Spinning Question

[beebluefern]

I have a question that I haven't been able to find the answer to in any of my spinning "how to" books. Now, maybe it's just me, because I am new to the whole world of spinning and just don't know what to do as a newbie, but while spinning, how do you keep an even tension on the wheel? My problem is, I go along for a while and the wool is slipping right on through the orifice so nicely and winding on the bobbin, then all of a sudden, it's overspun and in a curly mess!!!! My wheel has that little Scotch tension knob on it and it seems like it's a pretty finicky little gadget. Also, I can move the mother of all back and forth so that it gets the right tension on the drive wheel too. I think I am treadling correctly-not too slow, not too fast (single treadle) Mind you, I've never had any lessons at this...I'm learning from three books and online videos. Right now I am spinning with BFL because it is longer and easier to work with-I have other very nice, lovely wool to spin but I hate to ruin it with my terrible spinning.

I hope someone can give me some advice...or just tell me it'll all come out right with enough practice!!:confused:

[Nalynn]

Hey Pamela - part of it is just practice. Most of us try to spin the wheel way too fast when we first get started. I think part of it is all these latent images fried into our brains from movies we've seen over the years that show wheels spinning a few miles a minute.

I remember when I first learned to spin, my "teacher" telling me I was going too darned fast and I should slow down. It was easier said than done - I couldn't control the treadles well enough to spin the wheel at a really slow pace.

If you're sure you're treadling at a reasonable pace, do you stop the wheel periodically? It could be that the spindle does a little back-spin that causes some of your spun yarn to unwind and bunch up as you have described.

Another thing that can create this problem is the wool, itself. Are you working with a "beginner's" roving rather than some of the finer wools like Merino and Alpaca? I find that the coarser wools are harder to keep flowing smoothly and steadily as you spin - at least that's been my experience. I was amazed at how much easier merino was to work with the first time I tried it.

I'm sure you've probably read by now about how the fibers tend to "stick" to each other when they've been bound up in a roving bundle for awhile. It's this stickiness that also makes the fibers adhere to each other when you're spinning the yarn. When you prepare to spin the wool, you sometimes have to loosen up the fibers by gently tugging them to relax some of that cling. You will know when the fibers "relax", because individual strands become much easier to pull and spin - which in turn improves your ability to create a consistently sized ply.

If it's any consolation, it took me two to three months to really get the hang of spinning and controlling the wheel. Even now, I will experience occasional episodes like what you're describing. The good news is that typically, those little "problems" seem to go away when you start plying your yarn.

Oh, and you really can't "waste" the wool. If you muck it up as a spun yarn, you can always felt it! I make little wool balls for my cats to play with when I have leftovers or broken bits and strands. They LOVE them.

Hope this helps - I'm hardly an "expert", but the memories of learning to spin are still pretty fresh in my mind!

[beebluefern]

Nalynn thanks so much for that!!! I am probably treadling too fast .....I haven't even gotten to the part about plying yet!!!! Well, since I've just started doing some real spinning this week I'll give myself a little time before I get too hard on myself. It's really frustrating though to see a nice looking single being spun out then all of a sudden it's curled up and wound so tight it won't even feed through!!!
Good idea about the felting though!!! My sister has cats and they would probably love some nice felted yarn balls to play with!!

[Nalynn]

The other thing you can try if you see it bunching up on you like that is to stop treadling immediately. Then gently unwind a few inches of the yarn from the spindle, pull out some strands from your roving, and let that twist spread out over a longer length of wool. You can hand wind the spindle to take up the yarn as the kinks "unwind". Does that make sense? It's kind of a neat thing to do and gives you a chance to just watch the fiber strands do their thing without having to worry about all the hand-eye-foot coordination.

It would be a lot easier to show you - but Georgia's a bit far away from Wisconsin!

[beebluefern]

Thanks again!! :D I will try that too. I found a site online that suggested I might not be letting go of the strand quickly enough, therefore it overspins...I think I do that too!!!!
I'm going to a Spinning Conference in March so I should be able to get some help then, but I hope I will be a little more familiar with my wheel and wool by then!!
I'm posting a pic of the wool I have spun...last night and tonight-wound off the bobbin onto my ball winder. I have a Swift but not a Niddy Noddy yet so I can't skein properly...I don't think I'm ready for that anyway!!
So, here it is....my very first ball of handspun single yarn. Some of it looks pretty consistent...at least for a few inches or so...then it gets a bit wonky, then it's ok again:lol: :lol: I guess I'll eventually learn how to do it, huh?


