tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post4479002673065700255..comments2024-01-21T21:41:49.449+11:00Comments on Foxs Lane: beginner spinnerKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234467488696653117noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-3785386949113269752016-05-24T13:04:34.187+10:002016-05-24T13:04:34.187+10:00Try scouring your fleece first - the lanolin in th...Try scouring your fleece first - the lanolin in the fleece can make the fibres stick together, which makes it difficult to draft - resulting in lumpy yarn.<br /><br />There are lots of good descriptions of scouring fleeces on the net - just make sure you use really hot water, don't leave the fleece in too long (if the water cools, the lanolin will reattach to the fleece), and don't move the fleece around too much or it will felt.<br /><br />I make little pockets out of Gutter Guard and nylon cord, fill each full of wool and peg it shut. I soak them in really hot water and Dynamo for half an hour(everyone has their favourite scour - I only use it to scour, not to wash the finished product), take it out and run more hot water to rinse for half an hour, then lay outside on a folding drying rack. Once it's stopped dripping, I take the fleece out and lay it on an old towel on the drying rack.<br /><br />Happy to answer any questions - I've been successfully scouring fleeces for years!/anne...https://www.blogger.com/profile/05064942549599731629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-17666216947297422522016-04-09T16:27:11.644+10:002016-04-09T16:27:11.644+10:00I feel this way about blogging! My new thing I'...I feel this way about blogging! My new thing I'm trying to learn is computer programming and there's not much that can make a smart girl feel dumb than that. It's a tough road xVeggie Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09393571810604343918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-50030175005538994522016-04-02T18:10:10.648+11:002016-04-02T18:10:10.648+11:00Persevere, you'll get there. Look at all the t...Persevere, you'll get there. Look at all the things we do in everyday life, that we had to learn and that we find now comes naturally. I remember how awful I was when I was learning to drive, or the first time you hold your first newborn baby and think 'oh my god, I've never done this before, will I cope?'. Now look back and think how you do all these naturally, without thinking about it. One day you'll look back and think 'why was I worrying about this, spinning is easy!'<br />Xx<br />Claire@homesweethome2015.blogspot.comC Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16495263878842379014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-20394334365982152262016-04-02T04:44:51.760+11:002016-04-02T04:44:51.760+11:00I have never met a spinner who did not begin their...I have never met a spinner who did not begin their spinning journey believing they were one of a chosen few to whom spinning would never be something they would every master. It is of course, untrue. After the tantrum throwing and tears and the woes are me, it really does just take practice. I found that when I was low on time that even using a drop spindle helped enormously for when I got back to the wheel my hands had the spinning memory embedded. Just keep going!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05025492709452476763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-89148981107635668762016-03-29T22:28:03.264+11:002016-03-29T22:28:03.264+11:00Hi kate!
it's vic from bindandfold :) The tip...Hi kate!<br /><br />it's vic from bindandfold :) The tips that I got were to start with more rustic wool ,like corriedale or romney (Ican set you up with a corriedale place!) . my next tip comes from me. before you try to work on the even ness of your spin (so keeping it all thin or thick) just get used to how it feels to draft, and how it feels when you have enough spin in your yarn to release into the drafting triangle. it feels different in your finger tips, i swear! <br /><br />also thick and thin yarn is beautiful. as is spinning in the grease. I have loads of polwarth here to spin in the grease (and corriedale, but it's alot dirtier than my polwarth because wendy coats her flock!) <br />don't give up! I'm going to sign up for the guild intro to spinning next month, you should come too :)Vichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10002551087782281948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-91203214446382530142016-03-29T00:27:43.766+11:002016-03-29T00:27:43.766+11:00Kate - I want to encourage you to keep persevering...Kate - I want to encourage you to keep persevering! Please do! It will eventually just click! I just learned to spin last summer, and I remember telling my mentor that I didn't think I'd ever get it. Now it's finally where I have a well-balanced yarn that I'm proud of and looking forward to knitting with. Back when I started, I had read that you should try to devote at least 15 minutes a day to the wheel. And that makes total sense. It's like any other skill, the more you do it, the better you become. So don't get too frustrated! Hang in there! I'm seriously a testimony to that! It will eventually come. I have documented my spinning journey a bit on my blog. You're welcome to check out those posts to see my progress! My first bobbins looked exactly like yours! Don't quit!Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01520682388731742925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-12989181762389761712016-03-27T20:20:02.614+11:002016-03-27T20:20:02.614+11:00My sister got me some lovely wool and a hand spinn...My sister got me some lovely wool and a hand spinner for my birthday looking forward to trying it out.Moss' Menageriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870192761669088525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-34708311931216907812016-03-27T01:17:37.662+11:002016-03-27T01:17:37.662+11:00That's a great idea - and an expert spinner ca...That's a great idea - and an expert spinner can probably identify your own particular technique issues straightaway and save time in the long run. Best to learn correct techniques at the start rather than develop 'bad habits' unknowingly due to being a newbie and then having to correct yourself and relearn later.Jodiebodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377052537742885631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-49297078626750127832016-03-27T01:13:14.589+11:002016-03-27T01:13:14.589+11:00I