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Not what you think, this is about spinning wheels. Yesterday the tensions on my Ashford spinning wheel went haywire and it took me over an hour to find the problem, but I did and now it is flying along smoothly. Mine is a simpler version, and when it arrived was put together by Andrew with the help of Karen, after our disastrous getting a piece stuck in the drive wheel hub. Thanks to Todmorden Makery it was solved.
You may wonder why do I spin wool, the answer is I am not sure but wool keeps you warm it takes you back to what I call 'slowness' and it reminds you of all the processes it goes through from sheep to jumper.
What happened yesterday was the tensioning went haywire, and I tracked it down to a little cup hoop where the nylon wire kept jumping off. The whole point of spinning is the interaction between the big wheel and the bobbin on the flyer wheel. To spin the fibre, you draft it through your fingers, in I think the 'Z' mode and when you ply you reverse the action into the 'S'.
My spinning wools are confined to soft natural coloured wools such as Blue faced Leicester sheep, if I want to dye, then the white Merino is what I choose. I had found some Tussah silk. Beautifully soft it is slightly inferior to the super white silk being a pleasing creamy colour. As you can imagine it slips through the fingers like silk and I intend to leave it in its one ply mode and at some stage probably dye it to accompany some other wool. This seems to be the rage at the moment knitting with two strands of different wool for softness.
Real wool is expensive, try Rowan's for a pattern and their gorgeous wools and it will tot up into a hundred quid but hand craft is something people enjoy. Note I say people for men enjoy knitting as well.
As you can see from the illustration spinning wheels are quite complicated, they require balance and tension to work properly. I sit at the window watching the world go by as I spin.
Mine has been neglected for years. I should try and encourage myself to spin once more, as I did enjoy it but now my craft work seems totally part of Another Me. Everything at the moment seems a little pointless though, as I am focused on Keith's health. Glad you got yours sorted. That Tussah silk sounds lovely to work with.
ReplyDeleteI gave my old one away Jennie, then of course regretted it. But I would have probably brought a new one anyway. Chin up with Keith, it maybe is dependent on the drugs and then getting the right amount. I am off to do my virtual jigsaw puzzle and Wordle, just to see my mind is still working.
DeleteHad no idea that a spinning wheel had so many bits with names. It's not something I would ever try so admire those who do.
ReplyDeleteBrings to mind 'the naming of parts', that was army use wasn't it? By putting a diagram on my blog, actually helps me as well by seeing how everything works Sue.
DeleteSuch wonderful names for all the various parts; learning them all must surely admit you to the secret society of spinners! It all sounds so mysteriously esoteric, then I reflect that the computer I'm typing on has parts called a motherboard and a mouse - how weird are those names!
ReplyDeleteMy first question many years ago to my son when he was 12 years old was 'what is a motherboard'. It looked very complicated at the time John. But that is how the young learn, they take things to pieces. You have to begin somewhere in the naming of things. Just like plants got their names from their similarity to other things...
