will laugh at you. (you are also limited to the size of skeins you can wind/unwind on it). NIDDY NODDY *now improved with picture to compliment awkward description!* Imagine a length of tubing or wood, about a foot long or so, at one end of the stick is a shorter stick at a right angle to the main stick (like a letter T). At the other end is another short piece, but at the OTHER right angle to the main stick. Ummmm, if you laid it down on a table, one short piece would stand upright ( "y axis"), the main stick would lay left to right ("x axis") and the other short stick would lay from front to back ("z axis"). You wind yarn by hand, looping it over both sticks to make a skein.  III. SPINNING MATERIALS (FIBERS) I'm not going to talk all day about fibers. Let me make this easy for you all: Do you see something? yes? ok, you can probably find someone that has spun it. Wool, silk, alpaca, bunny, cat, dog, goat, human, wolf, all sorts of hair. Synthetic fibers, paper, metal wire, feathers, plant fibers of any type, dryer lint, prepared sewing thread, coffee filters, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN SPIN IT, DO IT. Look across Etsy for all the random crap people will spin together. wanna cut up old shirts and spin it? ok. With spinning, you can also add any sort of things to your yarn as well. Want sparkles or beads on just one ply? Gears for steampunk yarn? Dangly crap to make a sweater look like a yeti? you can do it all. You can make perfectly twisted and even three ply sock yarn with wool and nylon and silk, or you can make a thick-and-thin yarn that goes from laceweight to super-bulky with lumps of sari silk and dog hair, with bits of wooden beads and bottle caps spun it. Fiber usually comes in a few different preparations. (this is what I remember right now) a) Roving - This is a thicker 'snake' of fiber, all of the individual fibers are usually pointing the same way, but it's poofy, over an inch thick, and you can spin worsted or woolen with it, depending on method. b) sliver, or silver: This is done with the viking combs described by FelicityGS below. After you get this wonderfully combed "mass", you pull it through a small disk with a hole in it. You end up with a thin strip of fibers all perfectly aligned. This is most easily used to spin worsted (AFAIK) c) Bats - These come off of drum carders. Picture that sheet of dryer lint you pull out after washing socks. You can get these in great color arrangements, with many different fibers mixed in. d) Rologs - you make these yourself with hand carders. The fibers are usually perpendicular to the length of the rolog. Like the big rear end shredded wheat biscut your grandma would give you for breakfast. You card out some fiber, and then roll the bat together off of the carder. Great for spinning worsted. IV. COMMON METHODS (really short descriptions) Worsted - Smooth, shiny, silky, heavier, drape. Usually fibers are all parallel, and there is less air in this yarn. Woolen - Fluffy, poofy, warm, light. Fibers have a bit more leeway on where they go, and more crimp. More air, and makes a warmer, lighter garment, usually with more "spring". V. GREAT EXAMPLES Please talk about spinning, show off your bad-rear end wheel, spindle, or million-ply dryer lint yarn! (also tell me where you bough that really pretty niddy-noddy, please) Amykinz fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Aug 12, 2010 18:39
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There is also combing, which uses hand combs to align the fibers nearly parallel. It opens up the locks at the same time, and gets rid of the shorter bits. It's great for cleaning out dirt, knots, and gross bits, and tends to cause nepps much less than carding does. I find combing easier than carding, though the tools look like death. Here's two pictures of my two pitch (pitch = number of rows) Viking combs: Click here for the full 1024x768 image.  Click here for the full 1024x768 image. I find I prefer combing, despite how much waste it produces, to carding. And, um, here are pictures of my spindles. Mr. Happy Ram, who weighs .67 ounces  Click here for the full 1280x960 image. Brimstone, an agate whorl spindle weighing 1.8 ounces  Monster, a 3 ounce spindle  Click here for the full 768x1024 image. Betta, my lace spindle weighing .7 ounces  Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Malachite, the only bottom whorl spindle I have, weighing 1.2 ounces  Click here for the full 768x1024 image. Why yes, I do name all of them. Please don't judge me.  I do not own a wheel, though there is a good chance I'll be receiving a Kromski Sonata for Christmas. Cross fingers. I do a lot of hand carding and combing, as well as buying already dyed roving. I collect fleeces like dogs collect flees. One of my current projects is to finish off the lace I'm spinning now: .jpg) Click here for the full 768x1024 image. which is being spun from a mystery batt (just random fibers). I have maybe .2 ounces left go out of .8. No idea what I'll make with it. I've actually only made stuff with my handspun twice--a pair of socks in progress and a scarf also in progress. I just like spinning. 