was just about to ask you the very same question...I was just about to ask you the very same question you asked me - when was the last time you learnt something new? Do you remember first learning to knit? (I remember my first attempts at the tender age of 10). Do you remember how long it took before your fingers and hands could coordinate the movement, balance the needles and not have all the stitches tumble off like a waterfall over the cliff? This was all in order to remind you not to be discouraged but I read that you will be persevering. (Yay!) You are a great role model to your children and it is heartening to see that even adults (who may seem to automatically know how to do so many things) still need to go through a learning process. Some things, especially physical ones like crafting or learning to play a musical instrument, just take time and repetition until the brain and body get it together to find their common rhythm and harmony. Nothing worthwhile in this life comes easily - hang in there!Jodiebodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377052537742885631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-57245913225279749262016-03-24T21:43:27.916+11:002016-03-24T21:43:27.916+11:00Hi Kate - I hope you see this comment so late in t...Hi Kate - I hope you see this comment so late in the piece! I'm a spinner too, and I think we have a very similar reverence for handspun wool. I'm inspired by your post - I thought maybe you'd be inspired by mine..? https://hillshadowhouse.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/idea/ - Persevere (I know you will!). It's so worth it xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-80061640494380011812016-03-24T14:18:38.078+11:002016-03-24T14:18:38.078+11:00Hi Kate, have you tried washing the wool first and...Hi Kate, have you tried washing the wool first and then using a carder? Sometimes having the wool clean and carded helps to draft it more evenly. You may want to try some commercial roving (different varieties to get the feel of staple length and slipperiness of the wool). Also, a little word from my "been there, done that" file...do you deal with wool moths? We do where I live and I find that any yarn that is dirty or greasy is the first thing the moths attack so making a really clean ball of yarn is important for its longevity. I routinely freeze my homemade yarn and any wool or yarn given to me just to make sure that it doesn't have moth eggs in it.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926702305837482840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-43701868680451891532016-03-22T06:22:01.387+11:002016-03-22T06:22:01.387+11:00Oh I can so relate to this! I was gifted a spinnin...Oh I can so relate to this! I was gifted a spinning wheel late last year as a 5th anniversary present. It's a double drive, antique, and it spins very fine yarns (fingering and lace weight, which I rarely use). I was ready to throw the thing out the window it was so frustrating to learn. My spun yarn is so overspun it looks ridiculous and I can't think of what it would be usable for, but I still am so in love with the wheel and spinning that I dust the cobwebs off it while I wait for a day I have enough time to try again. Keep at it. The wheel is definitely easier than the drop spindle, which I still haven't even relatively mastered (I can't even say I'm bad at that, I just can't do it at all!!). In the words of my kiddos, "you've got this."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16346322721714184987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-8923936186828140132016-03-21T11:56:17.699+11:002016-03-21T11:56:17.699+11:00Keep at it Kate and it will come, just practice a ...Keep at it Kate and it will come, just practice a little bit each day. You will get their.shazzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15455076053207950571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-77860176945699438002016-03-18T20:01:24.860+11:002016-03-18T20:01:24.860+11:00Like the others before me, I too want to learn to ...Like the others before me, I too want to learn to spin. I have all the stuff: spindles, roving, desire, ineptitude !~! Here's to new skills and muscle memory...Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08938791116446859160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-34662229046891008472016-03-17T21:41:58.599+11:002016-03-17T21:41:58.599+11:00My big girl (year 4) had an artist in residence te...My big girl (year 4) had an artist in residence teaching felting in her art class at school yesterday. I was the art helper (lucky me) for the session. So I was learning a new skill & immediately helping the girls without having mastered the skill myself. The results were far from perfect but gee we had fun & now I want to learn & experiment more. How many hobbies is too many when it comes to being creative?Blogless Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17241880336009258677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-48832127328607180292016-03-17T15:14:32.071+11:002016-03-17T15:14:32.071+11:00How fun (and a bit frustrating) is it to learn som...How fun (and a bit frustrating) is it to learn something new? I have much to learn about farming right now, I've grown a few fruit trees and had a backyard veggie patch but now I need to learn about doing that on a bigger scale... and I've had cats and dogs before but now I need to learn about what it takes to look after a cow or sheep or alpaca or chickens... or all of them? There's lots to learn but you know it's all on the path to a dream so it's exciting (if not overwhelming)... I can see a beautiful post appearing here one day with that homegrown, homespun, hand knitted jumper... Your knitting is so beautiful I have no doubt whatsoever that your spinning will be too one day... bet you had wonky knitting with holes when you started right? You'll be spinning smooth balls in no time! xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-82790756661399281642016-03-16T21:29:39.089+11:002016-03-16T21:29:39.089+11:00I cannot offer you any spinning tips Kate but I lo...I cannot offer you any spinning tips Kate but I love reading about life at your place xxJane Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05376686450149490088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-49817026422589689142016-03-16T21:01:56.138+11:002016-03-16T21:01:56.138+11:00Thanks for always being honest when things