Spinning Chatter

For those of you who don't know Kate has left Knit Picks and has also
left the Knit Picks community. She will certainly be missed.
Unfortunately when Kate left the community, it deleted any discussions
she had started. This was not her intention. So here is a new "Spinning Chatter"
discussion area. So please leave your comments here. In no
time at all, we will have this discussion filled with tons of
information. So if there is a comment that was discussed before and you
need a refresher please post again and someone will jump in as usual.

Tags: batts, breeds, dyeing, fiber, questions, roving, sheep, spin, wheels, yarn

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by wendy on May 1, 2012 at 10:18pm

My mom and step-dad always enjoyed visits from other's pups and kitties.

So are you all recovered from your exciting trip?

Permalink Reply by Beverly Roberts on May 2, 2012 at 7:25am

Peggy, I see that you are back to "normal"...LOL.

Permalink Reply by wendy on May 2, 2012 at 7:33am

Don't you think she 'owes' us some real doozies? lol

Permalink Reply by KnitWhich? on May 1, 2012 at 9:53am

Yes, that's what I was thinking of doing, but my last attempt at tailspinning was a disaster. I haven't gotten the knack of it yet, and I don't want to ruin these gorgeous locks!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on April 29, 2012 at 11:07pm

Lovely locks!

Permalink Reply by Beverly Roberts on April 30, 2012 at 7:31am

I have some of these as well as some long Cotswald curls, dyed in lively colors. Currently I simply enjoy looking at them. I have aspirations to use them in a fun, wild hat...but haven't a clue as to how I will do that :0

Permalink Reply by cherubhmm on May 1, 2012 at 1:59am

gosh they are long...hair transplant material for bald headed males perhaps! I am on Exmoor at the moment and saws some very curious sheep with long hair and big brown round spots on them! I'm going to have to find what breed they are. My own spinning has got into a knotty mess and had to be scrapped. I was spinning up some botany merino but when I went to ply it wouldnt unspin off the bobbins very easily. Don't know why that happened. Any ideas?

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on May 1, 2012 at 8:49am

I know that sometimes if I lose the end, I take a piece of tape to find it. But it sounds like you mean it didn't want to unwind at all. I don't have enough experience to give any opinion on this problem.

Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on May 1, 2012 at 9:01am

All that I can imagine is that is wound way too tightly on the bobbin or tangled in some way. I've never had this happen before.

Permalink Reply by wendy on May 1, 2012 at 10:34am

Heather, I'm no expert, but when I first got my wheel, the single broke and I ended up losing the end. I tried what Cheryl suggested - using a piece of tape to find it, but was never able to. So I had to end up cutting (yikes!) the single to find the end. What I really found out, which I think may be the problem you are having, is that I did not wind my bobbin evenly enough, and therefore the more recently spun part of the single got underneath a previously spun part of the single, and this happened repeatedly. Does this make sense? I have not had this problem since because I make sure I am moving my single often. And I also use Nutty's suggestion of winding an even bobbin. I have found this to be extremely helpful, and plying has been a breeze since. I make sure to go across the bobbin creating an "X" so to say which really helps keep the singles from falling down on themselves. Boy, I hope this makes sense. :o)

Permalink Reply by wendy on May 1, 2012 at 10:59am

Here is a picture, maybe that would explain it better.

and here is one showing the completed "X" at the bottom of the picture. Not a great pic, but it shows it - lol. Doing this helps to hold down the layers of single, making it come off the bobbin much easier when you go to ply. I hope this helps you.