felgs fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Aug 12, 2010 |
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Aug 12, 2010 20:24
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I used to have this crappy drop spindle thing made of a stick, two cds stuck to the shaft with this rubber thing and a hook at the end. That was ages ago and I've long since lost it. I made the wobbliest cotton yarn with it.  Memories~Also, where does everyone--well, you two, it seems--get your fiber? Is there a place to get pre carded/combed fiber? I'm so tempted to get into spinning since I haven't found the perfect yarn yet. FelicityGS posted:Why yes, I do name all of them. Please don't judge me.  I feel like making a Fandom!Secret out of this. "If you've been spinning for X long and haven't named your spindle I JUDGE YOU B!S I still haven't and I've spun for 52 years. Noun anon is noun."
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Aug 13, 2010 02:46
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Wedemeyer posted:Also, where does everyone--well, you two, it seems--get your fiber? Is there a place to get pre carded/combed fiber? I'm so tempted to get into spinning since I haven't found the perfect yarn yet. Oh, honey, just you wait! You can get prepared fiber at many yarn shops, or order it off the net. Etsy has a HUGE amount of any fiber you can think of, in any color you'd ever want. I have two different colors of silk roving, and some wool right now from Etsy. I also bought a fleece of a friend who's husband shears, so I have all of that to work with too. Check google for "whateverfiber Wedemeyer wants roving" or bats or whatever. Several yarn sites also carry roving now. Paradise Fibers carries a wide array of fibers in great colors. I just spun up some Targhee Roving in the colorway Indian Corn, and it is beautiful. Is there a particular fiber you're looking for?
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Aug 13, 2010 04:16
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Okay, i'm still very new to spinning (with a drop spindle) and i'm finding my yarn curls up on itself, so is this because im spinning too tightly or is that normal/can be fixed by weighting it? I also get my fleece straight off the alpaca's back and when i'm carding it I get alot of slubs, is there something useful I can do with them like felting because I feel bad just throwing it away 
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Aug 13, 2010 10:26
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Wedemeyer posted:I used to have this crappy drop spindle thing made of a stick, two cds stuck to the shaft with this rubber thing and a hook at the end. That was ages ago and I've long since lost it. I made the wobbliest cotton yarn with it. I buy Shetland Fleeces from Windswept Farms when I have the money. A different shepherd usually asks if I want half of her ram's Romney fleece (which I do when I have the money, Wilbur spins like a dream). The Spinning Loft has samplers of raw fiber as well, which is fantastic. My dyed roving I usually buy off Etsy or dye myself. Usually Etsy. I also went to the Sheep and Wool Festival for my state, and bought a ton of stuff there. There are three other spinners in my knit group, and so I managed to get some pretty stuff from a stash bust as well. I'm boring; I always stick to the same few sellers on Etsy, same shepherds, and such. Spiteful posted:Okay, i'm still very new to spinning (with a drop spindle) and i'm finding my yarn curls up on itself, so is this because im spinning too tightly or is that normal/can be fixed by weighting it? How curling? If it's kinking and you can't straighten it easily when you go back to spinning, you're over spinning. The yarn wrapping on itself if you let up the tension is normally, as the twist is active and wants to balance. Usually, when you're done, even just throwing it in the sink and hanging it will fix it right up. As for the slubs that you don't want... the alpaca is still growing more fiber. The fiber will break down. It also makes good bedding for plants in winter. Trust me, no one will be upset your throwing away fiber you don't like.
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Aug 13, 2010 13:11
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I'm still a newbie spinner, although I've been knitting and crocheting all my life. I learned to spin on a drop spindle in March and then in May took a beginning wheel class - I went back two weeks later and bought the wheel! It's a Majacraft Pioneer and I lovelovelove it.  
