I have been spinning more. I gave my mom and sister a skein of homespun and today I spun up 16 yards of two ply. I am really figuring everything out on junk wool (which might be part of the problem) and the wheel has her issues too. One is the drive shaft in the wheel slips as it is pressure fitted and the pin keeps slipping. The other and really the main problem is my lack of coordination. I end up using the wheel as a spindle.
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| Vinegar soak preparing for dye with Easter egg tablets. |
I want to get better so I'll keep at it. My wonderful in laws got me the supplies below, I can't wait to play.
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Hopefully, I'll have a more productive post for next month's wooly Wednesday at
Spinspiration.
Junk wool is great to practice on as you don't mind if something doesn't go quite as you planned, but it is harder to deal with than good wool so there is a balance there. Have you thought to get the wheel looked at? Sorry not sure where you are but there are some places that do repairs on wheels, we have one coming to our Guild meeting next month for a talk and wheel surgery.
ReplyDeleteThe bag of wool looks very tempting, you'll find a real difference spinning that, and maybe it will help you get your rhythm going. Look forward to your future posts when you start on that :-)
I had some wool I was practicing on, and was not happy at all with it, but when I knitted it all up it had a real rustic feel to it, and I love it! So don't write off the junk wool, but enjoy spinning that lovely bag of fluffiness too!
ReplyDeleteDawn, the wheel has been repaired at a store three hours away. The pin has slipped since (part of the original repair) twice. It slips a lot more if I use the pedal so I have gotten in the habit of turning the wheel hard with my right hand and shuffling the wool a bit like a spindle. I am thinking I will see what I can do to repair/adjust this wheel while saving for a new one.
ReplyDeleteClaire, I like and am proud of the yarn I have done, but I feel very much like my wheel and body are in the way of making progress. I am going to try to spin more often and hopefully that will help and I am going to trek to the shop my sister and mother in law went to and ask for help. They tell me the lady there was wonderful and my nieces enjoyed playing with the sheep.
ReplyDeletehave you tried using a drop spindle? my teacher says you can get a lot more control over your twist with a spindle... also, i LOVE harvesting color. a friend got it for my b day a few months age. i have yet to harvest any color, but just looking at this book gets me so inspired!
ReplyDeleteI have. I want to figure this out. I like the spindle for taking with me though.
ReplyDeleteHi Julia,
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity your wheel has been playing up. It must be very frustrating for you when you have all those gorgeous new wool supplies and want to get on with it. Your handspun looks wonderful. Enjoy the dyeing and those great new books.
Happy New Year!
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteit is very frustrating! I feel like I have almost got it though. This is totally just a feeling as nothing has changed but perhaps the next time I got to fit it I'll get it!