Another spinner here. I spin on an Ashford Joy 2 and take great delight in turning up with it slung over my shoulder in its carrying bag, setting it up and spinning wherever.
I’m not an expert at spinning, but I love the process of learning. Now the hanks of handspun are piling up, I need to make the leap towards knitting with it.
Or the leap towards sending it to me!
Hi there sister spinners (and brothers). I spin here in southwestern Ohio (near where Abby Fraquemont lives). I have 5 working wheels which include 2 CPWs and one vintage where which I bought from the maker in 1982. I also have a herd of spindles. We had llamas for 17 years but because of health reasons, my last llama just went to my daughters house to guard the sheep and the goats
The sheep are jacob and jacob/icelandic crosses. The little girl here was is Tinkerbell who weighed less than 2 lbs at birth.
Always worth asking!
I might have a Chartreuse-y skein or two laying about! And, really - knitting with handspun spoils you and is the best way to catch the spinning bug!
I have a Majacraft Suzie and Kromski Sonata. Just spun 4 oz from Blue Mountain Handcrafts (wowza, Beth’s stuff is super duper!). Spinning is reserved for just me, so focused on Christmas and an upcoming show right now.
Yes, Shetlands! We got them two years ago. (A friend of a friend had a ram escape one night and ended up with way more lambs than anticipated come spring. We were happy to take three off her hands.) And thank you!
I’ve been away on a knitting retreat this weekend. I have not found the motion of the train to affect the spinning, except to perhaps make the whorl not turn as much as it would if we were standing still. It is funny that the twist still goes on even when the spindle is moving like a pendulum!
Spinning is my jam! I am envious of those who have space and time to raise sheep, my dream!
I spin on my spindles at my son’s sporting events (all day tournaments are prime spinning time!) and always get a questions. People, especially kids, are fascinated about the spindles and process of making yarn. I love letting folks try it themselves.
I finished up a small project yesterday. Its a 4 oz bump of BFL/silk, dyed by Three Waters Farm, and blended with Romney, sari silk threads, more silk, and alpaca. I chain plied the singles and now have about 400 yards of yarn. I have a homemade blending board, which I used to make the rolags.
Love your spindle collection, Kathy! [will not start spinning, will not start spinning, will not]
“Nothing to see here”–lol
Why not? Spinning is great fun. There’s plenty of people here who will encourage you along the way.
This is stunning! Wow! Gorgeous!
Come to the spinning side. We have cookies! And sheep that look like Wookies! OK maybe more like Ewoks, but I liked the rhyme. Listening to Hamilton over and over has an effect on me.
P.S. These are babydoll southdown sheep from Bashakill Winery in Wurtsboro NY, at the foot of the Catskills. I trade my spinning of their wool for wine. . . Excellent wine, cute sheep
Gorgeous! I got a blending board for the holidays last year (I know, it’s amazing how my husband knew what I wanted! I am so kidding here…) and have not really spent the time to play with it. Darn this day job.
My favorite spindles are turtlemade 3D printed!!! Mostly because my budget caps out at about $15, heh heh but they are beautiful colors and last forever as long as you take good care of them. I’ve even forgotten the pieces of my turkish in my pocket on more than one occasion, but even when sat upon they are still okay
How did you home- make your blending board? I want one so bad but have no budget haha <3
My blending board is a piece of blending cloth purchased from The Woolery, stapled to a cutting board from Home Goods. I am using a dog brush, and I already had dowels but big knitting needles work for making rolags and punis. Staple the carding cloth all the way around, and do not glue it first. I ended up removing one row of pins from each side so that my staple gun could reach the edges.
I think they’re a great addition to a spindle collection and perfect for
children to learn on or for traveling. I also love turkish spindles
because I find it easier to ply with what I’ve spun with them. I take the
yarn off and ply from the inside and outside of the ball and at least I end
up with yarn. It’s that last step that I don’t do much of the time!