BYC Spinning Fiber

[MullersLaneFarm]

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There are various folding wheels, some are compact, others are full sized. All the major wheel manufacturers (Ashford, Kromski, Louet, Schacht, Majacraft, Lendrum) produce their own style Susan McFarland of Susan's Fiber Shop is my go-to gal for spinning equipment. There is alsoMerlin Tree's Hitchhiker and Mother Marion kick wheel


No, you do not have to ply. Singles are just fine.

Setting the twist in my yarns. I soak my yarns in a soapy water, then soak in rinse water. Then I'll press the water out, then take it outside and spin it around to remove the excess water. This also redistributes the twist. Hand to dry withOUT using weights.

 

[thespinningcottage]

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Lyric,
Congratulations on your ebay purchase!! I've posted a couple times on this and another spinning/weaving thread on BYC, but love to lurk... I notice you're in central Fla. I'm in Arcadia, and don't know many spinners or weavers in this area. Who knows, maybe one day some of us will have a chance to meet and swap stories and fiber/yarn!

 

[lyric]

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Hiya

, I accompanied DH on one of his jobs to Arcadia. We're right up 17 for the moment (until that glorious time that we move onto our land this Fall). Yeah, I haven't located any spinners yet either. Cyndi gave me a link and I did find a guild in Winterhaven, buuuut, not quite what I'm looking for I don't think. They seem more into weaving. Besides, I only want to learn to spin vs. joining a group. Heck, who has the time? Especially with me having so much to learn to run a small farm/homestead. Good thing we'll be starting out slow with chickens. Still, from talking to you ladies now I want a couple alpaca to have my own fiber, geeesh. I've been reading up on them and apparently they are friendly, easy to own, and are the business/bomb diggity. From the little I've read looks as though shearing doesn't happen very often though. Not to worry, it'll be fun. I'm just excited at the possibility of increased self-sufficiency and fresh food. I am oh so pumped!

And you know, re. a meet-up it just takes someone putting the hand of friendship out there. When I lived in Ohio (I am very new to FL) the Ohio-Kentuckiana Soapers had a gathering every year IT WAS A BLAST. They had door prizes (convenient, they somehow always have enough where almost everyone present gets something); now isn't that neighborly?

 

[lyric]

So, you drop spindle lovers . . . when you want . . . say 1,000 ounces of fiber do you REALLY drop spindle it all? And, when you use a drop spindle how to you ply it? And, with a drop spindle, does the top come off? How do you remove the yarn to make it into a skein or ball?

 

[thespinningcottage]

A thousand ounces of yarn would take a long time to drop spindle! (That's when I whip out my e-spinner.) However, you could drop spindle a lot of it and spin the rest on a wheel, or of course, drop spindle it all - lots cheaper than therapy. No, the tops don't come off the spindles. Even if they did, the yarn wouldn't be wrapped properly to work with. To ply from drop spindles, turn the spindle upside down into a large mug or deep bowl. Wind the yarn off into a ball using a winder or nostepinne (special stick used to hand-wind yarn). To make 2-ply, use 2 cups; 3 ply, use 3 cups. Take the ends of the yarns to be plied and attach them to a leader on your drop spindle. I have a heavy spindle I use for this. Then, spin the singles OPPOSITE direction you spun them in. Viola! Beautifully plied spindle-spun yarn. I haven't searched, but there may be videos on youtube or other sources demonstrating this as well as other methods.
Consider the hand of friendship extended! PM me anytime if you're going to pass through Arcadia and maybe we can get in a visit. I can't wait to hear more about your alpaca.

 

[lyric]

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Cool beans. You may not be hipped to this fact, but our farm is not set up (no alpacas) ...YET. We have the land secured, and we hope to move out on to it before the bottom drops out of this system (we're keeping our eye on Washington, DC), or no later than Fall this year.

 

[debilorrah]

I witnessed an electric spinning wheel for the first time today. OMG that thing ROCKS!!!!!! I soo NEED one!!! I am really unhappy about Ken being unemployed when I discover stuff like this!!!

 

[thespinningcottage]

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I'm so sorry!! I got so lucky a few years back and got one right before their prices went up. Come on down to Florida and visit and you can use it all day long!

 

[lyric]

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Me too the other day via Cyndi's post. One of the things that is attracting me to spinning if the treadle and when it comes to self-sufficiency, heaven forbid for any reason electricity is unavailable. The lil bugger is cute though.

 

[lyric]

Why ply a yarn anyway? What's the purpose - strength? I just single crocheted a pullover and by golly the thing is heavy and thick. I wanted to wear it now (it has a lot of pink in it) vs. in the winter. After making the top I decided if I want to wear my crochet here it needs to be done with thin yarn. I was thinking if I drop-spindled the yarn would be thin enough so that when I crochet it I may wear it now.