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Jan-2008/34609-firstspunyarn.jpg

[chatfieldstudios]

It's gorgeous Pam! Congratulations on your first yarn:thumbsup:

[beebluefern]

It's gorgeous Pam! Congratulations on your first yarn:thumbsup:

Thanks Cindy....it's Blueface Leicester in Sienna color that Santa brought me from Little Barn. Very nice to spin with actually (when it wasn't overspinning of course) and felt very nice and soft in my fingers...I like it because the staple is very long and I can draft it without tearing it to bits:lol: .

[Bergere]

You are making unqiue yarn! Yarn like yours sells for a mint in the spinning shops!

Give it time and practice, as there is no right or wrong way to spin yarn,,, only your way! <VBG>

[Rose Queen]

It's gorgeous, Pam -- such luster and it looks very consistent to me! What are you planning on making from it?

[beebluefern]

Thanks y'all.....I'm not really planning on doing anything with this...there isn't really very much here...maybe a few yards. I'm just looking at it for now.

I want to try to get my wool drafted to where I can spin lace weight yarn so I've got to experiment with that. Especially this wool...the BFL...it's so soft and would make beautiful lace in this color!

[Rose Queen]

How about some fingerless gloves, Pam?

[beebluefern]

How about some fingerless gloves, Pam?


Mmm, now there's a thought...I might have enough for fingerless gloves!:thumbsup:

[Nalynn]

Pamela - that's a pretty impressive looking ball of yarn. I think you're being too hard on yourself! Mine sure didn't look that good.

You might try buying a little mini pocket loom called a "Weavette" - they come in a few different sizes and the instructions are excellent. You could make a patchwork sampler that would chart your progress over time with spinning. I've seen people make cell phone carrying cases with them, too.

[beebluefern]

oooooooo....lots of ideas for this tad of yarn! It looks ok on the outside, but there are places in that yarn where it just about disappears, then it gets lumpy and bumpy...toward the end of the spinning though it was getting somewhat consistent and I was getting to be a happy spinner! I've never woven anything so I might try that idea....My Great Granny from Scotland used to spin cotton and then weave the fabric on shuttle looms for their bed sheets and coverlets (as well as knitting)...would be interesting to do something, even in a small way, that an ancestor had done.

[brynmr]

Pam this is great start! You're gonna be so good at this in no time. AND there's that weekend course coming up in March. Can't wait for that! :D

[beebluefern]

Awww, thank you....I couldn't have done it without you though! :heart: I can't wait for the course either...it's going to be so much fun!!! (And Leyedecker as a bonus too....icing on the cake..ahhhh!!!):clap: :clap: :thumbsup:

[Goewyn]

Hi Pamela, a lot of times plying helps to even out the yarn and stop the kinks. - basically single ply twists it in one direction, but when you ply with another strand that has been twisted, it balances itself out. Hard to explain, but you'll see when you try it. :) Also, several spinning wheels have different size whorls that allow you to control the ratio (how many times the spindle goes around in relation to the wheel) and that will allow you to spin more slowly or faster, even if you pedal at the same speed.
Another thing that helps relax the thread is to twist it into a skein and let it sit for a while, and it will eventually relax a bit. Although niddy noddies are great for making skeins, sometimes I'll just wrap it around my forearm (like you would wrap an electrical cord) and go from there.

Hope this helps!

-- Linda

[beebluefern]

Thanks Linda:D ....I've been reading up on plying...although I haven't tried it yet, so maybe I'll try getting some more single spun and ply the two together. I did spin this Superfine Merino last night, but I don't especially want to ply it with that particular brown wool...I like the look of the white all by itself. I've got to order some things from Ashford in the next few days so I might get myself a Niddy Noddy...or even their upright skein winder (extravagant expense but I sometimes have difficulty holding things since I broke my hand a while back) so I will also look at the whorls. I don't understand a lot about the ratios and all that just yet, but I know it's important!
Here is the Merino I spun last night. You can see the kinks in it where it was overspun.:(

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Jan-2008/34609-200401010002_01.JPG

[Goewyn]

Hi Pamela,

for me, I found that the thicker I spun, the harder it was to control the thickness/kinking. Have you heard the saying, "once you learn to spin thin, you can't spin thick?" Well, it's true. :lol: You also put more twists per inch in thinner yarn, so it accepts being excessively spun a bit more easily.

Also, different fibers work better for different people... when you experiment, you may find the fiber that works best for you. I really like a 70% merino/30% silk blend that I found, and it pretty much spins itself. Some fiber shops also sell fiber sample packs that will let you experiment.

