An Update and a Trip Report

Hello internet people!

I know that I have been lax in updating recently. It is not so much that I have been busy, I just have been mostly working on big projects, so updates are sparse.

First of all, I did finish the bulky merino yarn I was working on. Definitely not my best work: There are some parts where I obviously wasn't paying attention, and the singles have far too much twist. I think I just didn't realize how important it is to have low-twist for both bulky singles and merino wool in particular. Plying forgives a lot, but not everything.

Bulky Blue Merino yarn

I have started on some matching black yarn, and I do hope that I learned something from the first try, and it will be better.

Black Merino Bulky singles on the bobbin

Progress continues on my skirt, but I don't have a good picture for you right now. I am hoping to finish it in time to enter it at the Maryland State Fair.

I also went on a trip to Virginia Beach with my husband and in-laws last weekend. We went to Antiques Roadshow! I brought my antique castle wheel, in hopes that the appraisers could tell us how old it was and who made it. Well...

It was made in the 20's or 30's. But it wasn't commercially made, so who knows where it is from. Pretty much what I was told by the person who sold it to me.

We got a bit more useful information about the other three things we brought (a ring, a vase, and a set of silver) but no huge surprises. We had fun talking to people in line though, and everyone was really interested in my wheel - some intern even filmed me talking about it. I also got some funny questions when I got bored and took out my drop spindle. All-in-all, a fun time.

Spinning Wheels

While there was a lot to learn when I first started spinning, it was all in about wool and yarn. The twist angle, number of plies, thickness of the yarn, washing, and finishing. Even dying and color. There was, of course, plenty to learn, but it was about fiber. As a knitter for 20 years, I knew about fiber. And what I didn't know, I had a basis for learning. One of the nice things about spinning, and why I think every serious knitter should learn it at least a little bit, is that it expanded on knowledge I already had. I see myself looking at yarn offerings at the store in an entirely different light.
But that was as long as I stuck to spindles.

There is something so simple and intuitive about a spindle. Sure, they come in a wide variety of weights and styles, but if you pick one up and twirl it around a bit, you know what you have. There are no complicated problems with spindle repair. (Not that spindle spinning doesn't require skill, but it is almost entirely in the realm of fiber.)

Basic spindle

But then I got a wheel. Not just any wheel, but a finicky vintage wheel that only sometimes worked. And I found myself in a whole new realm of knowledge.

I know almost nothing about woodworking. In middle school, our shop class made shelves, and that is the last woodworking project I did. But suddenly I was heading off to the hardware store for lubricant and dongles of all kinds, trying to diagnose a complicated machine.

A mysterious, complex machine

The crack in the foot pedal was the easiest. I bought wood glue and a clamp.

Everything else was mysterious.

Getting another wheel that mostly worked was very helpful. It helped me understand what the wheel was supposed to do and what it wasn't.

And, after much trial and error, I actually have a working machine. Yay! It still only has two bobbins, but you do with what you have. I've actually been spinning on it in the last few days, and it is beautiful.

Is that actual yarn I see on the bobbin?

It helps that the fiber is gorgeous and easy to spin. It is a mix of Blue-Faced Leicester wool and silk, and the colors are amazing. I picked it up at Maryland Sheep and wool, from knittyandcolor.

Not sure that this picture does the yarn justice.

You can see how bright it is.

Of course, now that the vintage wheel is working fine, I have started another project: decorating the Ashford wheel.

At first, I tried staining it dark. Then it turns out that beechwood just doesn't take stain at all. I am pleased to say, though, that I tested it first in a place that can't be seen, so no harm done (just the loss of money).

But I have added some decorations. That big, flat wheel was begging for some paint. Of course, my painting skills leave a lot to be desired, so I stenciled. I took the picture off the internet, used an exacto-knife to cut it into cardboard, and used a sponge to paint it on. I don't think it came out too bad.  What do you think?

A dragon taking off and landing

I know, there is still more paint to be added. I need to take another trip to the hardware store for supplies.

You Get What You Pay For

One of the disadvantages of doing a craft that people don't do that much is that when your tools break, you have to find a way to fix them on your own.

Sometimes, this is easy. When my Ashford Traditional wheel breaks (the drive band snaps or something similar) I can get an Ashford basic repair kit that will have the parts that commonly need replacing. It is a popular wheel, so there are others to help with common problems.