are har...Thanks for always being honest when things are hard or don't come easy. There is not enough of that on the internet and it makes your blog inspirational rather than aspirational. It really means a lot to me as your photos always make your life long ok so idyllic. The last thing I tried that I thought would be easy was pottery. I had all these visions of me drinking from my handmade mugs, surrounded by house plants in handmade pots and ended up with lumpy ugly wobbily things. And my teacher was really irritable which sacked all the joy out of it. Maybe I'll try again one day. On a more positive note last weekend my bf and I made a hand loom and so far I've found weaving really fun and easy. The Desert Echohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11891255939722192166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-34502626420596609792016-03-16T14:47:11.575+11:002016-03-16T14:47:11.575+11:00I tried to knit for years but never succeded. then...I tried to knit for years but never succeded. then When i was pregnant with my son about 3yrs ago i tried again, watched several youtube videos and it just clicked. Maybe its not something i could learn from my mother, maybe it was the fact that i could watch a video that made sense to me that made it work, but now im slow as hell, but i can knit. Jacintahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17399196817665374933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-82576434718101664222016-03-16T14:05:27.737+11:002016-03-16T14:05:27.737+11:00Kate I just know you'll get the hang of this, ...Kate I just know you'll get the hang of this, I can see you there confidently and competently spinning your wool. What a romantic picture!<br />Your farm gate stall looks magnificent in that beautiful autumn light xmel @ loved handmadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11089482748571082995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-53293454980731993402016-03-16T09:56:34.283+11:002016-03-16T09:56:34.283+11:00One more suggestion is to look into the Craftsy cl...One more suggestion is to look into the Craftsy class. They are always on sale so you could probably buy it for around $20.00. Many of the suggestions above are in the class but you get to see a human at the wheel doing them. The class is yours forever and you can go back to get parts until you are comfortable moving on. You might also get help from someone in the guild where you borrowed your wheel. If you have the opportunity, you might want to try out an e-spinner. I struggled with the eye/hand/foot coordination for about a year off and on. I finally tried an e-spinner and right away, I was making yarn! Real yarn! Good luck! Suecsj0423https://www.blogger.com/profile/07529714740624573697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-13012994083906518472016-03-16T08:37:30.813+11:002016-03-16T08:37:30.813+11:00You've gotten heaps of good advice like practi...You've gotten heaps of good advice like practising treadling until your feet know what to do and making sure the tension is right and how to do that. I second is the fleece scoured (washed)? The yarn I spin in the grease is horrible stuff but if I wash the fleece first and then flick it (comb out the ends so it is all fluffy) it is a lot easier to draft and I make nicer (and cleaner) yarn.<br />You may want to pre-draft the fleece too - fluff it out and pull it into a long sausage of fluff. This will make spinning easier. <br />It took me a couple of weeks to figure spinning out and after someone showed me how to draft tops/fleece, suddenly it all clicked. I've been spinning since 2004 and have a Majacraft Little Gem II after starting out on an Ashford Traditional.yarnivoroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04253817840476574619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-4881644349949547522016-03-16T08:29:06.555+11:002016-03-16T08:29:06.555+11:00Why not try with a drop spindle first. You have mo...Why not try with a drop spindle first. You have more control and can go at your own speed.Your handy hubby could make you a really nice carved one. I only made enough yarn to knit a purse. I was surprised how much was needed. Also I thought the yarn could come out all the same thickness ! I now know better. Caz.P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11206843820602358144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-57669868175410152392016-03-16T04:47:53.479+11:002016-03-16T04:47:53.479+11:00I just want to share that I feel your frustration ...I just want to share that I feel your frustration as an also new spinner. (spinster? haha) I don't have the physical connection to the sheep, but I've knit and crocheted for years, I sew, and all of that has come really naturally to me. It's really hard as adults to find that sometimes your fingers and hands aren't creating the physical result that you can see in your mind. I tried to learn to spin by reading books, watching videos, and giving it the ol college try. While I still need to put in a lot of practice, the thing that really helped me turn the corner was a private lesson. It was IMMENSELY helpful for me to be able to sit beside someone who knew what they were doing and watch her hands move. I could ask her to slow down, back up, explain to me EXACTLY what she was doing and how it should feel. I was embarrassed to show her what I was doing since it wasn't "perfect," but it was awesome to have her give me some critiques and some troubleshooting. You are so lucky to have a local spinning group. Hopefully someone can offer you that kind of help? I was so pleased to find that in just a few hours with some one on one, I felt so much more comfortable going back on my own and applying what I'd learned. Good luck!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15652214884171307328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573422992082776289.post-61964107143040207272016-03-16T00:04:04.540+11:002016-03-16T00:04:04.540+11:00Kate, luckily you have an endless supply of wool s...Kate, luckily you have an endless supply of wool so you won't feel like you're wasting it. Lacey is right, though I don't spin, my daughter does, and she went through the same thing you are. Everything takes practice and sometimes the easier something looks (or the more we want to make it happen) the harder it is to get right. You will, though. Just relax.Denice Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17986804178687634451noreply@blogger.com