Spin, spun

I have finished single spinning the bonus box of blended fiber from Anniewhere. I put the box somewhere safe, forgot where that was, but found it before I made anything from the rest of the fiber; I’ll take that kind of luck.

Photo description: two haphazard turtle-style cops of single spun yarn next to a disassembled 3D printed Turkish spindle.

I really like this Turkish spindle. The arms were 3D printed with flexible filament, and I dropped it several times on my walk with no ill effects. It is not my design, but one I purchased at a fiber festival.

I’m still quite envious of the perfectly wrapped Turkish spindles I’ve seen on spinners’ posts. Mine look like birds nests. The advice I keep reading is to wrap the yarn over two arms, and under one. I did that. I’ll keep trying, though, maybe it will click.

Undressing

So if putting fiber on a distaff is called “dressing”, then taking it off would be “undressing”? I’ll just file this under: Things that pop into my mind as I spin.

Photo description: 3D printed Turkish-style spindle with a chaotically wound “turtle” or cop of yarn next to a partially undressed distaff. The fiber is gone, but the handkerchief robe and tie are still attached.

Getting back to the wheel

I pulled out my spinning wheel and realized that it has been a long time since I spun with it. Thor the cat has never seen it in action and he is nine months old. Hm. He was quite fascinated with the process, and after this photo had to be told to knock it off as he went for the wheel and the yarn.

Photo description: Gray tabby looking at a vintage wooden Befra Willy Spinning wheel, specifically at the yarn coming from the orifice.

Turtle nest cop

Turkish drop spindles are very clever, they go together in pieces, spin well, and come apart without disturbing the cop of yarn built up around the arms, but with a Turkish spindle, this bundle of spun yarn is called a turtle. I have seen pictures of some exquisitely wrapped turtles that are art forms in and of themselves. Mine looks more like a nest. I have goals.

Photo description: Squarish bundle of yarn surrounded by 3D printed Turkish spindle parts in the direction they were removed, a turned wooden shaft that was removed first, and a handkerchief with rope wrapped around a distaff.

I had trouble deciding the title for this post, so I combined all the words for maximum misdirection.

Found!

I knew I had another box of blended fiber by Anniewhere, and I found it while looking for what to spin next in my prepped fiber box! Yay! I think I’ve spun 4 oz of this blend so far, which consists of Merino wool, Blue Faced Leichtester, Alpaca, Tussah Silk, and Finn Wool. I’ve been using it to test out different spindles, so I continued that and dug out a 3D printed Turkish spindle that I bought at a fiber festival. It spins beautifully and even though I have to use a half hitch at the top, rather than a hook or notch, I haven’t been dropping it as much as I feared.

Photo description: From the top, a rosewood ring distaff with cord and handkerchief, a 3D printed Turkish spindle with turned wood shaft and the start of a yarn turtle, bakery box full of carded and blended fiber.

I even used a small ball of a single spun from the same fiber that was left over from plying to start the yarn turtle, and in so doing had a gauge for how thin to spin, and saved more yarn from the scrap bin!