Anybody out there?

It's been about a year and a half since I've posted on this blog. I'm still active on the internet - I occasionally post on face book, sometimes I stop in Ravelry and look around and I have done some knitting, but for the most part I've been chasing a toddler around. I do love hanging out with the under five crowd, but lately I've really missed spinning and posting on this blog.

I was looking around on Etsy for something for my son and somehow I ended up typing roving into the search field. I ended up looking at some roving from Three Waters Farm. Mary Ann Pagano runs the shop and dyes the fiber; she also happens to be the person that I took my first spinning lesson from - so I decided to buy some fiber. The fiber is a color called stone house and is Blue face Leicester. It will probably end up being a vest for widget this fall. It is a great use of 4 ounces of fiber.

I neglected to take a true before shot of the fiber before I started spinning. One of the things I've always liked about blogging was doing the photos to go along with the posts - but I was too anxious to get started spinning and about remembering how to get started. So as soon as the fiber arrived, I pulled out the wheel, dusted it off and got everything set up. As I was setting up, I was worried I wouldn't remember how to get everything adjusted and how to get started. But as soon as I got the empty bobbin on the flyer and the fiber attached to the leader things seemed to fall into place.

I"ll post a picture once I've gotten he singles plied and skein washed and set. I plan on posting more often - so if you are out thee reading this let me know.

Tie One On

I'm not talking about a night full of drinking, but a much more tame evening focused on fiber.It's amazing how much our entertainment focus changes as we age! To play along at home, you'll need an empty bobbin, leftover yarn, and a pair of scissors. If you have a glass of wine or a beer sitting around, grab that too. It makes a nice addition to the project. I may be older, but I still do enjoy a nice drink now and again. So on to the fiber and spinning.

One of the first things I do when I sit down to spin is check the leader thread on my bobbin. To get started spinning using a spinning wheel, your bobbin needs to have a leader thread attached so you have a way to get the fiber to begin spinning up onto the bobbin. I have even seen leaders used on spindles; although I learned to use a spindle without a leader. If you are using a spindle and having problems getting started, try adding a leader. You don't have that option with a wheel, you need a leader thread.

My leader threads are usually made out of leftover sock yarn. If you don't have sock yarn, you could use any leftover yarn you have on hand. Although I find that I really like the weight of the sock yarn for a leader thread because it doesn't get in the way or take up much room on my bobbin especially when I'm spinning a fine thin singles. Another plus with the sock yarn is the amount of twist and overall strength of the yarn. The yarn leader does get it's fair share of abuse being wound and unwound around the bobbin. I've found my leaders made from sock yarn last the longest.

I cut a long piece of yarn to start, the longer the better for me. I'm guessing that I probably start with 2-3 feet. Tie one end of the leader onto the bobbin and then thread it through your flyer hooks or sliders and the orifice.I then create a loop at the end of my leader and I'm ready to get the fiber out. Some people actually tie their leader to the spinning fiber, but i use the loop and thread a small thin stretch of fiber through the loop and back onto itself to start.

I hold the fiber in my hand and and begin treadling to build up twist in my looped piece of fiber so it stays connected to the leader and will take up onto the bobbin. This is one reason why I like a long leader. It gives me a little time to get the twist from the leader into the spinning fiber and get my hands moving for the drafting. the loop also allows the fiber to separate from the leader in a clean way when you are plying of winding a skein of singles from the bobbin. The leader and loop is then ready for the next spinning project. I use this lead and loop method for spinning and plying. Occasionally when I have a lot of twist in a single or ply I have to cut or break the leader from the new yarn.that is the other reason for a nice long leader.

This is pretty a fairly basic step in spinning and I'm not sure it will be of use to anyone, but it is a place to start. I'm hoping to document more more spinning techniques that I use so we can compare and contrast the methods we all use. I know I still have a lot to learn. Anyway, now that you are all set to start, give the wheel a spin.

J is for Join

There are all kind of joins in knitting and in spinning too. All types share the goal of seamlessly or invisibly joining ends of fiber so you can continue with your project. In spinning it is important to achieve a smooth join so you do not end up with a bump in your finished yarn.

This is the way I have found that works for me when trying to create a smooth join while spinning. First, I have to stop treadling. That may seem like a very obvious step, but when I first started spinning it was very hard for me to do. I wanted to spin right through everything with no stops. So once I stop the wheel, I start by fluffing and fanning out the ends of my current piece of fiber; like in the photo above.

Then I take the new piece of fiber I want to join and fluff and fan that out to match the end of the first piece and lay them together in the hand I'm using to draft my fiber. I hold the ends together as one and then start the wheel and begin spinning and drafting.

If all goes well, you'll end up with a smooth invisible join in your spinning thread.