| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Annika |
Posted - Oct 23 2011 : 12:55:32 PM
As, I'm sure, all of you ladies who spin here know, hand spinning is a lot of fun and relaxing to boot. I have picked it up again, after several years of not doing anything with it, and it is fun! It takes practice to keep the thickness of the yarn consistent, but don't give up! Soon, you will be hand spinning in your sleep! I was gifted a lovely spindle by a very talented and dear farmsister, several years ago (You know who you are  ) and I haven't really done much with it, but with winter coming on and thoughts of beautiful hand spun, hand dyed and hand made warm cozy socks floating through my mind, I'm diving back in again.
For me, at least, and correct me if I'm wrong here spinners, a good spindle should feel comfortable in your hands, not clunky. There are many very talented spindle and spinning wheel artisans around and you can easily become a spinning junkie  so choose one or three that feel natural to you.
If you have an easy source of fiber around you, there is no reason not to be spending tv time spinning. My land lady has corriedale sheep and llamas, and I can get fiber easily. Look around your area if you don't raise fiber animals or know some one that does.Truly, it is so nice to hold a skein on your own yarn.
So, I've added just a few links, one to spinning devices for sale and three for spinning information. I was thinking that we could all practice spinning together and show off our progress! and we can drool over other farmgirls beautiful wool and yarn  for those that already spin!
If I could find my camera, I'd show off some of the wool I'm working on, I've got some natural grey that is just stunning and a lot off white that I just got that still needs cleaning and carding.
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/HowToDropspin.shtml
http://www.handspinning.com/lollipops/spininst.htm
http://www.heavenlyhandspinning.com/
Happy Spinning and Happy Autumn!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
http://thegimpyfarmgirl.blogspot.com/
http://pinterest.com/annikaloveshats/
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jul 14 2012 : 3:58:51 PM
Glad you like the package. I finally spun up the wool you sent me. Love it. I will take a picture of my yarn. Hope to hear and see what you do out of the fibers I sent to you.
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - Jul 10 2012 : 04:15:27 AM
Just wanted to thank Deb, sunflower critters, for the nice package she sent. I had emailed also, but wanted to make sure she was thanked.
She sent some of her angora bunny fiber, some alpaca fiber, and a great drop spindle pin.
thanks so much
Michele |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 21 2012 : 04:20:34 AM
Thank you Sheri. Yup I understand the balanced yarn thing. My yarn hangs nicely when I take it off the niddy noddy. The singles I used where a bit over twisted as I crocheted. I had to rip out some and do over, and it all held together. It was fun anyways! something different to make.
Checked out your blog, love you pictures. Your sheep look great. Hope your garden is doing well. Do you sell at a farmers market?
Michele |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - Jun 20 2012 : 5:23:33 PM
Your doily looks nice, Michele. It's not that it won't work per se - it depends on the amount of twist, the consistency of the twist. It's just when the yarn is plied the twist becomes balanced and doesn't continue twisting in the direction it is plied. (unless of course you over do it on the plying.) I am no expert by any means but that is the explanation I have read.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 20 2012 : 4:38:28 PM
this is the doily I did with singles. It probably worked cause I didn't know the rules, that it was not supposed to work! : ) ha I really like how it turned out. Though I have not gotten it wet either. I crocheted right off the bobbin.
Cant' wait to see your bag Deb!
Michele |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - Jun 19 2012 : 11:50:20 AM
Well Michele it will look perfectly fine when it's plied on the bobbin but when you get it wet to set the twist the twist "wakes up" and it gets curly and twisty and your finished yarn will look more like a boucle with funky loops and twists instead of a smooth yarn. I guess that's fine if that is what you are after but if it's not....I have found that with the Shetland, even two weeks will sometimes cause that to happen. Grace told me to spin it onto a new bobbin really quickly to wake up the twist before plying. I'm going to give that a try - I will let you know how it works out. Did your doily lay flat okay? I don't usually work with singles because they tend to bias what I am knitting. Perhaps crochet is more forgiving than knitting is. I know a lot of ladies knit with singles.