DeleteI love all the names too - but I don’t see the orifice on your diagram - the hole though which the wool passes from bobbin to hand. I bought my secondhand Ashford wheel four years ago and adore the process of spinning. Apart from one naturally dyed green top of BFL bought from Talgarth Mill in Wales in 2021 (and knitted up into a neck warmer for me with Polwarth colourwork) all my spinning has been with natural coloured UK fleece acquired direct from the farmer: Romney Marsh merino (white) black Welsh mountain from Matilda who belongs to my spinning friend and shepherd in the next village, Gotland (silvery grey) from Sidlesham in Sussex, Polwarth (creamy) from a farming friend in a village near Midhurst. Everything I have spun over the past four years has been plyed and knitted or crocheted and is being worn or used by me or family and friends. I am thinking hard about what I would like to spin next. My one ‘failure’ has been with South Downs fleece which spins and plies like string! I look longingly at John Arbon’s website and his beautifully coloured tops and maybe today I will place an order. Do you know of any good spinning blogs or podcasts Thelma? Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeletePerhaps because there was no fibre used Sarah they did not mention the orifice. My wheel I got from Wingham Wool (Yorkshire) and they have coloured tops and natural coloured wools, but I used to go George Weil for my spinning wool, haven't see John Arbon's web site, will check it. Do you go in for dyeing as well? As for podcasts, can't think of anything off hand. But I love the New Zealand lady who has bought a whole lot of mill spinning equipment, I think to start her own production line, but has got stuck with the first machine not working. Will look for you anyway, at the moment I watch 'Fruity Knitting', and someone who talks on 'Frugal knitting' in other words acrylic, but you can see she is being tempted by real wool ;)
DeleteDo you have two springs on your brake band, I believe this is what Ashford recommend now. My Ashford is ancient one and I’ve put two springs on the brake band (either side of the bobbin). Not sure it made a great deal of difference though it does seem easier to adjust. Have you come across World of Wool? They have woolly Wednesdays with special offers. I learnt to spin when we lived near Blackburn and my first spinning was in the grease using Lonk - I couldn’t believe how white and lovely it was when washed. I liked the idea of producing gorgeous yarn for not very much money. These days I mostly spin fine singles for shawls.
ReplyDeleteYes I do have two springs on the new Ashford Traveller, not sure of the point of them, they are difficult when it comes to adding the nylon wire and tying. I did start spinning 'in the grease' but when tops became easier to buy reverted to getting them. You get offered many fleeces through the years but the act of sorting them and then washing got left behind rather quickly. People keep sheep for a number of reasons, to keep the grass shorn, as pets and as decorations ;) I notice an awful lot of shawls being knitted, very pretty most of them but it seems I shall have to learn 'short German rows'. Knitting in one ply, doesn't the piece of work because it is not balanced by the 'S' ply, tend to work one way?
DeleteYes you are correct, knitted single ply does lean in one direction when knitted. Fine one ply shawls are usually blocked to shape by being pinned in position and left to dry. I pin mine on top of towels on the bed. After they have been washed several times they don’t seem to need blocking, just pressing with a steam iron. If you spin half your wool Z and half in S and knit across and back with S and then across and back with Z it seems to even out. Knitting with two or three balls in this fashion will also blend the natural coloured yarn in better. If you crochet with single ply yarn it seems to stay “straight”. Good luck with the short German rows.
DeleteI envy you your spinning but lack of patience and very bad shakes means it would be impossible for me.
ReplyDeleteSpinning gives you patience Pat ;) but it is a long term project. In fact I had given it up when I moved here.
DeleteI would never have guessed that a spinning wheel had so many named parts. I think that spinning wool is a most laudable skill which connects with our ancestors. Please keep doing it as long as you can and as you spin why not hum spinning songs of yore?
ReplyDeleteOur ancestors were late to the show with wheels, hand drop spindles were used. I am fascinated by the making of cloth, vertical weaving looms were from prehistory. No spinning songs, though I like 'the waulking song' as material is finished up in the Scottish Islands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOIZC16Jtz8
DeleteI am a storyteller and at least one of my stories has spinning in it. It's great to see all the parts labeled so I can add in some technical terms.
ReplyDeleteSpinning in a communal group was of course very much a time of storytelling. You reminded me when you mentioned storytelling, I collected some stories about spinning in 2008 here....
ReplyDeletehttps://northstoke.blogspot.com/2008/06/twisted-yarns-asbyatt.html
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ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to sit with you and listen to you as you spin. I've always wanted to see how it was done.
ReplyDeleteYou would be welcome Debby though it takes quite a time to master. My eldest grandson when he was about four years old would spin my wheel so fast the cord would come off, he delighted in that. Lillie (used) to come in and treadle furiously. Which resulted in a squeak, it recovered.
DeleteThe description of the wheel and the various terms regarding wool and spinning are interesting to me, although I have no experience with spinning. I've sometimes thought it would be a craft to explore, but then, what would I do with the lovely yarn, as attempts to knit [years ago] ended in distress.
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine you Sharon weeping over your knitting;) I am not a complicated knitter, I do it for relaxation and practicality.
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