Converts to spinning

Congrats to both of you, Myka and Noreen, on learning to spin! (thought I'd be
efficient and combine the threads. g) I can see you're both safely hooked -
don't you love the feeling of accomplishment it gives? May you have many
enjoyable years of spinning your own. And Noreen, when are we gonna see
pictures of your yarn??? Myka, your first skein looks lovely - great work!

Re more yarn on a spindle - you might also want to look up directions on the
web to make your own out of a dowel and a couple of CD's, and make a
Navajo-type spindle. Not pretty - I mean the CD kind, not actual Navajo
spindles - but they work. They have a *long* shaft, and hold masses of yarn.
May take a little modification of your spinning method, so you'd probably want
to do this after you feel really comfortable with your current spindle. Because
of the size, Navajo spindles are usually used while sitting down, and the tip
rests on the floor, or in a heavy bowl on the floor to help keep it in place.
Then you roll the shaft against your thigh rather than twirling the spindle in
the air as you do with smaller spindles. (not a very good explanation, but I've
only read about using a Navajo spindle. g I'm sure Helen or someone else here
can give a better idea of it.) Anyway, even with thick yarn, they can hold
enough for a big skein.

Or just be patient. The more you spin, the more even and finely you'll be
spinning, you'll figure out your best winding method, and you'll end up with 50
yards or more on your spindle. Matter of fact, one of the problems once you get
experienced is that you'll be *wanting* to spin uneven, novelty-type yarn, and
it's hard to do because your fingers have learned to spin smooth and fine! Then
you'll be moaning over the fact that you're having a hard time spinning bulky
yarns like the ones for which they're charging $9.95 a skein. veg Of course,
by then, you'll have switched to your charkha and be spinning bigger skeins
anyway--and charkhas spin fine. Or you'll decide you need a European-style
wheel, just because. And before you know it, the collecting begins. Look at
Slinky! ::giggles and runs for the hills::

Meanwhile, Els' suggestion about the cross-winding is the basic solution. Keep
going *way* up and down the spindle from the very start; nearly to the tip of
the shaft, and you'll get a lot more yarn on there. And maybe wind on the yarn
a bit more tightly at the tip to help hold it in place; it'll fluff back up
again when you wash it. I can see from your web-page pix that you're using a
top-whorl spindle - that's probably the main reason the yarn is falling off. A
bottom-whorl spindle helps the yarn-sliding problem. You don't have to worry
about the cone of yarn falling off because the base of the cone rests on the
whorl; it's not going anywhere. Unless you drop the dang thing, it gets away
from you, and merrily rolls across the floor, unwinding as it goes. Why yes,
it's happened to me frequently; how did you guess? LOL

That's one reason I've never bothered trying a top-whorl; well, that and Dad
never got interested in making one. bg Even without trying one, I could just
*see* the yarn sliding right off the shaft, as you've said. Of course, when I
was learning to spin, you could hardly find any references to that type, and
they sure weren't selling many of 'em anywhere! Except for vague mentions of a
'Turkish style' of spindle, with very small illustrations in the few spinning
books one could find. g I already had 2 spindles; back in those days I wasn't
going to track down and spend money on another just to try a different style.
(especially since Dad made ours and I was getting them free.) And by the time I
got my first wheel, I had 4 spindles in different sizes, and really, I didn't
want any more! Besides, they were starting to charge more for them by then. (I
don't care if it's made from rosewood, $24.95 or so for a spindle is just
ridiculous, IMNSHO. gimme a dowel and a wooden cabinet knob, some sandpaper and
glue, and I can make my own - geesh. I just want the dang thing to spin, I
don't care how it looks. heck, in a pinch you can use a crochet hook and a
small potato...)

I also kind of think that some of us have a definite preference for top or
bottom whorl spindles; maybe in the genes. Plenty of folks probably don't care
which they use, and happily switch back and forth; but I'm betting equally as
many spinners find they work better with one or the other.

Or you could try turning your spindle upside down, using it as a bottom whorl,
and see if that helps. The shaft looks long enough to do that. No, you couldn't
use that handy loop then to run the free yarn through, but it does have those
little grooves at the bottom point of the shaft - a firm half-hitch with the
yarn around the shaft at that point should work. Some of my spindles don't even
have a notch cut into the tip of the shaft, and are perfectly smooth, but my
half-hitches stay put just fine. Most of the time I rather wish my other
spindles didn't have the notch, I don't really need it.

