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  #1  
Old December 20th 03, 05:04 PM
Bibe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default spinning

I've recently taken up knitting again after a few year break, and was
perhpas thinking of spinning my own yarn, but I have never done this
before, and frankly, I don't really know much about spinning.

Would anyone know of a great website or book that could teach me more
about this? While I have found some websites that were helpful, I am
still clueless.

Can I spin by hand? I don't want to be fully commited and spend lots of
money of equipment like a wheel, I just want to try it out. Also, this
may sound stupid, but what kind of materials would you spin? I don't
have a sheep in my backyard that I can go get wool from LOL. Can I
buy wool that is meant for spinning? I have heard of less conventional
materials such as dog hair for instance. This site for example,
http://www.mdnpd.com/pd/, talked about that and had tutorials about
spinning.

Thanks for any help.

Ads
  #2  
Old December 20th 03, 05:20 PM
Noreen's Knit*che
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:04:58 GMT, Bibe wrote:

I've recently taken up knitting again after a few year break, and was
perhpas thinking of spinning my own yarn, but I have never done this
before, and frankly, I don't really know much about spinning.

Would anyone know of a great website or book that could teach me more
about this? While I have found some websites that were helpful, I am
still clueless.

Can I spin by hand? I don't want to be fully commited and spend lots of
money of equipment like a wheel, I just want to try it out. Also, this
may sound stupid, but what kind of materials would you spin? I don't
have a sheep in my backyard that I can go get wool from LOL. Can I
buy wool that is meant for spinning? I have heard of less conventional
materials such as dog hair for instance. This site for example,
http://www.mdnpd.com/pd/, talked about that and had tutorials about
spinning.

Thanks for any help.


Bibe, you've come to the right place!
I'm a newbie spinner myself, and first, there are NO dumb questions.
YES, you can get fleece, rovings, rollags and slivers of wool and other
spinnable material at lots of places!
Since I'm a newbie, I'm going to let some of the more experienced spinners
jjump in here and really give you the 'dirt'.... ITMT (in the meantime) I'd
suggest you get yourself a copy of
Spin-Off magazine (published by Interweave Press) and really look at all
THEIR sources for all your spinning needs.
I have 4 really good books on spinning, and will gladly list them and their
ISBN #'s if someone else doesn't.
Hugs,
Noreen

--
STRIP * tease * to email me.
  #3  
Old December 20th 03, 06:15 PM
news.sonic.net
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

There was a post here recently called from Sheep to yarn. I asked about it
because my MIL has some sheep in her backyard and I was wondering if it was
worth it to take the woll from her in it's raw form. Most of the steps
should pertain to you.

I copied it and put it in a document form. I hope that no one - in
particular Monica -minds this repost:

Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read up on
the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to get
detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g :

1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from
someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from someone
who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They also
usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or washed
fleece.

Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has manure
tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to work
with
- that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e., sprigs
of
hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking it
over
newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a
screened
surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of the VM
out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have to
go
through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot of
trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor VM,
teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply
pick
out any leftover bits as you spin.

2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a month or
so
- it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If unwashed
fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to get
out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may not
soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with that
problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a lot
of
'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean later.
The
lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be rather
smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from
Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in
'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short
period
of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths like
the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth
repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags,
leave
the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a kick
every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of some
sort
that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether the
fleeces are washed or not.

Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a few
to
several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the water,
rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around the
fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so it'll
all dry. The whole thing will take a while.

At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the
natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn.

If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually
reserved
for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the yarn
after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is*
nice.
the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're drafting
as
you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some people
don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if it's
mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old
clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...)

3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as good
as
back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the
lesser-quality
wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other fleeces to
make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch it;
or
used for felt.

4 - Card or comb the fleece.

5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.)

6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in the
grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while it's
still wet.

7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on
type
of yarn and effect you're going for.

Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever.

Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the
price
of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some. g):

You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My LeClerc
cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a looong
time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just fine, if
a
little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of them,
and
use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the amount
of
wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work.

Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign matter
out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want to
do
much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're making
and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the
locks.
Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of wool
apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb the
fleece.

Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making a
spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least one
link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as Helen, I
think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel. Or a
dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl made
from
polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you can
use
a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it
*does*
work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on the
web
and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle. If
you
buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30,
depending
on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.)

Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a spare
tub
available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't *have*
to
have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although
they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some
tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the free
end.

Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only
spending
from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for
carding),
to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on wool
combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment
higher.)

Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use
inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been
published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books. Ditto
weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies. InterWeave
Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their Spin-Off
Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction on
the
web, just google it.

Dive on in and have fun!

Monica
"Noreen's Knit*che" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:04:58 GMT, Bibe wrote:

I've recently taken up knitting again after a few year break, and was
perhpas thinking of spinning my own yarn, but I have never done this
before, and frankly, I don't really know much about spinning.

Would anyone know of a great website or book that could teach me more
about this? While I have found some websites that were helpful, I am
still clueless.

Can I spin by hand? I don't want to be fully commited and spend lots of
money of equipment like a wheel, I just want to try it out. Also, this
may sound stupid, but what kind of materials would you spin? I don't
have a sheep in my backyard that I can go get wool from LOL. Can I
buy wool that is meant for spinning? I have heard of less conventional
materials such as dog hair for instance. This site for example,
http://www.mdnpd.com/pd/, talked about that and had tutorials about
spinning.

Thanks for any help.


Bibe, you've come to the right place!
I'm a newbie spinner myself, and first, there are NO dumb questions.
YES, you can get fleece, rovings, rollags and slivers of wool and other
spinnable material at lots of places!
Since I'm a newbie, I'm going to let some of the more experienced spinners
jjump in here and really give you the 'dirt'.... ITMT (in the meantime)

I'd
suggest you get yourself a copy of
Spin-Off magazine (published by Interweave Press) and really look at all
THEIR sources for all your spinning needs.
I have 4 really good books on spinning, and will gladly list them and

their
ISBN #'s if someone else doesn't.
Hugs,
Noreen

--
STRIP * tease * to email me.



  #4  
Old December 20th 03, 07:17 PM
Noreen's Knit*che
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 17:15:42 GMT, news.sonic.net wrote:

There was a post here recently called from Sheep to yarn. I asked about it
because my MIL has some sheep in her backyard and I was wondering if it was
worth it to take the woll from her in it's raw form. Most of the steps
should pertain to you.

I copied it and put it in a document form. I hope that no one - in
particular Monica -minds this repost:


Kelly, I'm absolutely positive that Monica won't mind one bit!
I also wanted to add to Bibe... you'll be hearing from Helen, Cher, Els and
Slinky Toy, just to mention a few, regarding this subject, so watch for
their replies.
I also forgot to tell Bibe, YES, you can spin with your hands, and you can
spin with a DropSpindle... you're NOT limited to a wheel at all!
JM2C,
Noreen


Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read up on
the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to get
detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g :

1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from
someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from someone
who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They also
usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or washed
fleece.

Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has manure
tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to work
with
- that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e., sprigs
of
hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking it
over
newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a
screened
surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of the VM
out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have to
go
through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot of
trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor VM,
teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply
pick
out any leftover bits as you spin.

2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a month or
so
- it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If unwashed
fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to get
out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may not
soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with that
problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a lot
of
'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean later.
The
lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be rather
smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from
Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in
'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short
period
of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths like
the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth
repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags,
leave
the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a kick
every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of some
sort
that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether the
fleeces are washed or not.

Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a few
to
several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the water,
rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around the
fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so it'll
all dry. The whole thing will take a while.

At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the
natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn.

If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually
reserved
for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the yarn
after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is*
nice.
the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're drafting
as
you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some people
don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if it's
mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old
clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...)

3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as good
as
back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the
lesser-quality
wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other fleeces to
make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch it;
or
used for felt.

4 - Card or comb the fleece.

5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.)

6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in the
grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while it's
still wet.

7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on
type
of yarn and effect you're going for.

Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever.

Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the
price
of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some. g):

You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My LeClerc
cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a looong
time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just fine, if
a
little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of them,
and
use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the amount
of
wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work.

Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign matter
out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want to
do
much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're making
and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the
locks.
Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of wool
apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb the
fleece.

Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making a
spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least one
link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as Helen, I
think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel. Or a
dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl made
from
polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you can
use
a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it
*does*
work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on the
web
and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle. If
you
buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30,
depending
on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.)

Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a spare
tub
available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't *have*
to
have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although
they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some
tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the free
end.

Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only
spending
from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for
carding),
to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on wool
combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment
higher.)

Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use
inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been
published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books. Ditto
weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies. InterWeave
Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their Spin-Off
Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction on
the
web, just google it.

Dive on in and have fun!

Monica




--
STRIP * tease * to email me.
  #5  
Old December 20th 03, 07:23 PM
SlinkyToy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On the Interweave (publisher of many excellent mags and books) you can
find pdf-format leaflets that will get you started on the spinning
path. If you spend a bit of time with Google you can find directions
for making many of your own fiber tools, including a spindle made with
a couple of CDs, a rubber grommet and a piece of wooden dowel.

There are endless sources of spinning fiber, including wool in its
various preparations, cotton, flax (linen), cashmere, and on and on
and on. Again, Google is your friend, though I can recommend a couple
of vendors if you email me off-list.

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:04:58 GMT, Bibe wrote:

I've recently taken up knitting again after a few year break, and was
perhpas thinking of spinning my own yarn, but I have never done this
before, and frankly, I don't really know much about spinning.

Would anyone know of a great website or book that could teach me more
about this? While I have found some websites that were helpful, I am
still clueless.

Can I spin by hand? I don't want to be fully commited and spend lots of
money of equipment like a wheel, I just want to try it out. Also, this
may sound stupid, but what kind of materials would you spin? I don't
have a sheep in my backyard that I can go get wool from LOL. Can I
buy wool that is meant for spinning? I have heard of less conventional
materials such as dog hair for instance. This site for example,
http://www.mdnpd.com/pd/, talked about that and had tutorials about
spinning.

Thanks for any help.


  #6  
Old December 20th 03, 07:43 PM
Bibe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks. This helps to understand the basics of how it would be done. I
have a relative that has a farm, might get in touch with her and see if
she can hook me up with some wool . Will probably try to buy a book
about this too. I just wanted to know what the process was before diving
in and buying all kind of things, but I like the idea of perhaps
building my own spindle, and using a dog flicker brush for starters.

I had a look at some of the drop spindle techniques, and it's difficult
to see how all those strands will get 'together' and form a piece of
yarn. Looks like fun tho.


news.sonic.net wrote:

There was a post here recently called from Sheep to yarn. I asked about it
because my MIL has some sheep in her backyard and I was wondering if it was
worth it to take the woll from her in it's raw form. Most of the steps
should pertain to you.

I copied it and put it in a document form. I hope that no one - in
particular Monica -minds this repost:

Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read up on
the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to get
detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g :

1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from
someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from someone
who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They also
usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or washed
fleece.

Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has manure
tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to work
with
- that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e., sprigs
of
hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking it
over
newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a
screened
surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of the VM
out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have to
go
through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot of
trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor VM,
teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply
pick
out any leftover bits as you spin.

2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a month or
so
- it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If unwashed
fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to get
out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may not
soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with that
problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a lot
of
'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean later.
The
lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be rather
smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from
Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in
'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short
period
of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths like
the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth
repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags,
leave
the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a kick
every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of some
sort
that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether the
fleeces are washed or not.

Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a few
to
several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the water,
rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around the
fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so it'll
all dry. The whole thing will take a while.

At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the
natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn.

If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually
reserved
for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the yarn
after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is*
nice.
the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're drafting
as
you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some people
don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if it's
mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old
clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...)

3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as good
as
back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the
lesser-quality
wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other fleeces to
make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch it;
or
used for felt.

4 - Card or comb the fleece.

5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.)

6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in the
grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while it's
still wet.

7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on
type
of yarn and effect you're going for.

Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever.

Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the
price
of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some. g):

You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My LeClerc
cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a looong
time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just fine, if
a
little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of them,
and
use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the amount
of
wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work.

Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign matter
out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want to
do
much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're making
and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the
locks.
Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of wool
apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb the
fleece.

Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making a
spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least one
link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as Helen, I
think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel. Or a
dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl made
from
polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you can
use
a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it
*does*
work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on the
web
and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle. If
you
buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30,
depending
on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.)

Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a spare
tub
available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't *have*
to
have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although
they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some
tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the free
end.

Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only
spending
from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for
carding),
to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on wool
combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment
higher.)

Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use
inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been
published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books. Ditto
weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies. InterWeave
Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their Spin-Off
Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction on
the
web, just google it.