What brand of wheel do you have?


-- Linda

[beebluefern]

I've been wanting to spin some laceweight yarn....I love knitting with lace weight and I think it would be so wonderful to actually spin my own!!!
Tommy bought me quite a variety of sliver for Christmas...BFL, Merino, Shetland, Tri Color Jacob and a whole pound of some beautifully soft Yak that is so soft that I am going to have to spin it with something else to get it to spin (it's a gorgeous cinnamon color). I am very partial to naturally colored wool, but I am thinking of trying out some dyed wool blends. I also want to try my hand at silk hankies and see if I can spin those. It's so warm here in GA that I am thinking I will try to spin thinner yarns, like the lace weights.

I have an Ashford Elizabeth (the original not the Elizabeth 2). It's my first wheel and I bought it used...although it was used gently so it's almost like new. It's really a nice little single treadle wheel...fits right into my studio without taking up a lot of space. I understand it isn't uncommon for spinners to have more than one wheel though...I am sure if I like it as much as I think I'm going to like it, I'll be getting another wheel one of these days!

Here is a pic of my "Bess"
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Jan-2008/34609-wheel1.JPG

[beebluefern]

Well, I've spent most of the day spinning and I think I have actually gotten the hang of this thing!!! In fact, I am now addicted...I'm pretty sure of it!
I found that I don't like spinning Shetland, so that bunch of roving is delegated to the felting pile and one day I will learn to do wet felting...it's very pretty wool, but a pain to spin (right now anyway) But, the good news is, all the other wool I have is fabulous for spinning!!:clap: :clap:

I think I have improved a lot in one day too. I've definitley gone for some smaller weight yarns instead of the bulky. All of these are sport weight..no laceweight yarn as yet. I want to try to get a bit more experienced before I go for the laceweight! I spun all 8 ounces of my Tricolor Jacob today and about half of my Merino. I did skein one small hank of the Jacob and it looks very nice I think...it should make something interesting. I think I will try hand dyeing the Merino once I get it all spun:D

Anyway, I love spinning and I am seriously considering making some of my homespun for sale on Etsy or maybe I can sell it at one of the LYS"s.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Jan-2008/34609-JACOBSPUN12008.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Jan-2008/34609-MYSPINNING12008.jpg

Now all of my bobbins are full!!!:lol:

[Rose Queen]

Whoa, Pam, you are on a serious roll, girl! :thumbsup:

[beebluefern]

I'm in the zone!:cool: :thumbsup:

[gkskid]

Pam - that tricolor looks like it would be fun to knit with!

[beebluefern]

Pam - that tricolor looks like it would be fun to knit with!

As soon as I get a minute I'm going to knit some of the tricolor...the one I wound into a small skein...just to see what it looks like. I need another pair of hands!!!:lol:

[Goewyn]

They look great, Pam, keep it up! :)

One note, I suggest plying before knitting/crocheting, etc, otherwise it might turn into a tangly mess depending on how much it bounces/twists back on itself ( <----- knows from experience :rolleyes: )

The good thing, though, is plying is the quickest/funnest/easiest part of spinning. :) All you do is spin the wheel backwards and let the 2 bobbins thread through your fingers onto a third.

Beautiful wheel, too!

-- Linda

[beebluefern]

I'm anxious to do some plying Linda...and probably will with my fingering weight Merino that I am working on today! I've already knit this little skein of Jacob which was spun as a single ply...it is a bulky yarn and I had it in a hank and weighted (overnight) then wound into a ball...not a lot of yardage in it...just enough to make a large swatch. 7.75 x 7.75 inches
I much prefer the thinner yarn as this is way too bulky and only good for outerwear when spun this thick....but, it does have an interesting pattern to it and it's quite soft too. A very masculine looking yarn I think and I am very pleased with how it turned out. I am not sure what I will do with the swatch...although, it is just about the right size for a glasses case...add a nice button closure...or I could use it as a beginning square for an afghan of homespun yarns.:D

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Jan-2008/34609-jacobsingleknit.jpg

[beebluefern]

Linda....I plied!!!!! It's soooooooooooooo much fun!!! I need more wool!!!! And bobbins!!!!:lol:

[Goewyn]

Cool! Yes, plying is the funnest part of it all. ;)

-- Linda

[beebluefern]

You are so right!!!

[Isabelle1]

Linda....I plied!!!!! It's soooooooooooooo much fun!!! I need more wool!!!! And bobbins!!!!:lol:

:lol: You sound like you're having so much fuuun!:clap:
That swatch is beautiful yarn, by the way.