Looking forward to seeing your bag, Deb. I haven't tried to do any felting yet. I have a lot of wool hanging around so one of these days I am just going to jump in and give it a shot.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jun 19 2012 : 07:05:02 AM
Felted bag came out nice, just finishing up the handles then I will post a picture for all to see. spinning, knitting etc is so...much...fun.
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 19 2012 : 04:47:29 AM
Sheri, your blend sounds great. Making the yarn a little softer is a great idea. I have heard that you shouldn't leave the yarn on the bobbin too long. What is too long? What happens to the yarn, as far as going wonky? While making the single plied doily, the yarn wanted to twist a bit, but once crocheted it was fine. Even the finest parts of the yarn held together.
You ladies here have taught me alot!
Michele |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - Jun 18 2012 : 4:59:03 PM
Hi again! I have been working outside in the gardens so I haven't checked in here for awhile. How did your felted bag turn out, Deb? I haven't touched my wheel for two weeks - eeek! Once I finish spinning what I had started and get it plied with the other bobbin - hopefully it doesn't go wonky after being on the bobbins so long. I am going to try Grace's trick of quickly re-spinning it onto a new bobbin before plying to wake up the twist. I have had some really interesting plied results with Shetland singles that have been on the bobbin too long before plying. The commercial Merino doesn't seem to have a problem with it as it has little or no crimp before it's spun. I would much rather spin the Shetland as it's so easy to spin but I like to ply it with a merino single for softness. Shetland can get a bit scratchy because it is double coated. I try to remove some of the guard hair before combing it but it's still isn't as buttery soft as the merino but it does wear much better. So I like to combine them and get the strength of the Shetland and the softness of the merino.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jun 18 2012 : 4:42:14 PM
Michele
Hope to see a picture of it ..I just got done a felted bag I knitted up with my fibers. It is in the machine right know , hopefully it comes out..
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 17 2012 : 04:31:44 AM
Deb, I am sure I will love it.
I just made a doily with some single spun yarn I had leftover on a spool. I think, that is the right term. It turned out really nice. Something different to do with home spun yarn.
Michele |
| darlenelovesart |
Posted - Jun 16 2012 : 2:40:13 PM
How pretty that is, I would love to make something with that color.
quote:
Originally posted by kristin sherrill
nnika, thanks for the lonks. I will look them up soon. I tried the hand spindle and did not like it at all. Way too time consuming for me. I have a spinning wheel and really want to learn on it. It was my great grandmother's wheel. I found a guild close by that is into all this and want to join it. Also am going to a fiber fair in Nov. near here. I have 3 hair ewes right now and a Hamshire-Finn ram. I met a lady at the market a few weeks ago that has Finn sheep. SHe has some to sell!!!! She is in NY right but when she gets back I am going to see her sheep. I want to get 2 ewes. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I want to learn the whole process from sheep to sweater. And I will! So hopefully this thread will stay going so I can get some good advice.
Sheri, your wool is beautiful! It looks so soft.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
Life begins each morning...Each morning is the open door to a new world-new vistas, new aims, new tryings.
By, Leigh Hodges |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jun 16 2012 : 06:27:23 AM
I haven't had time to play with the fibers yet. Been on vacation with my hubby..Hoping to next week. Also hoping to send your package out to you as well. I hope your going to like it...
Happy Spinning....Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 11 2012 : 04:55:03 AM
Thanks Deb, ya I knew that duh to me! You must do the spinning over the fold before carding? Otherwise you could not find the staples. will have to you tube it.
Have you played with the fiber yet, Deb? I got a drop cloth, to make some jackets for my sheep for winter. Winter is when they get the most stuff in their wool.
Michele |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jun 11 2012 : 04:21:10 AM
I believe staple length is how long the fiber is from the animal.
some are short others are med/long stables
_______________________ stable from animal
__________________________________________long
_______________short
something like that...
My angora rabbit has long stables
____________________________________________________somewhere around there is most of her stables when I get done plucking her
hope this is helpful
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 10 2012 : 04:40:52 AM
Grace, it is better to do this method before you card the wool? I guess I am not real sure on what staple length means??