Dive on in and have fun!

Monica
"Noreen's Knit*che" wrote in message
. ..

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:04:58 GMT, Bibe wrote:


I've recently taken up knitting again after a few year break, and was
perhpas thinking of spinning my own yarn, but I have never done this
before, and frankly, I don't really know much about spinning.

Would anyone know of a great website or book that could teach me more
about this? While I have found some websites that were helpful, I am
still clueless.

Can I spin by hand? I don't want to be fully commited and spend lots of
money of equipment like a wheel, I just want to try it out. Also, this
may sound stupid, but what kind of materials would you spin? I don't
have a sheep in my backyard that I can go get wool from LOL. Can I
buy wool that is meant for spinning? I have heard of less conventional
materials such as dog hair for instance. This site for example,
http://www.mdnpd.com/pd/, talked about that and had tutorials about
spinning.

Thanks for any help.


Bibe, you've come to the right place!
I'm a newbie spinner myself, and first, there are NO dumb questions.
YES, you can get fleece, rovings, rollags and slivers of wool and other
spinnable material at lots of places!
Since I'm a newbie, I'm going to let some of the more experienced spinners
jjump in here and really give you the 'dirt'.... ITMT (in the meantime)


I'd

suggest you get yourself a copy of
Spin-Off magazine (published by Interweave Press) and really look at all
THEIR sources for all your spinning needs.
I have 4 really good books on spinning, and will gladly list them and


their

ISBN #'s if someone else doesn't.
Hugs,
Noreen

--
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  #7  
Old December 20th 03, 07:46 PM
SlinkyToy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 18:23:31 GMT, SlinkyToy
wrote:

On the Interweave (publisher of many excellent mags and books)

Missing info:

On the Interweave website at http://www.interweave.com
  #8  
Old December 20th 03, 07:56 PM
Noreen's Knit*che
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 18:46:21 GMT, SlinkyToy wrote:

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 18:23:31 GMT, SlinkyToy
wrote:

On the Interweave (publisher of many excellent mags and books)

Missing info:

On the Interweave website at http://www.interweave.com


I am SO glad I'm NOT the 'only one' !
rotfl...
veg,
Noreen

--
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  #9  
Old December 21st 03, 01:50 AM
Cher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Oh Gee.....thanks Noreen.....lol....

I can only echoe what others say really, Spinning is my whole life, and
those that know of me from other Yahoo type groups know that I love to weave
the stuff I spin, hence my yahoo handle of Spin2weaveuk Of course you
could buy some fiber tops, and a dowel and a wooden toy car wheel...there
is a page somewhere on the net that shows you how to make a drop spindle.
You certainly don't have to spin on a wheel...then again you don't have to
spin at all, you can pull out a fleece top or fiber to a long thinnish
strand of say an inch thick, and knit that without spinning it as well.

I sometimes drop spindle spin, especially if I'm away without the camper
van, bed and breakfast or something, I take a spindle and a bag, of
pre-dyed tops and spin out in the car or wherever...

Keep us updated and we will all of us try to help out when and where we can.


Cheers......cher


Noreen's Knit*che wrote in message
...
On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 17:15:42 GMT, news.sonic.net wrote:

There was a post here recently called from Sheep to yarn. I asked about

it
because my MIL has some sheep in her backyard and I was wondering if it

was
worth it to take the woll from her in it's raw form. Most of the steps
should pertain to you.

I copied it and put it in a document form. I hope that no one - in
particular Monica -minds this repost:


Kelly, I'm absolutely positive that Monica won't mind one bit!
I also wanted to add to Bibe... you'll be hearing from Helen, Cher, Els

and
Slinky Toy, just to mention a few, regarding this subject, so watch for
their replies.
I also forgot to tell Bibe, YES, you can spin with your hands, and you can
spin with a DropSpindle... you're NOT limited to a wheel at all!
JM2C,
Noreen


Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read

up on
the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to

get
detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g :

1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from
someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from

someone
who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They

also
usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or

washed
fleece.

Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has

manure
tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to

work
with
- that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e.,

sprigs
of
hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking

it
over
newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a
screened
surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of

the VM
out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have

to
go
through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot

of
trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor

VM,
teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply
pick
out any leftover bits as you spin.