[beebluefern]

Thanks Isabelle!
The yarn did turn out rather well...for bulky. It's very elastic too so I think this particular wool might be good for socks and mittens and gloves if it were spun just a little thinner!

[brynmr]

Here's a picture I shot of Pam spinning last night which I rather like. :)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-Feb-2008/58873-PamSpinning2.jpg

[brynmr]

:lol: You sound like you're having so much fuuun!:clap:
That swatch is beautiful yarn, by the way.

She's one happy spinner. Gotta find a T-shirt with "Born To Spin" on it or something. :D

[beebluefern]

Awwww, thanks for posting that Tommy!!! I love that photo too...nicely shot too by the way!!!:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Nalynn]

Pamela - your yarn is looking really great! Hard to remember how difficult it was just a few weeks ago, isn't it?

Here's that Merino/Tencel blend I mentioned a few days ago.

[Rose Queen]

...Gotta find a T-shirt with "Born To Spin" on it or something. :D
Hey, Tommy, check these out!

http://www.zazzle.com/born_to_spin_long_sleeved_t_shirt-235901027803188007
And did you know you could search CafePress for spinning-related stuff? You get thousands of possibilities, but, of course there's all kinds of spinning (political, DJ, exercise, ice skating, tops, etc); still, lot of fun things there -- here are a few of my favorites:
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_prod/id_4760184/p_storeid.15110828/pNo_15110828
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_prod/id_9904286/p_storeid.39594284/pNo_39594284
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_prod/p_storeid.39349263/pNo_39349263/id_9861837/opt_/pg_/c_/fpt_
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_prod/p_storeid.21567830/pNo_21567830/id_7207490/opt_/pg_/c_/fpt_
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_16431469/opt_/fpt_/c_666/
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_15678208/opt_/fpt_/c_666/
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_prod/p_storeid.20948495/pNo_20948495/id_7207927/opt_/pg_/c_/fpt_
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_2/id_13834856/opt_/fpt_/c_666/
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_3/id_10802681/opt_/fpt_/c_666/
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_6/id_18431441/opt_/fpt_/c_666/
http://www.cafepress.com/hobbyhut.62678042?CMP=CJ-CLICK-10463747 (one for your pet...)
http://www.selectscience.net/commNWDetails.aspx?mailID=1273 (definitely not what you had in mind)

And, Tommy, you gotta buy this one for yourself...http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_6/id_15913388/opt_/fpt_/c_666/

[Rose Queen]

Nalynn, that Merino/Tencel is just mouth-watering! :thumbsup:

[brynmr]

Hey, Tommy, check these out!

And, Tommy, you gotta buy this one for yourself...http://www.cafepress.com/buy/spinning/-/pv_design_details/pg_6/id_15913388/opt_/fpt_/c_666/

Wow! Who knew?! A whole universe of spinners and woolies. The ewe is seriously cute! Thanks Rose!

[Nalynn]

Thanks, Rose. Now I wish I'd bought more of that roving when I had the chance. Who knew?!

[beebluefern]

Pamela - your yarn is looking really great! Hard to remember how difficult it was just a few weeks ago, isn't it?

Here's that Merino/Tencel blend I mentioned a few days ago.

It's gorgeous!!! I'm definitely going to have to try some blends soon!!

Yep, spinning is getting much easier now that I know a little more about it and what to do!! Still learning though!:thumbsup:

[colorsplasher]

I just found this thread, very fun to watch your progress like that! I skimmed the posts, so please excuse me if someone has mentioned this before. I'm notorious for getting distracted by chatting or watching tv and speeding up my treadling. I don't worry about my overspun singles much, when the bobbin is full I reel it off with a ball winder, then use the two ends of yarn, set the tension to extremely loose, and ply the yarn back on itself. After I wind it on to a niddynoddy,I give it a quick wetting, then hang it up with a weight on the bottom of the skein. Almost always comes out nicely. I use an Ashford traveler I built from a kit, oh, 15 years ago. I also spindle-spin just for fun.

[beebluefern]

Hi! Welcome to Fiber Arts Forum!!! So happy to have another spinner "on site"! It's wonderful that you spin by wheel and spindle too! Thanks for the tip about plying with self-it does work well that way doesn't it? I'd love to see a pic of your Ashford...I'm so impressed you built it yourself! Wow! Hope you will feel free to share your pics of fiber art crafts(any sort-not just spinning) and also to share any knowledge you have of your crafts!