| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 14 2008 : 4:02:44 PM
I got my wheel today! Now, I'm trying to put it together and not having much luck I put the crank shaft through the leg and the hub, but I can't get the hub pin to go down through the hub and crank. I think the hole in the crank isn't lined up with the pin, but you can't see it because it's inside the hub. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get that through there? I'm afraid to let dh try it when he gets home because his method of putting things together is to use a big hammer and force it if it wont go and I'm afraid he'll hurt my wheel before I even get to try it !Help!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 18 2008 : 10:19:50 AM
You're on Fran!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 18 2008 : 09:56:23 AM
it's a deal,
we can be the spinnin sisters
i loved working with you on your business cards and when it was over i felt a little nostalgic about not having that daily contact so now we can have a new project....lets go girl!
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 5:13:13 PM
Frannie - I'm going to check up on you and make sure you're practicing, and you do the same for me ok?
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 3:47:03 PM
i put some time in today, and it seemed a little better!
i am gonna try to do a little every day, when the grandkids arent here, cause they are fascinated with the wheel. anyway, i will keep yall posted and let ya know how it goes.
i did try to take some lessons in dallas on a drop spindle(i have 2) but the lessons were 25 and hour and i got out of their dropping 85.
which is big money here on the farm. also it is about 75 miles away and it is really hard for me to leave the farm
.....how ya gonna keep em in the city after they've been to the farm?....... sorry thats a little song that my dh and i like to sing to each other when folks ask us what we do in the country.
thanks again shirley and sherri for the help.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| Shirley |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 12:49:37 PM
Frannie,
I just looked up the Kromski wheels, very nice wheels.
I think if you just practice and stick with it you will do ok.
But be sure to oil it in the joints because that makes a lot of diffeent on smoothness.
shirley NOW GET IN THERE AND SPIN ROFL :))) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 09:32:14 AM
You might want to check around shops too Frannie - the shop I went to last weekend to buy my wool has private lessons for $10 an hour. It might be $10 well spent just to get you started and save any aggravation. (If they have that kind of deal in your area.) Good luck!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 08:10:35 AM
thanks shirley, it helps just to have someone to run this past and get encouragement from, and to know that what is happening doesnt sound too serious or offbase.
when i bought my wheel i didnt have a clue what to purchase and tried to solicit some help from a spinner in dallas who actually sells wheels, but she didnt really help out too much with the guidance.
anyhow, i bought my wheel and a carder and everything from a farmgirl sister off this site. it was a very good experience and i'm glad i did. I knew i was buying it "blind" but i had the money from an inheritance from my mom and really wanted that money to go to some lifelong purchases rather than just cost of living items, i wanted it to mean something.
i dont think the wheel has any problems, i think its me and my lack of experience, but it is so great to have you and sherri to bounce questions off of and guide me along.
sherri really inspired me to get to the wheel and quit being intimidated by it, and her suggestion of just working at it for 20 minutes a day is so simple but i never thought of it.
thanks again for jumpin in here and helping me out.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| Shirley |
Posted - Jan 17 2008 : 01:23:14 AM
Frannie,
I have never seen or spun on this brand wheel, but have heard they are a good wheel.
The more you practice the better you gert. So dont give up.
Did you oil it before you started using it ,since its been sitting for awhile.
Sherris right in playing with the tensions and holding the fiber loose in your hand.
It really sounds like the tensions, since its overtwisting, and wont go in onto the bobbin.
The slow treadling will work the more that you spin and get a rhythum going.As far as single or double drive, I really never could tell the difference(double is suspose to make a finer yarn) All my wheels are single, its just easier to deal with , taking the double drive off every time you change a bobbin is a pain.so use some light weight oil on all the moving places and get it limbered up and moving good, and then just practice
hope this helps some
shirley |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 3:48:46 PM
My wheel is identical to yours Sherri (Ashford Traditional, right?) and I have been spinning with it for nearly 20 years. I LOVE it!! I am sure you are goingto have so much fun!!!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 1:50:57 PM
well, it does help to just know that that is a problem that beginners can have. i was starting to believe that maybe i am just left-footed,
andeven though i am not much of a fisherman, maybe i am pulling to hard like im trying to catch a fish or something.
anywho, i will keep trying, and i also hope some of the other spinners here will give me some advice.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 1:43:06 PM
Frannie - I hope some of the experience spinners reply to the question. I can tell you a couple of things, but you know I'm very new too! I had the same trouble you described with the tight twisting and the yarn not drawing. What I had to do was keep playing with the tension, both on the wheel and on the spindle until I got it right. Also, I had a tendancy to hold onto the fiber too tightly in the beginning and that didn't allow it to draw. As far as the treadling more slowly, I also had that problem at first, but the more I practiced, it got to be a kind of rhythm, which worked with the drafting - it got to where I would draft a section a certain length with each treadle. I think it's really just practice. My teacher told me if you practiced 20 minutes a day faithfully, you couldn't help but learn. Hope that helps, Sherri
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 1:35:52 PM
okay, i spent several hours today trying to spin, and have had several problems.
