And you call this yarn?
I paid how much for Colinette Point 5?!? When I can literally spin it myself?!? My first foray into drop spindle spinning produced maybe 5 or 6 yards of slubby, thick and thin yarn. They say it will never happen again, so I’d better label and date the yarn and then put it on the shelf to be admired as “My First Yarn”. Here’s what I’m using:
And here’s what I made:
Now I have questions! How much twist? How do I improve my drafting so that I get more even thickness? How do you know how thick a yarn to spin? I heard that you’re supposed to wash the yarn after you spin it to set the twist… must read up some more.
And oh, why did I stop at just 5 yards?!?! I want to dye the rest! Colour my world! Hmm, Kool-Aid? Or proper dye? Cold or hot? Dip or pour? Either way, I should have enough to make 2 pairs of socks!
Lucky progress? I finished the back piece last night as I finished watching the entire first season of The O.C. Yay.
I tried to teach myself the drop spindle method but was unsuccessful so I took a four class last spring. You don’t want to twist it to the point where it curls; just nice and tight to the point where you tug at it and it doesn’t pull apart. My instructor said consistent thickness takes practice, practice, practice. Then again, she said people pay lots of money for those thick and thin yarn (e.g. Colinette).
It is addicting. I go to sleep chanting: pull, pull, spin, pull, pull, spin.
Man, you’re fast! I’m still working on my sleeve for Lucky. But I plan on finishing it tonight while watching The O.C.
Looks like you have a bottom whorl. Consistency does take a while. I would say the most important thing is preparation. Harlot talked about it yesterday, and there are some good videos to watch on icanspin.com to help you. I learned with the park and draft method; consistency just happens naturally. Keep on spinning! (You’ll also discover your fiber stash growing on its own)
Wow, that looks good to me!
Mmm… Hooked on handspun! There’s nothing else like it. To begin to answer some of your questions:
1) How much twist? Depends on the grist of the yarn. Thicker singles = less twist, thinner singles = more twist. For example, take a length of freshly spun singles and double it back - does it look like a good 2 ply, or does it seem too loose/tight? Adjust the amount of twist until you get a feel for how much twist is appropriate.
2) How to improve consistency in drafting? Prepare your fiber more carefully. I would “predraft” the fiber - that is, attenuate it until it is more or less the thickness of the desired yarn, and then all you have to do is add twist. To attenuate fiber, place your hands about 6-8 inches apart and gently start easing the sliver apart until you feel the fibers sliding over each other. Don’t pull too hard, or you’ll separate it into two pieces. Go over the section again, making it thinner and thinner each time.
3) How thick to spin? That’s up to you, to a great extent. Typically, the finer/crimpier/softer/shorter the fiber, the more twist it needs. Similarly, long coarse fibers need the least twist. Corriedale is a nice medium wool - you can go under and over the “appropriate” level of twist and still get nice results.
Yes, definitely set the yarn after it’s spun. Make yourself an Andean plying bracelet, ply your yarn, and give it a quick dip in the sink with some shampoo. (Wash gently, or it will felt!) Then squeeze out the water and drip dry.
You asked in another entry about what kind of wheel to get. I bought a Schacht DT as my first wheel and really worked it hard for many years. It is a versatile, reliable wheel with good resale value. It’s pleasant to look at, use, and is compatible with both right- and left-handed spinners.
Good luck! Welcome to the handspinning journey!
This is just the beginning… It’s hard to get thin yarn. I go along a section of roving pulling the fibers apart before I spin it. Knitting your handspun yarn into something you can use or wear will give you great satisfaction. I used my first yarn to make potholders.
Ooh that looks great! I’m starting to get the itch to learn how to use a drop spindle.
I think it looks knit-able! I am tempted to go to my LYS with spinning supplies on my lunch break
I had great results with Kool-Aid doing the dip dye method. I let it soak between 12-24 hours.
I’m a new spinner, too. Practice - that seems to be the way to get better at drafting. I think some fluff is easier - long staple, not too fuzzy, it didn’t want to bunch up on me as much (or maybe I was just improving the technique). I kind of like pre-drafting - evens the bits up. My teacher had me hold the yarn & let it twist itself to a little mini-2ply to test the twist. Don’t want too many little wormy twists, though, or kinky yarn. This blue Cotswold wool I’ve been playing with seems to like more twist than the softer stuff I’ve used. Practice. S’fun, no?
It’ll be great to get a wheel someday - I loved my teacher’s Majacraft. It’s so hypnotizing - so meditative! I love the soft shusshing sound that wheel made, too.
Hi you ALL!!!,
I am very excited about finding your page. I am not only a male knitter but also one of the few -foreigners at least- doing it in Shanghai.
It happens that i bought lots (kgs!) of thin wool yarn in England during the spring -summer and somewhat did not knit as much as i and my knitting friends expected.
I am therefore stuck with huge quantities of thin fine wool just when we need THICK wool. Is there any practical way to turn thin yarn into thick one? Any simple machine i could either buy or make by myself to thicken my thin yarns?
Thanks you very much for your advice!!
Blessings
Lorenzo