Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Skeins of Handspun Yarn


I am so frustrated that my time is so occupied right now. I haven't had much of a chance to do anything with the hope chest recently. However, I have finished spinning and plying the blended wool/alpaca fiber that I started a month or so ago. Here are the pictures. Miss Abigail is also learning to spin. She should have a small skein to enter in the county fair, I hope!


 

6 comments:

  1. Kathleen, your skeins are gorgeous. I wish I could mosey out to see them in person!! Spinning fascinates me; I'd love to see you and Miss Abigail spinning! Jackie M.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very nicely done, Kathleen! It looks like you have a skill for spinning.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It looks wonderful! Would you mind sharing where you purchased your drop spindle? I would like to try spinning, but I'd like to purchase a good quality spindle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amber, I actually made the spindles that I now use most often. They are very plain! I have four of them that are exactly the same. These spindles act as a "bobbin" for the spun yarn as well as well as a spindle to spin it. I think it is easier to ply the yarn off when the spindles, filled with spun singles, are exactly the same. My spindles are just a 12-inch length of 3/8-inch dowel rod with a 3-inch wooden wheel (make sure the dowel will fit into the hole in the wheel) and a small cup hook on the top of the dowel to focus the spin. I bought the wooden wheels online and then found the dowels precut at Hobby Lobby. You just need to be sure that the dowels are straight and not warped! I glued the wheel on the dowel with about 1 1/2 inches left at the bottom. I also "sharpened" the ends of the dowel just a little with a pencil sharpener and then I spent a lot of time sanding everything as smooth as possible, ending with #4 sandpaper. Each spindle cost only about $3.00. If you don't want to make spindles, there is a kit for a similar spindle on Amazon.com

      The spindle that you see in this post is a large spindle that my husband bought somewhere. I don't like to spin on it, but it does have a large wheel, which makes it nice to ply the yarn, since it holds a lot. We have a couple of other nice spindles and I enjoy these, but I really like the ones I made myself the most. Go figure...

      I can understand that you want a good quality spindle, but remember that almost any spindle will work, even my plain homemade ones. Perhaps a heavier wheel (hardwood) will help you later as the weight will help pull the twist a little faster. But, I wouldn't start out with a heavier spindle anyway. Beginning spinners often drop the spindle and a heavy one just makes that more likely. This tendency is also the reason you want it to be glued securely. ;o)

      My advice...just buy a simple one, get started and then practice. Don't get discouraged, just keep doing it.

      Delete
  4. Αppreciation to my fаthег who statеd
    to mе аbout this websitе, this blog
    iѕ really rеmarkаble.

    Нeгe is my blog post; Megaminimall.com

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...