here goes:
my wheel is a kromski minstral
the big problem i am having is that the "yarn" is twisting very tightly and not really being taken up on the spindle as it should.
also, it seems that i am having trouble treadling slowly with my feet, cause when i slow down, it wants to go backwards.
if any one knows anything about this wheel and has suggestions PLEASE help!
my wheel has an option of double drive or single drive with scotch tension. which option would be better for a beginner.
at this point i am considering drinkin some scotch to get rid of my tension.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 1:07:53 PM
It's an Ashford Traditional.
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| queenofdreamsz4u |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 12:59:05 PM
Oh that's a beauty..What brand did you get?
Stephanie
Farmgirl Sister #22
"hold close your inner child and always listen to the gentle whispers" ~queenofdreamsz
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| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 12:33:41 PM
I had no clue until I took one lesson - the basic spinning isn't so hard. I have a feeling that getting it even, and learning about all the different kind of wools, and the twist, etc. is going to be the hard part. For now, I'm happy to make the "interesting" kind of yarn!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 11:58:18 AM
That is nice. I would like one too, but mine would have a plant on it. I haven't a clue on how to go about spinning, on a wheel that is. So I envy all you girls that know how to do it.
NANCY JO
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
| Bonne |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 11:46:11 AM
How fun! There's nothing more comforting (to me anyway) than a skein of handspun yarn~the lumpier the better~it knits up so interestingly! I've never spun, but I'm thrilled to get my hands on the finished products.
 http://bonne1313.blogspot.com/ Blog
http://www.bonne1313.homestead.com/soap.html Soap
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| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 11:30:01 AM
It's just a basic traditional wheel, but a lot of people told me it's the best one to buy for a beginning spinner.
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| smoothiejuice |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 09:54:12 AM
wow that is cool |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 09:41:06 AM
Frannie - that's great! That's exactly how I got started. I read Patty, at "Morning Ramble"'s blog and she was talking about how much peace and comfort spinning gives her, so I've always wanted to try it, so I thought why not give it a "whorl" as you so creatively put it! When I was in the RV, I took one lesson in AZ, then dh got sent home and I finally talked dh into the wisdom of buying a wheel (now I HAVE to learn to use it! ha ha). Shirley has been a great help to me to get it assembled and now I'm going to attempt.... to post a picture of it.
Hope that worked - It always amazes me when I check the post and there's the picture. Sherri
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| frannie |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 09:23:35 AM
okay, sherri, ya got me motivated. i got out my wheel today, its in the living room, (that's a step) and i'm without interruption so far,
and i'm gonna give it a whorl okay i know i'm silly.
i'll keep ya posted on my progress, and thanks for the inspiration.
oh my, we might end up being spinnin sisters, not just farmgirl sisters! i love it!
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 09:05:57 AM
I'll try - it's always a major ordeal for me to get pictures on this site!!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
| queenofdreamsz4u |
Posted - Jan 16 2008 : 12:28:53 AM
Sherri, Post a picture of your spinning wheel.  One day I want one..Maybe when I make it to my dream cottage in the mountain.
I've only used a drop spindle and have included it in my list of soothing things to do.
Stephanie
Farmgirl Sister #22
"hold close your inner child and always listen to the gentle whispers" ~queenofdreamsz
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| Shirley |
Posted - Jan 15 2008 : 12:14:32 PM
Good Sherri,
Glad to help, I have put many a spinning wheel together :)
Your yarn is called novilty(sp) yarn, very expensive when you go to the store to buy it LOL
Good luck with your spinning, now when you want to join other contact Janet Schimf at Schafer park, down the road from you. a bunch of ladies live there and Janet and Bob have llamas there. I dont have her phone right handy at the moment.shirley |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 15 2008 : 09:14:24 AM
HOoray!!! Thanks Shirley for the great tip!!! I'm excited that you knew just exactly what I was talking about. I re-read my post after I posted it and though"Wow, they're gonna be scratchin their head after reading that one." But I knew someone would know what I was talking about!! I got it!!! Started spinning as soon as I got it together of course. Now it's after 9 am and I haven't gotten a blasted thing done, but I do have two spindles full of beautiful teal yarn! (Beautiful for me - pretty uneven, but useable never the less). And I did it all without having dh take a hammer or saw to it!!
Farmgirl Sister #98 |