2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a

month or
so
- it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If

unwashed
fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to

get
out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may

not
soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with

that
problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a

lot
of
'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean

later.
The
lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be

rather
smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from
Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u'

in
'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short
period
of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths

like
the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth
repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags,
leave
the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a

kick
every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of

some
sort
that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether

the
fleeces are washed or not.

Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a

few
to
several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the

water,
rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around

the
fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so

it'll
all dry. The whole thing will take a while.

At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the
natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn.

If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually
reserved
for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the

yarn
after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is*
nice.
the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're

drafting
as
you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some

people
don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if

it's
mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old
clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...)

3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as

good
as
back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the
lesser-quality
wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other

fleeces to
make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch

it;
or
used for felt.

4 - Card or comb the fleece.

5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.)

6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in

the
grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while

it's
still wet.

7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on
type
of yarn and effect you're going for.

Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever.

Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the
price
of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some.

g):

You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My

LeClerc
cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a

looong
time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just

fine, if
a
little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of

them,
and
use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the

amount
of
wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work.

Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign

matter
out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want

to
do
much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're

making
and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the
locks.
Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of

wool
apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb

the
fleece.

Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making

a
spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least

one
link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as

Helen, I
think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel.

Or a
dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl

made
from
polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you

can
use
a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it
*does*
work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on

the
web
and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle.

If
you
buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30,
depending
on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.)

Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a

spare
tub
available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't

*have*
to
have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although
they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some
tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the

free
end.

Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only
spending
from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for
carding),
to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on

wool
combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment
higher.)

Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use
inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been
published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books.

Ditto
weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies.

InterWeave
Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their

Spin-Off
Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction

on
the
web, just google it.

Dive on in and have fun!

Monica




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  #10  
Old December 21st 03, 06:41 PM
CMM PDX2
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

LOL Kelly, Noreen's right - I don't mind a bit! Frankly, since I don't think I
saved that post, you saved *me* from a lot of retyping. Thanks! )

Bibe, trust us. veg You said:

I had a look at some of the drop spindle techniques, and it's
difficult to see how all those strands will get 'together' and form
a piece of yarn. Looks like fun tho.


....really, it does work! Spinning works the same whether it's done by fingers,
drop spindle, spinning wheel, or machine. When you get to the end of one length
of yarn you've spun, you leave a tuft of the fiber loose and open--still fluffy
and untwisted. This is overlapped with another tuft of your unspun fiber. You
draw the two out together (which is called drafting), start spinning again, and
voila - your join is made. The twisting of unspun fibers is what holds it all
together. Very clever idea of our ancestors, no?

You can even experiment with that stuff they put in bottles of aspirin to keep
the pills from rattling around - supposedly cotton. g (ghu knows what it
really is nowadays; if real cotton, then it's pure lint, not good spinning
fiber.) Or if you happen to have some cotton balls in your medicine cabinet,
use a couple of them. Both are made of stuff that's really really short, and
hard to spin, but you can get a very basic idea of the process by playing a
little. Just don't expect much from the results. g Think of it as
experimentation.

Fluff a couple cotton balls (or wads of ??) up and pull them gently apart to
open up a bit so they're not a tight mass - you can't get the fiber to pull out
if it's all compacted. Then tease out a length of fairly even thickness from
one end a ball, and roll the strand on your leg to twist it. Before it gets too
tight at the unspun end, pull out another length, and repeat the rolling
process. You'll have to keep these lengths fairly thick, because again, this is
*lousy* stuff to spin. Easier if you keep it thick, you'll get less frustrated.
And frankly, cotton is a trickier fiber to spin, anyway, experimenting or for
real. Wool is much easier, which is why everyone keeps pushing it on beginners.
g It's got those little barbs on the fiber, and just naturally wants to stick
together. Cotton - or mystery fiber - doesn't.

Anyway, when you only have about 1" left of unspun fiber, overlap that onto
fiber pulled out from the other ball. Pull them out a bit more, both sections
together, then spin, keeping them overlapped.

It won't hold together very *well*, since the stuff isn't the greatest
material...but you will see that yeah, with longer fibers and some practice, by
gosh, it could work! ) That's it - the entire basis of spinning. Once you've
got that, all you need is some decent fiber and practice. Go for it!

Monica
(lordy, don't you just love enabling? bg)
CMMPDX2 at aol
remove 'eat.spam' to email me
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