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Aug 15, 2010 03:35
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Amykinz posted:Oh, honey, just you wait! You can get prepared fiber at many yarn shops, or order it off the net. Etsy has a HUGE amount of any fiber you can think of, in any color you'd ever want. I have two different colors of silk roving, and some wool right now from Etsy. I also bought a fleece of a friend who's husband shears, so I have all of that to work with too. Probably mainly cotton, for it's inexpensiveness and 'cause I'm allergic to wool and maybe alpaca too. I think this thread and google shopping is seriously trying to get me into spinning. I just spent a good two hours on etsy looking at roving. I really want to go all out and get a drop spindle so I have an excuse to buy this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/37209517/alien-nightfall-hand-painted-falkland Sadly, I don't know if my allergies could stand spinning all of it, much less knit something out of it. But the colors are so interesting!
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Aug 15, 2010 04:54
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Maybe you could see if there's anyone who'd be willing to try similar colours on cotton? The thought of being allergic to wool gives me nightmares. I hate working with cotton. Sucks all the moisture out of my skin and feels horrible on my hands. I know it's not that way for everyone, but it is for me.
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Aug 15, 2010 05:32
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Wedemeyer posted:'cause I'm allergic to wool and maybe alpaca too. Check this out: Amy Singer, one of the editors of Knitty, is allergic to wool as well. This is her columns on learning how to spin non-wooly stuff, starting chronologically at the bottom of this archives page
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Aug 15, 2010 05:38
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I used to spin in college because I found out that the student store sold large ziploc bags FILLED with roving for $10 each. I'm sure I pissed off some poor fiber arts student by buying them out all of the time.  Sadly I had to give it up since it was a rather expensive hobby out of college, but one day I'll start it up again. I want to make pretty, pretty yarn!
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Aug 15, 2010 06:44
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Gorgeous stuff! I love the beauty of a wooden spinning wheel, it's functional art to me. Thanks for all the informative posts, I love reading about this. I've become a total fiber junkie since teaching myself how to crochet and knit a few months ago. I always loved fabrics and yarns, but never did a thing with them because I didn't find the right medium. I don't really enjoy sewing, and even though my mother knitted and crocheted, I somehow never got the yarn bug. Now it's a chronic condition, completely incurable and life long. I am so looking forward to trying spinning when I have a bigger house. I live alone, and have three smallish bedrooms. Only one is free of craft supplies. Spinning is just one more thing to look forward to!
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Aug 15, 2010 17:57
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I have a drop spindle and a wheel, but I haven't spun in a couple years.  My daddy made this wheel out of stuff in the basement! He's an engineer and woodworking is his main hobby, so he can do stuff like that.  Some art yarn I spun--making art yarn is so much fun but then I have all this yarn that I don't know what to do with (seriously, tons of it).
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Aug 18, 2010 21:45
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HelloIAmYourHeart posted:
Next time I do a yarn trade thread I'm sure some knitter will be happy to take it off your hands sweet jesus look at that yarn I mean daaaaaaamn
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Aug 18, 2010 21:54
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Yeah I am all about playing with yarn. I'm trying so hard to drop spindle on and off but I really need to find someone to just show me in person what the hell I am doing wrong, which is pretty much what happened with knitting. Try to do it myself with books and Youtube, not so much. Someone in person, I pick it up in less than 12 hours.
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Aug 18, 2010 22:39
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Captain Stinkybutt posted:Yeah I am all about playing with yarn. I'm trying so hard to drop spindle on and off but I really need to find someone to just show me in person what the hell I am doing wrong, which is pretty much what happened with knitting. Try to do it myself with books and Youtube, not so much. Someone in person, I pick it up in less than 12 hours. I'm in the same position, I'm gonna have to take a class or something on it. It's surprisingly hard to find a place that offers lessons, though. I live near a major city, dammit, it shouldn't be this much trouble! I am also infinitely jealous of you people with wheels, they're almost prohibitively expensive. I tried looking up plans to build my own, despite my complete lack of woodworking skills, but I did find plans for one made out of PVC piping.
