Re: OT - Wool and Spinning Tips Needed

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon,

I'm a handspinner, with one wheel and a lot of drop spindles. I

love drop spindles. I'm partial to romney for a beginning spinner,

but there are many medium coarse breeds that are just as easy to

learn with. I learned initially with a mixed sampling of rovings,

then bought a fleece and used a dog comb to comb it. Now I have

wool combs (dangerous, but wonderful tools), wool cards, and still

like to occasionally use a dog comb.

The finer fibers are more difficult to spin, just because they slip

out of your hands too easily and your fingers haven't had time to

memorize drafting yet. My favorite fiber to spin now is my angora

bunny wool.

Unfortunately, I live in a climate not so suited to 100% angora

garments as it's generally way too warm for this zone. So, I use

my angora more for trim, accents, dolls, and such. I have some silk

that I've thought about blending with it as well as some of my

homegrown natural cotton colors in green and brown. too many

projects, too little time

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Bless you - sounds like a wonderful life. I've not a clue about " drop spindles " but I'll go about searching ASAP. It struck me today, unless I want to use the yarn for a lot of natural-colored Aran sweaters, I suppose dying comes in to play sooner or later. Do you dye your own wool? Sharon

Hi Sharon,I'm a handspinner, with one wheel and a lot of drop spindles. Ilove drop spindles. I'm partial to romney for a beginning spinner,but there are many medium coarse breeds that are just as easy to

learn with. I learned initially with a mixed sampling of rovings,then bought a fleece and used a dog comb to comb it. Now I havewool combs (dangerous, but wonderful tools), wool cards, and stilllike to occasionally use a dog comb.

The finer fibers are more difficult to spin, just because they slipout of your hands too easily and your fingers haven't had time tomemorize drafting yet. My favorite fiber to spin now is my angorabunny wool.

Unfortunately, I live in a climate not so suited to 100% angoragarments as it's generally way too warm for this zone. So, I usemy angora more for trim, accents, dolls, and such. I have some silkthat I've thought about blending with it as well as some of my

homegrown natural cotton colors in green and brown. too manyprojects, too little time :)Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

Here's a great link for bottom whorl drop spindling instruction online:

http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/index.html

and yes, I do some dyeing also. I just recently dyed some fleece,

cotton commercial yarn, and merino commercial yarns in a Rit dye bath

of denim blue. the place to buy inexpensive safe acid dyes is:

http://www.dharmatrading.com/

Enjoy,

[Guest guest]

,

Fabulous site. I took a spin, so to speak, through it. Now I need to

determine how much wool to order - that seems to be the only thing

they don't cover. There needs to be a category, " Most Inexpensive

Bulk Wool To Purchase and Ruin Until You Get The Hang Of It " .

Wish we lived closer.....I'd take a spin over.....okay, I'll stop

now...... Thanks for the Dharma Trading site. I'd completely

forgotten about them - used to order " blanks " for machine

embroidery.....

Sharon, NH

> Sharon,

>

> Here's a great link for bottom whorl drop spindling instruction online:

>

> http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/index.html

>

> and yes, I do some dyeing also. I just recently dyed some fleece,

> cotton commercial yarn, and merino commercial yarns in a Rit dye bath

> of denim blue. the place to buy inexpensive safe acid dyes is:

>

> http://www.dharmatrading.com/

>

> Enjoy,

>

>

[Guest guest]

There are also some great email lists for spinners. Go to yahoo and type in handspinning. Amy in AL, a fellow handspinner~Sharon son wrote: ,Fabulous site. I took a spin, so to speak, through it. Now I need todetermine how much wool to order - that seems to be the only thingthey don't cover. There needs to be a category, "Most InexpensiveBulk Wool To Purchase and Ruin Until You Get The Hang Of It". ;)Wish we lived closer.....I'd take a spin over.....okay, I'll stopnow...... Thanks for the Dharma Trading site. I'd completelyforgotten about them - used to order "blanks" for machineembroidery.....Sharon, NH>

Sharon,>> Here's a great link for bottom whorl drop spindling instruction online:>> http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/index.html>> and yes, I do some dyeing also. I just recently dyed some fleece,> cotton commercial yarn, and merino commercial yarns in a Rit dye bath> of denim blue. the place to buy inexpensive safe acid dyes is:>> http://www.dharmatrading.com/>> Enjoy,> >

Be a chatter box. Enjoy free PC-to-PC calls with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.