Spinning

Rummer

Hello

I had my first spinning lesson over the weekend and I am now totally hooked and saving for my own wheel. It made the wonder though if anyone on the OS boards spun their own yarn?

thriftwizard

I'm a spinner - been spinning for 4 years now & still completely hooked! It's the ultimate frugal hobby - you take something that virtually no-one wants (you can still pick up fleece for free quite easily, and not just off barbed-wire fences) and have fun turning it into something you can use to make something completely unique. I got into it via wet felting, which I also love; I went after "a" fleece offered on Freecycle & ended up with 4, which would have taken years to felt, so I invested in a cheap Dutch wheel & learnt to spin. I'm still using a Dutch wheel (saved up & bought a new, double-treadle one) & am currently spinning up a batch of free alpaca, which is scrumptious stuff. I've also somehow got into dyeing and weaving, although I usually spin to crochet.

Rummer

I want to go through the whole process of spinning, dying and crocheting so that I know that I have made an item as much myself as is possible. It was just so relaxing

thriftwizard

It was just so relaxing

That's what I love best about it! :T It's so calming, and you feel somehow so connected to everything, if that doesn't sound completely daft. Did you know that Gandhi made the time to spin every day, as a form of meditation?

Give me a shout if you need any fleece or fibre to practise on - I have a garage full of the stuff and OH would rather it was elsewhere. My Post Office are quite used to me sending off bulky but light potato or feed sacks full of pleasantly-sheepy fluff! :rotfl:

heretolearn_2

I know how to spin with a drop spindle - could be worth having a go while you are saving up for your wheel? It's pretty laborious that way but you still get that repetitive/calming vibe going on just the same. And you don't need much fleece, a little bit takes a while to do.

I also know how to hand-roll string out of bark - now THAT is labour intensive but oddly satisfying.

mardatha

I can use a drop spindle and have had a couple of shots of a wheel. I do like the idea of hand made from scratch stuff, but I find I get impatient and just want to start knitting

Rummer

thriftwizard wrote: »

That's what I love best about it! :T It's so calming, and you feel somehow so connected to everything, if that doesn't sound completely daft. Did you know that Gandhi made the time to spin every day, as a form of meditation?

Give me a shout if you need any fleece or fibre to practise on - I have a garage full of the stuff and OH would rather it was elsewhere. My Post Office are quite used to me sending off bulky but light potato or feed sacks full of pleasantly-sheepy fluff! :rotfl:

How thoughtful, I will keep that in mind!

Been thinking that a drop spindle might be a good compromise until that lottery win :rotfl:

Rummer

Well I have ordered a drop spindle , giant hints have been dropped to my OH about treating me to a wee Ashford traveller

valk_scot

Get yourself over to Ravelry and join the UK Spinners forum there. It's full of helpful advice on just about everything to do with spinning including how to go about selecting your first wheel...also, there's a For Sales area and you can find some good buys in second hand wheels. You can also ask for opinions on Ebay wheels.

I do spin, have done for several years and own several wheels. I also do some basic tuition in the groups I'm a member of. I'm not so fond of spindle spinning but I can do that too. I make a lot of yarn but as I'm a slow knitter I'm not so good at keeping up with yarn production.

Rummer

valk_scot wrote: »

Get yourself over to Ravelry and join the UK Spinners forum there. It's full of helpful advice on just about everything to do with spinning including how to go about selecting your first wheel...also, there's a For Sales area and you can find some good buys in second hand wheels. You can also ask for opinions on Ebay wheels.

Already signed up , they are lovely and very helpful.

There have been some lovely wheels on but they are all collection only and way to far away for me to travel. Maybe I should put on a wanted notice at pay day?

Rummer

:j I just bought an Ashford Traveller :j