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Aug 18, 2010 23:06
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Captain Stinkybutt posted:Yeah I am all about playing with yarn. I'm trying so hard to drop spindle on and off but I really need to find someone to just show me in person what the hell I am doing wrong, which is pretty much what happened with knitting. Try to do it myself with books and Youtube, not so much. Someone in person, I pick it up in less than 12 hours. I still find it very difficult to draft on the drop spindle unless I park it first. I spin and pinch left-handed and draft right-handed, so one thing I've found that helps me is to concentrate on letting my left hand slide up to my right after I've elongated the drafting triangle. It does take a while to get the muscle memory down but so far it seems like riding a bike, or touch-typing - once you've got it, you've got it. Trying to spin some silk caps now on my small, cheap student top-whorl before I put it on the wheel. It's definitely a different experience, something like a 6-8 inch staple length.  Some fibers draft more easily than others. What kind of roving have you tried spinning?
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Aug 18, 2010 23:45
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TastesLikeChicken posted:I still find it very difficult to draft on the drop spindle unless I park it first. I spin and pinch left-handed and draft right-handed, so one thing I've found that helps me is to concentrate on letting my left hand slide up to my right after I've elongated the drafting triangle. It does take a while to get the muscle memory down but so far it seems like riding a bike, or touch-typing - once you've got it, you've got it. BFL, which is supposed to be the easiest thing in the world. It is in big lumps and I have some batting but I don't really have a way to try carding it if that's what I'm supposed to be doing oh god I don't even know
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Aug 19, 2010 01:36
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I find roving easier, if only because all the fibers are pretty and lined up. Batts can just seem to slip away for me. You can try predrafting. If you take the batting and tear it into strips, and then tug a bit over staple-length apart, you can help loosen the fibers so they'll slide by each other easier, and thus be easier to spin.
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Aug 19, 2010 02:07
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BFL is luscious, so is Corriedale. You may want to try some combed top, or pencil roving instead of batts, or try tearing them into strips like Felicity suggested. It may help too if you try looping a section of the fiber over your index finger, and tease it out a little from the center until you can draft and spin from there, what's called spinning from the fold. I find usually, though, that just predrafting a section before I spin it is the most effective. My instructor also told me that some rovings will draft more easily in one direction than another, so try both ends, maybe? Good luck! Once it clicks and you get it down, you'll love it.
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Aug 19, 2010 03:24
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Lately I've really been enjoying spinning uncombed locks of alpaca, or any old thing. I joined a raw fiber club and so far there's been rambouillet, superfine merino, alpaca, kid mohair and way more. It's been so much fun. The thing I'm most proud of lately is this: I did one single of East Fresian Lamb (from the raw fleece club) and the other single was local alpaca carded with silk noil) Then I plyed them, and I'm really please with how it turned out. It reminds me of this field near my old house where all the tall grass was yellow and white, but it was dotted with wildflowers. ..Oh man I sound like a weiner. Here it is:   
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Aug 19, 2010 04:15
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That is super pretty.
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Aug 19, 2010 16:10
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I'm so happy to find this thread! I've wanted to try spinning and all the books I've seen on it are way too artsy or Earth Mother for me. And if they're not, they assume I have some clue about what's going on. I don't. That's why when I visited Lorna's Laces, I freaked out when I saw a bag of what I thought was roving and bought it and then realized I've never seen roving that looks like this. It looks like someone shaved a purple sheep. Which is pretty awesome, but not so good if a total beginner would like to make some yarn. I've learned more from this thread than any book so far. Does anyone have any good resources for beginners that they'd recommend? A LYS does offer spinning classes but it's not my favorite store and I'd rather not go to them unless it's a last resort. They also focus on wheels and I'd like to use a drop spindle. I've sunk enough money into this yarn thing for a while.
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Aug 19, 2010 17:00
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If the fiber you bought from Lorna's Laces was more locks than roving, I would suggest getting a pair of dog brushes (cheap carding equipment!) and card it until it's a bit closer to roving and more easily spinnable. Also, if its locks, I would do as much pre-drafting as you feel comfortable with.
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Aug 19, 2010 19:41
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Abby F.'s (it's a crazy name I can't recall, Franquemont or somesuch) Respect the Spindle is probably one of the best drop spindle beginner books. If you're purely visual, there are tons of clear pictures--and you could feasible try and find a copy of the DVD. I wish it had been around when I started to spin.