Michele |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Jun 09 2012 : 5:32:44 PM
Spinning over the fold is when you take a a staple length and I place it over my index finger and gentle pull a tiny amount of fiber out to the tip of my finger. Then with your leader join on and begin to let the twist grab hold and start to pull the drafting forward. You need to go slow until you see how thin you want your yarn. It is an easy method and works for making almost sewing thread thin yarns. I hope that makes sense...
I am here in any way to help.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| windypines |
Posted - Jun 08 2012 : 3:37:05 PM
Grace you can teach us beginners so much! It would be a blast to get together with all of you, wheels,fiber,good food,and drink!
Michele |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 5:58:19 PM
Grace
What and how do you do the over the fold method? Never heard that.
thank you for any helps in spinning. Just loving it. It is so relaxing and rewarding.
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 5:14:18 PM
One trick I teach my students is the over the fold method to acheive thin yarns. This especially is great for those fibers with crimp that wishes to grab hold and never let go. On downy short staples like Musk Ox, Buffalo, and even cotton I like to just hold a tuff in my hand, relax and let a tiny bit of twist go into the tuff and then pull back and you will get some of the thinnest yarns but remember you need to relax that fiber hand - holding anything too tight in spinning leads to dissapointment... Have fun and Happy Spinning.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| windypines |
Posted - May 17 2012 : 03:46:34 AM
Have fun Debra! I wish I could go to something like your get together! Your bunny sounds like a great source of fiber. I spin my sheeps wool. Shetland/border leicester. I have done a little alpaca. Sheri, I have found that by making a roving I was able to spin alot better. I use a milk cap, with a hole punched in the middle. Deb, I made socks for my boys a few years ago. They had to wait their turns, as I only got one pair done a year. HOpe your a faster knitter then I am. :)
Michele |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - May 16 2012 : 07:24:49 AM
I find that when I first tried to make a finer yarn (I always do at least two ply) that pre-drafting was the key when I first started. I had a difficult time drafting out a small enough amount of fiber without it drifting apart or being lumpy! When working with the Merino superwash the draw is very short (at least for me) as the fiber is short and has little crimp. I divide the top into small sections like pencil roving before trying to spin it. Now I have a difficult time spinning thicker! When I want a heavier yarn I have to think about it all the time I'm working or I will automatically spin thin! I've done a lot of lace weight too - it takes forever to ply or at least it feels that way! Shetland is such long fiber with a lot of crimp that it's easy to spin thin. Merino on the other hand is short so is more difficult. When I switch back to the Merino after spinning the Shetland it takes me awhile to get back into the rhythm of it. Right now I am doing a Shetland/Merino blend plied with a commercially dyed Merino.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
| sunflowercritters |
Posted - May 16 2012 : 05:24:11 AM
Well heading off to my craft day...I'm going to spin, spin , spin..I'm having a blast learning and how rewarding it is! I will have to check out that sock pattern. Would love to knit some socks up for Christmas for family..
What kinds of fibers do you all like to spin and knit with?
I have angora rabbit and love the feeling of it.
Deb
I Thessalonians 5:16,17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Deb-farmgirl sister #462
http://sunflowercritters.blogspot.com/
Be like a Sunflower, Turn your Face to the Son. |
| windypines |
Posted - May 16 2012 : 04:59:20 AM
Is it true that they say the wool will decide how it will be spun? Not sure if I worded that right or not. I need more practice to get a finer yarn. But I am very happy using what I have made.
Happy Spinning
Michele |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - May 15 2012 : 07:43:09 AM
I knit all kinds of sock patterns. I have always made socks on double points in the traditional way. One of these days I'm going to try the circular needle method. I prefer the top down patterns as I am still not comfortable with the cast on for toe up. I guess I need to practice it more. I think I tend to gravitate to what I am used too! The socks I am working on now are a simple pattern with an eyelet row every 8 stitches. I have Shetland sheep for fiber but I prefer superwash merino commercial for spinning sock yarn as then it is machine washable. Not many people I know will hand wash a sock! The pattern I am using now I got free from Ravelry called the Columnar Sock by Hippie Diva. I chose it because of the yardage as I had a limited amount of handspun for the project. Thanks for the compliment on my spinning Michele! It took a lot of practice to get there but well worth the effort. That's what I tell everyone who wants to spin - the only way to master it is do it - a lot.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
