My first spinning...

Maria · My first spinning...

At last I've been brave enough to have a go at spinning at home - on the wheel I now have.

It's fantastic - and although I'm still a bit clumsy, I've filled my first bobbin!! Yeah. Pic's to follow. As usual no batteries in the camera when I need it.

Marhar

Well done that girl

wildgarlic

Great stuff Maria!

zombiecazz

I did some too and dyed it with food colouring just yesterday.

Well done.

Smooth Hound

good stuff

Forget-me-Not · Spinning

Bouncing big Bobbin Hugs to you!!!!

Beth

Maria

Here it is - with my next tops waiting - and two of the three lil kittens terrorising the spinning wheel.

Smooth Hound

thats really good, did you dye it

flingdizz

It is taking me ages to hand card my two fleeces but I am getting there. Did you do your carding on a machine and if so, where did you get it from?
Lovely looking wool by the way!

Ina

Maria, that reminds me - I've got the books on wool processing here that I told you about... Remind me to bring them for you when we meet again!

kimmie

Well done you!! it looks great!

Maria

Forgot to ask...ZC...how did the dye come out? Piccy

Maria

My brake band has snapped.

That's what you get for showing off! Think I must have been doing something very wrong when plying?? It needs a some tlc, so think I'm going to go through this Ashford Maintenance info before I have another go.

Smooth Hound

im not surprised the speed you go,

Marhar

It looks like an Ashford single drive wheel so a length of fishing line would do as a brake band. Remember when you are plying to spin the other way. IE. anti clockwise

Marhar

Fling
What sort of fleece are you carding?? I have always found I do NOT have to card a fleece till I get down to the daggins, just pull a bit of fleece off and spin it over your fingers to form a loop. The end result is the same.

zombiecazz

I don't card either, just don't have the patience for it.

flingdizz

Really.. no carding?? Yippeeeeee!

Er, do you wash it first? I have just given the fleece a gentle soak in water until it comes clear but the wool is still oily. Think I need to get me a book on spinning or something....

zombiecazz

I do wash the fleece to get most of the muck out and yes it is still greasy, but I then wash it after spinning, but really don't take my word for things, I'm a newbie to the whole spinning lark. I like quick fixes in my crafting, or I get bored easily hence the no carding.

zombiecazz

Here's a pic of the dyed yarn. 100% Shetland.

I'm not wonderful at getting yarn even yet, but this one was for the lady who gave me the fleece, so I wanted it to be uneven with bumpy bits.

Maria

ZC - love the bright colours.

Looks great.

I'm a happy bunny again. Fixed it - 20lb fishing line did the trick.

I've spun another bobbin and have plyed the two together. It looks a bit loose - and fat n thin. Getting it even will take some practice. I don't think I spun enough twist in really - so when it came to putting the z twist in, I lost some of the tension.

Didn't think about needing another bobbin

I still have half of the spun wool on two bobbins, and only have three! Think it's time to invest in another one. Oh, and make a niddy noddy.

I feel really pleased with myself.

I have a lovely, quirky, big fat ball of wool now. Better late than never.

Marhar

Hi there Maria
If you pm me your address I will send you another ashford bobbin AND a niddy noddy, I have a spare one doing nothing.

Maria

Smooth Hound

great colours zc,

monkey nuts

Cor ZC. brill colours

Marhar

Maria I have sent you a PM

Maria

Thank you Marhar

Here's where I'm up to

1st full Lazy Kate ready for plying

Knitting it up into a hat

OH thinks it will be a bit itchy - and might have to be the dedicated snowmans hat. I won't tell you what I said to him - but it went something like 'how darst thou' ish

zombiecazz

Looking lovely. Really love the blend of colours.
Don't think I'll ever get anything so pretty with my rickety Wheel.

Lisa

Both projects are looking great, the colours are just lovely. Personally I like the unevenness. I think the itchiness is one of the reasons pure wool went out of fashion but the hat I knitted with some Blue faced Leicester is fine, lovely and soft. I have got one or two itchy ones but on the plus side, they are really warm and also good for a short time even if it is raining as they stay warm when a bit wet.
So ZC was it a wash to get out the worst of the bits, then spun, then a proper wash, then dyed?
I can't wait to see if I can spin Ryeland without carding. You might see a lamb in our field wearing a jacket in the near future

Please keep posting the pictures you are both an inspiration.
Lisa.

kimmie

wow they are both beautiful! you both are very clever....Really love the colours ZC, I must admit i prefer uneven wool....it gives a bit of texture.

Maria...you could always line the hat to get rid of the itchyness

and the blend of the two colours will make a fabby hat!

zombiecazz

Finally managed to pull the photos of what I made with my little ball of yarn

crochet flowers and bookmark

Don't try this at home tutorial

1. So I wash the whole fleece until it was failry clean
2. pull of large chunks and spin it.
3. wrap around back of chair to get long skein.
4. tie skein to stop it from getting all mixed up.
5. dunk in some warm water to make it wet.
6. Mix up some dye, which is just food colouring mixed with vinegar.
7. lay out some cling film, but skein onto and spatter dye about a bit. I put red at one end, yellow in the middle and green at the other end. it spreads so I didn't join up the colour as the water helped do this.
8. wrapped skein in clingfilm and zapped in microwave for 3 minutes.
9. careully unwrapped hot package and washed in hot water with a little soap then into cold. Did this twice and snapped (pulled tight) the yarn after each wash.

Maria

ZC - You've finished

and they look great. So bright - will try it, but will need to boil...no microwave. Love the flowers. One of these days (when I've finished this project) I'll have a go. Was it tricky to crochet? The wool I've spun is a beast to knit. But that'll teach me to spin a bit tighter and knit a bit looser. Spinning feels a bit like learning to rub my tum and pat my head! It's getting easier now - very relaxing and good for meditating.

Like the idea of lining it - might have a bash if it's big enough. I, urm, sorta guessed how big it needs to be. So it'll either sit on the top of my head, bowler fashion: or slide down my head like a balaclava.

Here's the next step. Tried niddy noddy

instead of elbow, but got a bit mixed up, and ended up with a twisted mess on my lap. Next time I'll crack it.

Did you spot one of my wool loving kittens?

Just need to finish the hat now, hopefully before spring arrives.

Marhar

I take it by your picture the parcel arrived ok. Niddy ing is quite easy.. Hold it in your left hand with T at the top facing you .place end of yarn in your left hand to hold firm then go up over the right side , rotate slightly clockwise then down under the bottom T , , rotate slightly anti clockwise then up over the lefthand side of top T, then down under thebottom T nearest you and so on. remember the top and bottom T should be at right angles to one another. To finish off secure the four sides of the yarn, IE tie them off seperately.

Maria