Author: Marie Haigh

I read Spinning in the Old Way by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts from front to back in two days. I might have finished it in one day if it hadn’t arrived in the late afternoon.

From Spinning

This book is filled with information on spinning tools, fiber types, fiber preparation, spinning techniques, drawing, drafting, woolen yarn, worsted yarn, plying, storage, etc. The parts I found the most helpful to me were the chapters on plying and drawing. Most spinning books quickly mention plying and then move on to other topics. Gibson-Roberts took the time to explain how to ply the yarn and, more importantly, how to make a balanced yarn from two singles that had been resting for a considerable amount of time (since I’m not the fastest spinner in town). The advice was so simple: base the amount of desired twist in the singles and the amount of required ply on a freshly spun length of fiber.

With regards to my anxiety over drawing, the bit of wobbling that I experience in the spindle is normal. All this time, I thought I was doing something wrong on both accounts.

Thus, I happily recommend this book for beginner and new spindle spinners. I wouldn’t presume to tell an experience spinner what s/he may or may not need.

My only qualm about the book – and I knew this before I purchased the book – is that Gibson-Roberts is biased about top whorls. She firmly believes that a top whorl is the Rolls Royce of spindles. She objectively compares the top whorl against the bottom whorl, listing the positives and negatives of each. Then, she quickly and emphatically dismisses the bottom whorl as inferior. Based upon the two designs she lists in the book, I must agree with her assessment. However, she completely ignores and doesn’t even mention my favorite spindle: a Turkish spindle.

Gibson-Roberts’s list of negatives for the bottom whorl:
1. Slower speed, since you are required to flick the shaft rather than roll the shaft up/down your thigh
2. Yarn must be double secured no matter the design: No Hook Design: once underneath the whorl and again with a half-hitch knot at the top of the shaft or Hook Design: once by barber-poling the yarn up the shaft and again by pulling the yarn through the loop on top

The Turkish spindle eliminates problem #2 unless you made the mistake of buying a Turkish spindle with a hook. There’s no need to be ashamed. My first Turkish spindle was from Ashford and came with a hook. It was my first ‘real’ spindle (the cheap bottom whorl spindle I received in a learn-to-spin kit and promptly threw out doesn’t count). As is often the way with new things, I was excited to spin on it and didn’t mind the extra effort that was required. The yarn had to be barber-poled up the shaft before I could pull it through the hook. I didn’t mind the extra work at all; it was so pretty to see the newly spun yarn wrapping its way up the shaft.

From Spinning

By the 10th time, I was starting to get annoyed. So, I tried omitting the barber-pole technique and just pulling the yarn through the hook. Countless number of times I watched the spindle fall onto the floor, unwinding all my pretty yarn. Stubbornly, I muddled through, but eventually I couldn’t take it anymore and retired the spindle to the task of plying-only.

If you should ever make the same mistake and buy a Turkish spindle with a hook, carefully take the spindle apart. Extract only the shaft and walk it down to your tool bench. Using a saw, cut that silly hook off. Of course, you could always do what I did. Hand the shaft to your husband and ask him to cut the silly hook off. Dan recommends using a good hack saw. It will cut through both the wood and the hook, leaving the majority of the shaft unmarred. Afterwords, you might want to sand the edges with a fine-grade sandpaper.

From Spinning

With the hook gone, all you have to do is pull the yarn up from where it was wound on, make a half hitch knot at the top of the shaft, and continue spinning the fiber. There is no need for barber-poling, wrapping the yarn around the back of the hook, and/or locating any notches.

As far as Problem #1 goes, I don’t see it as a problem at all. I prefer a slow, steady spin rather than a fast spin.

I mentioned this matter to Dan before I purchased the book and again afterwards. Ever the enabler, he encouraged me to buy a top whorl just to see if it didn’t spin any better than my Jenkins.

How could I say no?

I didn’t buy just any top whorl. I didn’t even buy the beloved top whorl: Golding. Thanks to my hatred of hooks, I searched high and low to find a top whorl spindle without a hook. I’m pleased to say I found it.

