Yup, I'm absolutely amazed!

These are the first two skeins made after my class and on my new wheel! They are the same color. Unfortunately, due to the camera angle and flash, they look different.

The one on the left is 252 feet / 84 yards and the one on the right is 159 feet / 53 yards. I have absolutely no idea what, if anything, I will make with this yarn. It looks to be about sport weight which is a favorite weight other than sock weight.

I hope I can learn how to make the yarn finer... I really love knitting socks so want to spin thinner yarn. When I spun the single, that really was what I liked for the sock weight but I know that it wouldn't be strong enough to use in the socks. HHuummmmm.

I have ordered more roving to work with. The sport weight will be fine for knitting a top once I get it done. Plus, I have the colorful roving posted on the previous post to play with. I might try spinning it a little finer just to see if I can get a little closer to sock weight.

Another project to learn... Navajo Plying. I found a site with a quicktime video and directions but I'm beginning to feel like I might need some hands on direction. Will have to see if my LYS can do a quick run through on that for me. ::keeping fingers crossed::

Do any of you have some favorite places to buy dyed roving? I already have a few places bookmarked but always can use more! As well as more free time and more money... hehehehehe

Happy spinning and knitting, everyone!

It all happened while I was returning the rented spinning wheel to my LYS.... I had already worked on some of the gray practice roving at home and was having loads of fun but wanted something brighter.... something that I could use my imagination on. So, you see 6 ounces of eggshell colored, super soft roving and 2 ounces each of the colors.

My plan is to spin the eggshell colored roving by itself then spin the colors in random lengths... spinning them together to make a variegated yarn. Next, I plan on plying them together. I have no idea how it will turn out but hope that it might actually make a rather pretty sock yarn.

Right now, my spinning skill seems to be making DK weight yarn which I actually happen to like working with.

There are so many gorgeous rovings online that I would like to buy and spin. I just have great difficulty in figuring out how much to buy to make something. Socks take about 400 yards. That's an average but I really should take some of my leftovers and run them through the counter to see how much is really left since I do have a small foot.

The problem is how much roving is needed for a simple stockinette short sleeved, V-necked pullover. I've weighted a knitted top in that style and it came to 300 grams. I don't know why but that sure does seem like it's too light and that I would need more.

Anyone out there with some good suggestions on this?

Here is a picture of the flyer on my Kromski Minstrel. There are hooks only on the left arms of the flyer. It's working well for spinning the gray wool in a counterclockwise direction and I'm very pleased at how fine I'm able to spin my fiber. So much better than the bulky weight that I made when I started learning. heehehhehe

The puzzle comes when I realize I need to ply in a clockwise direction and there are no hooks on the right arms of the flyer.

The Louet S75 that I rented for my class had hooks on the left and the right arms of the wheel and I was able to ply easily with that. Now, the Lundrum that was the last of the take home practice wheels, has a sliding clip only on the left arm so it would have a similar problem to what I'm running into on my wheel.

I don't have any spinning books yet and I admit that I haven't watched the video that came with my wheel so I don't know if the answers to this problem will be in those venues...

What ideas and information can all of you spinners out there share with me?

Look what I got at 12:50pm today !!! Door bell rang and there it was waiting for me. Definitely time for a happy dance! My very own Kromski Minstrel! The box had a few bangs and dents on it which was a little irritating since it is clearly labled as Fragile Handle With Care.

Fortunately, Kromski packs their wheels very well. Lots of paper. HHuummm, anyone want some Polish newspapers? hehehe I definitely don't read Polish. The paper cushioned the wheel and the other parts very well and everything inside the box was just fine.



Here are all the pieces all laid out and ready to put together. I didn't need the video tape of directions since their written ones are very clear.

I used the upstairs landing since it's a nice large flat area for putting things together.


And now for the picture of the finished wheel!

I have to admit that, while tightening the tension on the drive band, it broke. :( I was NOT a happy camper but it didn't worry me as I remember a post from Wendy on her blog. She posted about her original drive band breaking and that she replaced it. I dug around the kitchen and there it was.... white twine. Works great, too! The original band was very then hemp. I'm so glad that I had read Wendy's post a while ago and that it stuck in my mind. No panic, just a trip downstairs to the kitchen and all fixed.

The white twine is closer to something that would be used in medieval times but for home, I'm thinking of ordering synthetic band. Okay... it's in Purple and it feels like a stretchy plastic though I'm not really sure what it's made of. Once I have it in hand, I'll take a picture of it and post it here.

I have the wheel set up for Scotch Tension since that is what I have learned on and feel most comfortable with right now.

Today, once the wheel was put together, I'm just doing the oiling and treadling that is recommended. There are 2 leather parts they recommend being soaked with the oil so I'm gonna head off and watch some TV and do more treadling.

Happy spinning and knitting, everyone!

I figured you all deserved another picture of my spinning attempts. I know it's not my usual weekly post but I feel bad that I've only had time to post once a week lately due to work interfering with my play time.

The dark gray actually spun up nicely, the cream color to the left ... I sorta got distracted with and it went from nice to slubby looking... the cream color to the right was spun from the rolags that we made in class on Saturday and they really spun up nice and thin.... with just a tad of overtwist.

I keep having to tell myself, "Quit looking at the yarn and let it go onto the spindle or you are going to over spin it again!" Unfortunately, I don't always listen to myself. heheheheeh

I need to spin some more onto this bobbin then take the nasty dreadlock looking stuff from my first bobbin and spin some nicer stuff since we will be learning plying this coming Saturday. That should be fun but I definitely want something nice to ply with.... I just have to find the time. Worked 13.5 hours today and I'm pooped.

Sssshhhhhhhhhhhh..... I ordered a new toy... don't have the tracking number yet so I don't know when it will ship.

What are all of you up to?

This past week has flown by as usual. Works is its usual crazy self with tons of stuff happening and lots of pressure but my knitting does help.

I've not been knitting every night when I get home as I'm usually in bed and asleep by 8 since my 5am wake up time comes way too early but....

As you can see from the picture, I really have made some time for knitting. This yarn is Anne by Schaefer Yarns and I think it looks like glowing embers. Bright red, red, black and a dark navy blue. I love the colors and this will give me a pair of socks with red in them.

My Spinning class has been fun! We did some hand carding of wool and then we made rolags to spin from. They turned out really nice and I was able to spin some very nice yarn with them. Our homework for this week is to spin enough yarn onto two bobbins as we are going to learn plying in our last class this coming Saturday.

I'm still learning toward the Kromski Minstrel as my first wheel. It does have some metal parts but has no plastic parts which makes it work well for my SCA fun. Unfortunately, the price recently went up a little due to the poor US $$. It's still very reasonable and I like the looks of it, too. I just need to get my hiney in gear and get it ordered.

Keep your head down and keep you needles handy as things have to start looking up soon!