And don't worry if you start doing something differently than your teacher
suggests - everyone spins a little differently, and we all learn our own
tricks. Once you get the basics down, you're free to use whatever methods work
best for you!

Monica
CMMPDX2 at aol
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Monica...
My web-cam is being used elsewhere, and right now my RAM is giving me fits
so am not using the scanner either.
I WILL post pix soon.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Yes, I AM hooked... very soothing and very invigorating at the same time!
Hugs,
Noreen



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(yes, I'm being lazy and staying online tonight. g)

Noreen wrote:

My web-cam is being used elsewhere, and right now my RAM
is giving me fits so am not using the scanner either.
I WILL post pix soon.

Ack - sending soothing vibes to your computer so it'll cooperate! And will be
looking forward to pix, when everything settles down.

Thanks for the encouragement!

You're welcome, of course. Always enjoy enabl-- er, *encouraging* new fellow
spinners. ::snerk::

Yes, I AM hooked... very soothing and very invigorating at the
same time!

'Tis, isn't it? Especially when things like your computer are acting up. Ok, so
you can screw things up while spinning, but by gum, the problems aren't
*nearly* as complicated - usually - as they are with computers. Not to mention
you then have the wherewithal to make something out of what you've produced,
thereby enjoying yet another craft. Talk about enabling. )

Monica
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In article ,
(CMM PDX2) wrote:

Ok, so you can screw things up while spinning, but by gum, the problems aren't
*nearly* as complicated - usually -

Monica

Screw spinning up....me ......never....Ha, ha

Els

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Thanks for all the words of wisdom and encouragement, Monica. I think I'm
going to start again on my third skein tonight, trying the cross winding and
Navajo plying. I'll let you all know how it goes!

Your description of a Navajo spindle was intriguing. I bought my drop
spindle from a craftsman that belongs to the guild -- it was the second
cheapest he had at $12. I may explore making my own -- or I could always
get my DH to make me one when he finishes taking his Ph.D. exams. . . we'll
see.

Funny what you said about wanting to spin unevenly -- that's what the
presentation was about at the guild meeting!! In light of that, I'm
actually trying to keep my thread between thick and thin -- wonder what kind
of damage that will do when I'm ready to spin on a wheel. g

Off to get busy! Thanks again! :-)

Blessings,
Myka
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"Myka KS" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the words of wisdom and encouragement, Monica. I think
I'm
going to start again on my third skein tonight, trying the cross winding
and
Navajo plying. I'll let you all know how it goes!

Your description of a Navajo spindle was intriguing. I bought my drop
spindle from a craftsman that belongs to the guild -- it was the second
cheapest he had at $12. I may explore making my own -- or I could always
get my DH to make me one when he finishes taking his Ph.D. exams. . .
we'll
see.

Funny what you said about wanting to spin unevenly -- that's what the
presentation was about at the guild meeting!! In light of that, I'm
actually trying to keep my thread between thick and thin -- wonder what
kind
of damage that will do when I'm ready to spin on a wheel. g

Off to get busy! Thanks again! :-)

Blessings,
Myka
--
Spam trap hint: contact me at the acronym
JustUnderNineOlives = juno


Think about Lion Brand HOMESPUN, they make a LOT of money making it thick
and thin.... and now Red Heart has one too!
Noreen,
who is way to busy.... going bananas.... feeling totally overwhelmed....
but that's a whole 'nother "thread"



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Myka KS wrote:

Funny what you said about wanting to spin unevenly -- that's what the
presentation was about at the guild meeting!! In light of that, I'm
actually trying to keep my thread between thick and thin -- wonder what kind
of damage that will do when I'm ready to spin on a wheel. g

Trust me. Once you've gained some experience at spinning, you'll find
it difficult to spin a thick and think yarn! Enjoy it while you can!

Judy in MN

In article ,
et wrote:

Myka KS wrote:

Funny what you said about wanting to spin unevenly -- that's what the
presentation was about at the guild meeting!! In light of that, I'm
actually trying to keep my thread between thick and thin -- wonder what kind
of damage that will do when I'm ready to spin on a wheel. g

Trust me. Once you've gained some experience at spinning, you'll find
it difficult to spin a thick and think yarn! Enjoy it while you can!

Judy in MN

Judy and Myka, once you get past the second period in spinning, and enter
the next period, you should be able to controle your thick and thin
spinning and create fancy yarns. Mabel Ross is one of the best spinners I
know, who has written several books on that topic. She also produced a
video and is very clear in her instructions.

Els

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