Ashford Traditional in working order

Not so with my mystery wheel.

Mystery Wheel

I have mentioned before that I bought a mystery wheel off of Craigslist. The seller (an antique shop) said it was from the 1920s, but there is a strong possibility it is from the 1970s, based on wear and tear.

It has been a learning experience, and has necessitated many trips to the hardware store.

When I first got it, it needed some serious oiling. It also has a large crack in the foot board that needed to be glued and clamped. I had the glue, but had to go out and buy the clamp.

I got it working, but I didn't really know what I was doing. It was my first wheel. I didn't have spinning wheel oil, so I improvised with olive oil and later carbon dust (which is advertised for locks. It works, but it makes a mess). I didn't have an orifice hook, so again, I improvised. I made something-or-other out of hanging wire that is a bit like a sewing needle threader.

I started making some (funky) yarn.

But then, as it got later in the spring, and the heat turned off, it mysteriously stopped working. The treadle would turn, but the wheel would just not turn with it.

This is when I threw up my hands and bought my Ashford.

But I also stared at it, and thought, and thought, and stared, and asked people on message boards, and... I finally found a little hole in the side of the wheel. There was no screw in it, so at first I thought that the screw had come out. But no matter what I poked in there, I couldn't find the hole in the drive shaft. I looked really closely, and discovered that the hole had some metal. Ah ha! Maybe it would tighten with an allen wrench? (it helps that I had been looking at Ashford manuals to try to figure out how to fix my new wheel)

Success! Now I have two working spinning wheels.

The one problem is that my mystery wheel only has one bobbin. If I want to do any plying, I need to wind everything onto a drinking straw or other bobbin.

Bobbin from the mystery wheel

So, I did what any sensible person would do, and put out feelers on Craigslist for people willing to do a wood turning job.

I got two hits. Both seemed competent. One had a professional shop, but would charge more than I had offered and was 40 minutes away (I would have to go there to bring him the old bobbin). The other was closer and would do the job for less money. I chose the cheaper option....

and I got what I paid for. They look beautiful, but only one of the new one really works. The middle hole is crooked, so they don't spin freely. I'm not sure it is worth it to contact him and drive 20 minutes to get him to do it again.

Original bobbin on the left, copies on the right.

The maker did send me a number of cool photos of his process though.

Bobbins in progress

Sheep to Shawl: Part III

Part I covered washing the fleece, Part II covered prepping it.

Today I am going to talk about spinning it.

While I am nowhere near done spinning the thousands of yards that I will need for this shawl, I am nearly finished with my first bobbin-full.

The current state of my bobbin. Notice the very fine white thread coming off the side: that is the single for the yarn.

I am spinning the finest singles I have ever spun on my Ashford Traditional wheel. This is one of the most popular wheels out there. Probably because it is simple to use and looks great.

My Ashford Traditional

A lot of the new style wheels are, in my humble opinion, really ugly. If they aren't ugly, they are above my price range. While I have no problem with functional wheels, I need to be able to not care that the thing is sitting in my living room all the time, and not need to hide it when guests are visiting.

This particular wheel was bought off of Craigslist, and the woman who sold it to me also threw in the fleece that I am working on (as well as a bunch of other fiber). It was a fairly large investment for my budget, but I have been spinning on it nearly every day, so I consider it money well spent.

One nice thing about having a fleece (or possibly three years of fleece: there is an awful lot of wool in those bags) is that you don't need to worry particularly about running out. So I did a half bobbin sample that allowed me to decide what I was looking for and to hone my skills at working with the flicked locks to make fine singles. I plyed my singles in two different ways.

Standard two-ply:

Two-ply practice skein

Close-up, as best as I could manage, with coin for size comparison

And chain ply:

Chain ply closeup, as best as I could manage.

The two ply yarn was had singles that were more variable than I would like, and I may or may not use them in the final shawl. The chain ply, because it was my first time doing it, was full of unevenness, and possibly unusable for large sections. I gave it to a dyer friend for experimenting with.

Books I have read recommend using two ply for lace, since it leaves the holes more open, so that is what I will be doing for the final project. But it was good to get a chance to practice chain plying: I have gradient top, and the technique will preserve the color progression.

Gradient top, and a nice change from all this white.

That is all for now. It may be a while before I talk about this project again: I have a long way to go before I get to the next step!

Part IV can be found here.