From Spinning

Dragoncraft sent some lovely roving with my purchase.

From Spinning

Q. Does the top whorl spin any better than my Jenkins?
A. The jury is still out. I haven’t spun anything in the past week. My wrist was so sore from playing the recorder, which I’ve retired and replaced with the pretty tin whistle Dan bought me for my birthday. The soreness is finally gone and I hope to start a new project tonight. I’ll report back with my very unscientific findings.

From Spinning

These aren’t for my or Dan’s lunches. I bought them for my yarn collection.

In her Spin It book, Lee Raven gives a tip on how to store yarn. She recommends “storing wool … in paper bags that are taped shut [since moth’s] larvae don’t eat the cellulose of paper bags.”

I thought that was an excellent suggestion. Since today was only moderately hot and not ‘I’m Melting! I’m Melting!’ hot, I tooled on my bike up to the local grocery store. I purchased 100 bags for about a buck fifty. (Gosh, I wish all organizational tools were equally cheap and available.)

From Spinning

I have 98 bags left. I think I’ll be set for the next 10 years.

My only complaint about the brown lunch bags is that they don’t have a little window in which I can peak inside and see the yarn. Fooey.

Speaking of bags, I don’t think I ever showed you my new bag.

It’s handmade from The Julian Bag Lady specifically for knitters. It has several narrow pockets in which I can jam my straight needles or other tools into. The inner compartment has a zipper closure, allowing me to lug it around as my everyday purse and be able to secure my wallet and other essentials inside. I just LOVE it.

I spin in the worsted manner. Mainly because I don’t know how to spin in the woolen manner. I’m not even sure I understand the difference.

My latest handspun:

The specs:
Spun from Shetland pencil roving
Spun on my Jenkins Turkish spindle
Singles spun in lace weight (though not at first – I got better as I went along) and plied together
Each yarn cake weighs 1 ounce
Left cake is 35 yards
Right cake is 66 yards (This is the yarn I am happiest with).

By the way, does anybody have any advice on how I can label the yarn I spin up? Right now, I am using Ravelry’s stash tool in order to remember the yardage on each skein and what it was spun from. I would love to pick up a skein of yarn and know instantly what it is.

Back to my spinning rant: I spin slowly, inching my way along. Though I was starting to pick up speed with the Shetland pencil roving, I’m back at the starting line with the alpaca locks I am currently working on.

I do little to no preparation work on the alpaca locks. All I do is tease the locks open and lay them neatly in a row on a table next to my spinning chair. I haven’t even washed the locks, but I plan to next time around. My hands get so filthy during the spinning process.

The gorgeous green mohair roving is from WhorlingTides. I am using her hand-dyed mohair as a set of training wheels, so to speak, in my attempt to learn how to spin alpaca from the locks. I tried spinning the locks on their own, but I became so frustrated. They were slippery and had more desire to fly away than be spun into yarn. The mohair is acting as a sticky tape, for lack of a better analogy.

I read a lot of forums and emails from other spinners about how quickly they can chew through 4 ounces of roving. I have been working slowly and steadily on my mohair/alpaca yarn for about two weeks now and I think I am going to be lucky to get 5 yards out of it. I must be doing something wrong.

I’ve tried to follow the common advice of “Just Relax and Let Go”, but then I don’t get the consistent weight that I want. Right now, it is more important to me that I am consistent and that I enjoy what I am doing. (I often catch myself smiling down at my spindle full of yarn). I can only hope that the speed will come.

I am determined to get better. My wonderful MIL called me yesterday to tell me about the fabulous birthday present she found for me: fleece. Not just any fleece: llama. OMG, I can’t wait to touch it, smell it, bury my face in it, and then eventualy spin it.

Jake has been a wonderful support to me during my hours of spinning, especially when I become frustrated.

He lays right in front of my spinning chair.

PS. Poor Jake woke up sick this morning. He spent a good hour spitting up all over the green carpet. (I knew there was a reason I hadn’t pulled up the green carpet yet.) I have no idea what was wrong. Thankfully, he’s feeling better now, but sleepy.