A 2 ply with this lovely merino blend I got. All my coworkers are asking me to make stuff now that I have proper spinning wheel. Anyone else here into spinning yarn?
While I’m on the subject, would anyone else be interested in a write up? I don’t want the information to stay on Reddit. And while I’m VERY much not an expert, I can at least start posting resources for folk.
Yes! More info, please!
I’m goofing around with a drop spindle and need to keep my “spinning” restricted to that, so I will live the spinning wheel life vicariously…
Edit: in case anyone else is looking for fiber arts communities - there is a knitting one [email protected]
Hey! Spindles are great! Once it clicked for me, and I moved on from the park and draft method I was having a blast haha. There’s a book called “Respect the spindle” all about this. I’ll write up my guide to be more general and welcoming to spindle users. There’s the saying that a wheel is more efficient by hour, but a spindle is more efficient by week. Alas, I’m not a knitter. I might jump in soon though, hehe.
I’ll have to look for that book, thank you!
I’m definitely in the park and draft (and tangle, and slub, and swear) stage, but I really dig it.
God tell me about it. I’m still fresh myself, and tried making a skein without a niddy noddy. I lost 70g of plyed yarn 😭
My first wheel bobbin got completely over filled when I was plying. So THAT screwed up too. One skein was underspun and just fell apart. But!! Who cares when I’m having so much fun :) (apart from all the swearing and rage…)
Honestly, just keep at it. It clicked for me after a few on and off attempts over a few weeks.
How do you typically source your wool? I looked locally and there doesn’t seem to be much around here at first glance.
I got this specific wool from here. I’m lucky to live in Australia where Merino are just about everywhere, so I get some wool from here too. But that one is quite local.
World of wool is by far the biggest and the cheapest option for finding wool though. Even with the shipping included. Plus, it’s the only place I could find Angora at a price that didn’t make me want to die.
Weirdly enough, there’s a LOT of fleece on the Facebook marketplace, just more unprocessed. That might be an option with a lot more work involved if you’re up to it.
Also, a good place to look is wool and sheep shows. Iirc, there was one in Maryland not too long ago. They generally pop up all around the place though.
I did not consider Facebook marketplace for some reason but that’ll be a good place to start. I love to learn how to do things and collect skills like pokemon so maybe I could learn how to process and spin fleece while I’m at it.
I will absolutely bookmark world of wool. Thanks!
Beware. Drum carders come PRICY. They last for life though. I’m going to get into it, but I’m looking into dying (and making my own plant based dyes from my own garden!!)
Edit: not the only way to process wool though. Processing raw fleece is a lot of work from what I’ve read up on it. World of wool is probably your best bet.
That sounds so cool! I just started getting into gardening but did not consider you could grow dyes. You better post pics whenever it happens
Oh trust me, I’ll be spamming the instance with my pictures like a proud parent with a child. I was inspired by finding this website that documents the different dyes different eucalyptus trees can make. Gorgeous browns and greens galore. I absolutely want to post my adventures into spinning and yarn for each step.
Asking crafters if we’re interested in a write-up about how to do an even more obscure bit of our craft? Hmm, let me think… 🤔
Looks super snuggly, merino is the best! Do you have any plans of what to make with this one yet?
A beanie for this one! I’ve been bullied (I don’t really mind) into 3 seperate projects for my coworkers. Two beanies and a scarf for the eternally freezing executive chef. And I’ll try making a write up!! The depth you can go into with just drafting ALONE is fantastically interesting. And I don’t feel as bad spending $20 on fibre when I know it’d cost twice as much as yarn, hehe.
But seriously, this week I’ll work on a write up before I go on an endless rant. See if I can’t bring some wooly madness with me, heh. Look forward to some more experimental yarns from me! 🤗
Gorgeous colour way! I love how warm all those shade of orange look together 10/10 would make cozy socks.
I spin as well but I’m not a professional or anything, just a girl with a wheel and some woolly friends
Please post your spins! I’d love to an get a proper community going (and I’d love to drool over pictures of yarn…)
I will! I have to finish up a few more projects but end of winter i should have the time to spin up all the wool i have been hoarding haha. I also have a bag of possum i want to blend in
I just realised… I can buy possum fibre…
They are an invasive pest here so I didn’t so much buy it as I did drive-by it 👀 jokes it was as humane as pest removal to save our native flora and fauna can be.
Oooh, I’m presuming New Zealand then? Honestly, learning about possum fibre was a shock, when my coworkers told me about their possum wool scarf. I still think it’s a bit weird to wear the screaming bastards haha.
Yus! There are soooo many of them. So soft. Such sharp claws
