In just shear determination to master this, I have been busy washing, carding and spinning fleece. While I will not admit to being completely enslaved by my spinning wheel, I have come close to being trapped within it!
You see, I hold on too tightly to the yarn going in after I have drafted tufts and chunks, so it becomes twisted before it has even wound on. Then I let go and my right hand gets pulled towards the bobbin and I almost face-plant the whole thing (a few times I thought I was going to get dragged from my chair!). Then I took a few days off and felted some more Alpacas...
but the call of the wheel could not be ignored...
I think I am getting better...I knitted some to see what it would look like...
Today was my proudest moment, I plyed two together (though I think I was supposed to spin in the opposite direction?????????).
2y.o is always helpful, taking the whole thing apart when I have to quickly leave the room for something, and he was pretending to be otherwise occupied. Other times he tries to 'catch' the wheel as it spins LOL
I spin very fast, I can't control my foot too well (this is not a reflection on my driving skills!), and I am sure there should be smoke coming off the wheel. Today I had a bit more control, and actually had a rhythm going of drafting, pinching, releasing in time to my foot going up and down...then 2y.o stuck his hand in the wheel arghhhhhh!
Ha ha Lisa I'm picturing you spinning flat out with smoke pouring off the wheel, your foot going at a hundred miles an hour, and then face planting it, but seriously well done, I love the little alpacas (but mine is the cutest) and the knitting is great, seriously you are good at everything you try, love Janine :)
ReplyDeleteI think you have done tremendously well! I also hold on too tight but I am no where near your standard - I tend to get pulled into the wheel and end up attempting to spin my fingers!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, wow that looks great! I am still at the washing stage, and despite 2 soaks and washes Cookie's fleece still looks 'smudgy'. I think though because the water is now squeezing clean, then I have got the last of the dirt out. Picking and carding next! You're doing great... way ahead of my efforts, lol. :D
ReplyDeleteHold onto some of that yarn...you can look back and see how quickly you advance! When I started spinning, I made lots of "rope", felt dead chuffed and very soon saw a change as I began spinning very fine stuff! Now I struggle to spin anything that isn't very fine, which means I have to ply 3 strands for anything other than lace designs! Spinning is totally addictive...I keep my wheel in the kitchen and spin a little whilst the kettle is on or something is cooking. I still reckon it takes around 10 hours to get 100g of 2 plied yarn!
ReplyDeleteOh...yes you spin in the opposite direction when you ply the yarn otherwise you undo your twist from the initial spin...it looks ok though! Well done!
Thank you for the ply advice! LOL, I have made lots of 'rope' :)
DeleteThere you go, "easey peasey lemon squeezy!" Well done Lisa, it's looking good. Shirley & Robbie
ReplyDeleteIs it true that spinning wheels spin the other way round in the southern hemisphere ? Or does that just relate to water going down the plug hole ?
ReplyDeleteLOL, the way I spin it could go either way!! :)
DeleteI love your felted alpacas! You're way ahead of me with the spinning too. I seem to only be able to make "yarn" that looks more like it was shaved of a hippy's head than spun. Keep persevering, you're getting there.
ReplyDelete