I’m developing my skills with the Ashford Traveller spinning wheel. I’ve found it helps me evenly distribute the yarn on the bobbin if I separate up my roving into thinner strips and switch hooks on the flyer after I spin each strip.

Some spinners pre-draft their roving to make spinning easier, I find tearing off about 8-10 inches, then separating out sections has a similar function. Commercial roving is quite thick, and when spinning directly from a large bundle of fiber there is a tendency for the fibers to tangle, making it harder to spin consistently. Joining in a new strip is easier for me than untangling a mess of looped fibers, or managing a thick bundle.

I now have three full bobbins of yarn and am ready to try plying with the wheel!