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Aug 19, 2010 21:15
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FelicityGS posted:Abby F.'s (it's a crazy name I can't recall, Franquemont or somesuch) Respect the Spindle is probably one of the best drop spindle beginner books. If you're purely visual, there are tons of clear pictures--and you could feasible try and find a copy of the DVD. I wish it had been around when I started to spin. Cool, thanks! I'll look for it at Stitches tomorrow! Last year there were a couple of vendors with spinning stuff and everyone carries Interweave books. Oh hey. My library just got that. More money for yarn! Or a spindle. I forgot that I got an old book/pamphlet on home spinning last week. I figured for two bucks it couldn't hurt to get it. And this way I have at least one book that goes over spindles.
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Aug 20, 2010 04:32
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The straw. Oh bloody buggering hell, the straw.  I have a friend who lives right next to a llama farm, and is good friends with the owners. He told them I spin, to which they replied I could have as much llama hair as I wanted since they weren't doing anything else with it. The following day they gave my friend a postbag full of llama hair they had combed out of their llamas. He then sent this on to me. If you have ever worked on a farm, you can see where this is going. The farm owners didn't think to give the llamas a blow dry (OK, so I have no idea how llamas work, I admit it) before harvesting their lovely soft fur. As a result, about half of what I have is straw, which is not exactly useful in the spinning process. Since shaking and carding has had no effect, I've been picking it all out by hand. Fun fact: I've also found three dead ladybirds, half a peacock feather, and a baby sock. Does anyone have any idea how the gently caress I can get all of this straw out of my llama hair without spending hours on it?
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Sep 9, 2010 01:33
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Lay it out on a wire rack. Wire, mesh, anything with slots big enough for stuff to fall through but not the hair. Loosen the hair up as much as possible without losing lock structure. Get a stick (or two) and beat the ever loving crap out of it. You'll be amazed how much dirt/straw will fall out. Not all, but a lot will. What's left may be easier to comb out. If not comb, it will likely either a) fall out while spinning or b)be much easier to pull out before you let it get twisted in.
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Sep 9, 2010 02:21
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I got a "Learn to Spin" kit for Christmas...god, it wasn't even last year, it was the year before I think. Tried it a little bit and then got too busy to screw around with it. Then the other day it finally happened: I was in the yarn store buying yarn I don't need and accidentally slipped and bought some roving I don't need either. It was only three dollars though! C'mon! What am I supposed to do?! It's Louet Merino/Silk. Now, I'm not so dumb as to think I'm going to be able to spin that right away - for one thing it's so pretty I hardly want to touch it and for another I'm pretty sure these things are sort of difficult to spin for a beginner, being somewhat slippery? Or am I totally wrong? Maybe I am just that dumb. Anyway, I pulled out the learn to spin kit to try again and holy crap I am SO BAD AT THIS. The 'yarn' I made is gently caress off huge and the...the twist doesn't want to stay in it. Maybe I'm underspinning? drat, I barely have time to knit. Stupid pretty yarn.
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Sep 9, 2010 03:04
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Aeglowyn posted:
Have you tried washing it yet? Take a SMALL wad of the hair, and lay it gently into a bucket/sink/vat of warm or room temperature water. Leave it for a few hours. The hair will eventually take on enough water to sink, or at least become neutrally buoyant, and the straw should still be somewhat floaty. (THIS IS ALL SPECULATION)
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Sep 9, 2010 03:19
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Aeglowyn posted:Does anyone have any idea how the gently caress I can get all of this straw out of my llama hair without spending hours on it? Okay, I got an idea. Keep all of the dirt/straw/dead animals in. Spin it as much as you can that way, and sell it on etsy as ALL NATURAL WOOL FROM MOTHER EARTH. Charge ten times the going price.
