i've been wondering how many spinners hang out here?

how long have you been spinning? are you a spindler or a wheel spinster? what are your favorite things to spin? do you tend toward fine yarn or bulky? singles or plied? process your own, or buy it as roving?

as for me, i learned to spin in college, as part of the fiber program (i was an art student, way back in another life). i first learned on a spindle, but very soon decided i liked the speed of wheel spinning, lol. i have three wheels, but only two of them are servicable at this point. an ashford traveller and one of the original ashford scholars (looks a LOT like a louet). the third is an old leclerc saxony that's in storage, in several pieces :( i love that old wheel, but the drive wheel is warped and the drive band pops off on every single revolution of the wheel.

i spin a LOT of wool. and a lot of dog hair (currently working on siberian husky from my sister's dog). i LOVE to spin silk, when i can afford it. and angora. i've experimented with plant fibers--cotton, flax and hemp--but have not fallen in love with any of them. i'm curious about trying some of the new stuff though, soy silk, etc.

if i'm spinning for the pure joy of spinning, i tend toward very fine yarns. i keep intending to knit some lace stuff, but other projects always seem to have higher priority. in reality i knit a LOT of socks. and doll clothes. in the more than 20years i've been spinning, i've only ever knit one sweater for myself from handspun. i keep telling myself that's going to change. :sigh:

i've got a couple of old drop spindles around here somewhere. i've been thinking about doing some spindling, for the sheer meditativeness of it. i'm very intrigued by some of the beautiful handmade spindles i see online, but haven't been able to justify the prices. maybe i should add them to my birthday wish list :D

so anyway, that's me in a nutshell. at least regarding spinning, lol.

lissa

I spin, and I just started hanging out here :)

I started probably about 6 mo ago. Drop-spindling got easier once I got a wheel and practiced with that for a while, and then switched back to drop spindling.

- Sara

I want to be a spinner! I've been wanting a spinning wheel for a while but other things always seem to come first. I also think I'm dragging my feet because I don't know how to choose a spinning wheel...I don't know which is better for me.

that's a good point, mama. there are so many different wheels out there... some wheels spin slowly and give the yarn a low twist. others spin quickly and give the yarn a high twist. some are functional, some are aesthetically beautiful pieces of furniture. some are relatively inexpensive, some cost thousands of dollars.

my suggestion is to find people, irl, who spin... a shop that sells wheels, a spinning guild, go to fiber festivals if you can... try to find places where you can try various wheels and see what you like. some wheels are easy for beginners, and some definitely are not.

also, think about what kind of yarn you want to spin, and for what you intend to use the yarn. and take that into consideration when you're making decisions.
lemme know if you wanna talk :-)

lissa

Originally posted by Dannielle
I want to be a spinner! I've been wanting a spinning wheel for a while but other things always seem to come first. I also think I'm dragging my feet because I don't know how to choose a spinning wheel...I don't know which is better for me.

hey danielle - lissa has good advice - i wouldn't just start on your own with a wheel (tho with a drop spindle - that's not so much cash outlay).

I posted a "beginners tips" thing here at the end of the thread:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131243

I started with a very inexpensive wheel (Babe - I think at babesfibergarden.com) that I found locally second-hand. It works fine for my purposes. I can totally see preferring a "better" wheel - but - until you know what kind you want, it could be an expensive purchase that you're not ultimately happy with in the long run.

Cheers - it's very addictive! Sara

I spin on an Ashford Traveler and a multitude of spindles. I use wool, dog hair, angora, silk, mohair, line flax, and pretty much any fiber I can get my hands on. I also work at a living history museum in the summer, spinning on antique and reproduction wheels. I like Ashford wheels because they are versatile, attractive, and relatively inexpensive. If looks were not important to me, I prbably would have gotten a Babe's Fiber Starter, since the people who made them are friends of mine. Dh bought me my first drop spindle (a Howel Turkish spindle) from their shop back when they were in Illinois.
We can't have sheep where we live, but we have a Great Pyrenees (the dog in my sig pic) and a Jersey Wooly rabbit. I grew flax once, but it is still in my garage waiting to be proccessed. I think I'll do it in the spring, since I bought a flax brake in September. I love trying new fibers.
I spin all different types of yarn. I've done a lot of laceweight, but plenty of thicker yarns, too. This year I learned how to spin boucle yarns at the Wisconsin Spin-in. I don't usually use a lot of novelty yarn, but it was really fun.
So far, the only fiber I have a hard time with is cotton. Recently, it occurred to me that I have mostly tried spinning cotton on a tahkli spindle and a charkha. Maybe my difficulty is with those tools, rather than the fiber. I'll have to try spinning it on my wheel or a lightweight drop spindle.

i've most enjoyed spinning cotton on a lace weight drop spindle. i need that little bit of extra control. i can't seem to make myself spin slowly enough on a wheel to manage the cotton fibers.

if you try it on your wheel, i'd love to hear about the results :-)

lissa

:bounce:

I'm not currently a spinner but I aspire to be.

I'm so excited. I finally was able to contact the local guild in my area yesterday. I'm going to a meeting next month. The lady was so friendly. I'm really excited to learn this art. This is something I've longed to do for years yet it's always found it's way to the "back burner".

So, although I'm not *currently* a spinner, I will be soon. YEAH!!!

Hi. I am new here. I am a spinner ,weaver, and knitter. I have been spinning for 10 years. I started on a drop spindle and while I do love them I mostly spin on my wheel. I have a double treadle Schact. I really like their stuff. I do like to take a spindle when we go up the mountain to cut firewood. I received a grant to start a home based business this year and was able to purchase all of the equipment I needed. I process my own fiber and use only handspun in the things I make. I ply all of my yarn as it makes it more balanced. I make a lot of shawls, scarves,hats,socks,mittens, leg warmers( I love these). My fibers of choice are alpaca,angora(rabbit and goat),silk,flax,organic cotton,finewools,hemp,qivit,
dog,pretty much anything : ) You can never have too much fiber all though my husband would disagree with that statement I'm sure. I wonder what he think tomorrow when I ask him to stop at the yarn shop?Hee hee.
There are some wonderful books and magazines out there for spinners. A couple of them are:
Spin Off Magazine
The Twisted Sisters Sock Knitting Book
I feel like spinning is my meditation and weavng is my heartsong.
Bright Blessings,
Billie Kay