A Wool and Silk Eclipse
Wow! Y'all had a lot to say about your wheels. When I stop and think about it, it's really great that there are so many different kinds of wheels out there to suit all the different kinds of spinnners in the world. It was interesting to hear all the different opinions and to hear more stories about different kinds of wheels. It certainly doesn't make my decision making process any easier knowing that there are so many great choices. But it does make me feel good to know that probably no matter which wheel I chose, I will get something I like -- and a wheel that others are familiar with. And there's nothing better than knowing there's a community of people out there who can share their wheel wisdom with me!
The trip to Marengo, combined with bonding a little more with my Ashford Traditional has gotten me into a very spinning oriented mood. After I finished plying up some more of the natural colored wool/silk blend I got from my mother, I decided that I needed to spend some time spinning some of this:
This was the first time I found the merino/silk blend at the Fold and I just had to leave with some of it. It's soft, and reminds me of the Cormo and Tussah Silk blend that I bough at MS&W last year that was such a dream to spin on my drop spindle. This is something of an unusual color choice for me, but I was drawn into the lovely yellow and spring green in the mix and curious about how that would blend with the blues and greys when all plied up.
Here's the first two bobbins full. This hank of fiber is only 5.75 ounces, so I don't think it will take me too long to spin up the whole thing. I wish my spinning was a little more even but I think that will likely only come with time and practice. That said, I did learn a few things as I spun these two bobbins up that made my life a little better.
1) For me, it seems like things wind on my bobbins better if I start with the single going through the hook closest to me and work my way towards the hook on the opposite end as I fill up each area. When I start from the hook furthest from me, the single seems to move towards the middle and wind on a bit unevenly. Not that this is a big deal, but it makes it easier for me to judge when the bobbins have about the same amount of single on them when the single winds on more evening.
2) Merino and silk are well paired for spinning. The short fibers of the merino are complemented by the long silk fibers, giving the feeling of having a much longer staple length than if one were spinning merino alone.. When I first started spinning this stuff though, since I was remembering only about the short staple length of the merino, I found that I was fighting myself a bit when I was drafting out the yarn from the main part of the roving. Why? Because my drafting hand and my roving guiding hand were just too close together. I found that the best positioning was actually to have my guiding hand be 3-4 inches back from my drafting hand. In that position, the fiber flow was very natural and easy. So now I know another reason why it is important to understand the staple length of the fiber I am spinning with.
3) I now understand why wheels come with more than one, as I think of it, "gear ratio". The finer the yarn I spin, the more twist I want to put into it to hold it together. That means that I have to either treadle faster or make the bobbin spin faster relative to the main wheel. Unfortunately, my makeshift twine drive band doesn't allow me to switch ratios easily, but at least now I understand the principle. I suppose that is the sort of thing that should be obvious, but there's nothing quite like hands on experience for me to get a grasp on this kind of obvious. And, in a strange way, I'm feeling pleasantly self-satisfied that I did figure this out by myself by actually thinking about what I am doing and about the equipment I am working with.
So what will this yarn look like when I ply it up? Will it be attractive? Will it be ugly? I'll have to solve that mystery tomorrow.
I often have these great "AHA" moments that I then run off to share ... only to get a "well, duh" reaction. It doesn't take anything away from the joy of discovery ... it's so cool to be able to figure things out yourself.
Your yarn is looking lovely ... do you have plans for the finished product yet?
Oh, that looks so lovely and soft...
There is nothing like the doing to aid in the understanding.
;-)
Definitely make sure whatever wheel you get will be fast enough for you. Some of the commodity wheels are actually geared more to the slower side.
I almost commented yesterday, so here are my two cents today. I think you've taken exactly the right approach to purchasing a wheel--trying many different kinds and styles. I bought my Schacht Matchless DT after playing with more than 4 wheels for about 4 hours, and my fingers could really tell that I was making the right (albeit expensive) decision. This Schact isn't as portable as some, but it did have a nice drive home in the passenger seat of my tiny Honda Civic hatchback, strapped in with the seatbelt. Depending on the size of your car, it could be more portable than some other wheels.
Best of luck in your decision!
I didn't read any blogs yesterday bought I thought I'd chimr in on the wheel discussion today. I have a Kromski Minstrel and I love it. I found the mazurka to be too light and unstable. The minstrel just barely fits into my car sitting upright on the floor of either the front passenger or the back seat of my small SUV. I knew my wheel was going to be living in my slightly formal living room and I wanted a wheel that would also serve as room decor. The mahogany finish and the gorgaously turned wood or the kromskis were perfect. I spun on 3 of them and fell in love with the minstrel on the first treadle.
Be sure you love the wheel you choose. It is a very personal thing and everyone has different reasons to pick different wheels. Before you decide for sure on the lendrum be sure you can get one. They have been back ordered for months at most places.
Did I mention I spin? Wait until you discover dyeing! You'll give up knitting altogether. Sooner than you'd believe, you'll be wanting a Charka! (Well, OK, you'll never give up knitting, but you'll wish for 40 hour days, like I do!)
You still can't tell what a yarn will look like until it's knitted I believe. I had the ugliest corriedale that I hated as singles, hated as two-ply and turned into the most beautiful pair of fingerless mittens.
Forget chakra, you'll want a weaving loom next.
I'm enjoying your posts, I'm just starting spinning and thinking about what kind of wheel I want. I'm leaning towards the Ashford Traditional, as it's in my price range, and seems to fit me well.
It looks beautiful. I bet it will become love-r-lee yarn!
I love The Fold. My husband took me out there (the trip is even more fun when it's snowing) to get my first hand spindle. We (even the fiber challenged husband) spent an hour sticking our hands in bags of fleece and feeling the love.