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Sep 9, 2010 03:41
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Wandering Knitter posted:Okay, I got an idea. This, too, is also an entirely viable option. Jeez, some of the things people will buy. Bob Shadycharacter Don't worry about your first yarns. They really really won't look like anything but art yarn. If it is coming apart in the thick sections, you do need to add more twist. I always say a little overtwist is a lot better than undertwist; if you ever decide to ply, you need that bit of overtwist anyway. Again, don't fret. You need to let your muscles get used to the movement. A lot of spinning is in the muscle memory--no matter how much your brain knows, it will not make your muscles remember it. So be patient. Use park and draft if you have to, and put it together later. I made a scarf for my mom with my first yarn. I knew she'd appreciate something that was all sorts of slubby and horrible, because I had made it. If you know anyone like that in your life, gift it to them. They will appreciate it. (Naturally, if they are not knit-worthy, they REALLY won't be handspun-worthy)
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Sep 9, 2010 05:02
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FelicityGS posted:Abby F.'s (it's a crazy name I can't recall, Franquemont or somesuch) Respect the Spindle is probably one of the best drop spindle beginner books. If you're purely visual, there are tons of clear pictures--and you could feasible try and find a copy of the DVD. I wish it had been around when I started to spin. You are a wonderful person for suggesting this, I went and bought it and it has been so helpful. I swear just holding the book makes my spinning better. As far as the llama hair goes I have a similar problem with alpaca wool I get. My solution is to (very messily) tease all the hair apart which gets rid of most of the dirt and little bits and pieces while picking out larger things like baby socks. Then after its all teased and fluffy I put it into a luke warm bath with dishwashing liquid with very little stirring, if any (stirring may cause it to felt up) and when I lift it out of the bath I lay it on indoor clothes racks and let it dry. When dried I card it and by then the amount of foreign matter is significantly less and easier to get through  Also I feel that then the yarn is nice and clean ^.^
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Sep 9, 2010 08:10
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Spin the straw into gold, duh.
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Sep 9, 2010 11:06
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FelicityGS posted:This, too, is also an entirely viable option. Jeez, some of the things people will buy. Heh, ok! It's just tough, I took to knitting so easily that I have high expectations of myself. It's really hard to get the right amout of yarn to come out in the drafting triangle. It doesn't help that I feel like I'm "ruining" the fleece by spinning it all wrong. At least with knitting you can take it out and do it again...
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Sep 9, 2010 13:42
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Bob Shadycharacter posted:It doesn't help that I feel like I'm "ruining" the fleece by spinning it all wrong. At least with knitting you can take it out and do it again... You're not! Thick, chunky, uneven yarns are the beginning of an art yarn - you can just ply it later on with something laceweight or sparkly or otherwise fun, and use it for accessories like hair scrunchies or an accent in a larger piece. It might make a good edging for a sweater or hat, for example.
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Sep 10, 2010 00:23
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(PLEASE EXCUSE THE HORRIFIC CELLPHONE PICTURES) Roughly 400 (I think....) yards of Navajo-plyed Targhee wool. Roving was Mountain Colors Handpainted Roving from paradisefibers.net, in color "Indian Corn".  This spun up really easily, and there were only a couple problems, the main one being that I "plyed on the fly" while spindling the wool, (you spin a length, and then chain ply it before you wind it onto the spindle), and then spun one long single on the wheel. Guess who forgot to triple check the direction of spin when switching?  This is the first single of a two ply I'm working on.  Don't know the yardage yet, but this is pure tussah silk, from Zebis Designs on Etsy. I love it, it will be the prettiest thing ever once I'm done. I'm considering stringing pearls on one ply and then plying them into the yarn, but I don't know yet.
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Sep 10, 2010 04:43
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All the yarn posted in here is amazing. Do you save a money by spinning your own yarns? I would love to spin crazy art yarn for scarves some day.
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Sep 10, 2010 05:08
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Put it in Your Mouf posted:Do you save a money by spinning your own yarns? I would love to spin crazy art yarn for scarves some day. Only in the loosest sense. I'll spend $13-20 on 4 ounces of (hand-dyed) fiber to make yarn for socks, then dump tons of time into making it into yarn. Of course, if you go the cheap route and buy bulk undyed fiber (looking at the pound of Corriedale I'm STILL not through with), it can be cheap--but that just means MORE money to buy MORE fiber. And, if you are a spindle spinner like me, then you end up getting new spindles (even though the ones you have are perfectly fine). Really, I may spend more money on spinning than I do knitting these days.
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Sep 10, 2010 05:37
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Oh wow, your reply made me realize how good I've gotten at justifying my craft habit. No longer do I only find excuses to give other people about my giant yarn collection, I'm actually now able to convince myself of the practicality of a new hobby.  Anybody that wants to unload extra yarn should just give us a heads up, I know I personally would love to buy or trade for some of the stuff you don't know what to do with/and or screwed up.
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Sep 11, 2010 00:50
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