Taming static

On February 8, 2023 By CarynIn Craft

I’m getting back to my alpaca combing and spinning project, but last time I delved in it was summer and relatively humid. In the depths of winter there is far less moisture in the air and the static build up during combing was driving me up a wall. Luckily, Spin Off magazine has an article on this very problem, with first hand recommendations from many long-time spinners. The majority just use a spritz of water to calm with electrical surge. Hm. I dug out another glasses cleaning spray bottle (I do seem to have an unending supply of these), and filled it with water. It works wonders. The mist is very fine, so it doesn’t take much, and the fibers are happy and free rather than a staticky mess.

Taming combing static with a mist of water

That didn’t take long

On October 26, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

My second waiting shawl is more like a brief pause shawl. It took less than a week to finish, and probably only three or four hours of active work. Crochet lace goes fast, especially with thicker yarn.

Finished shawl/scarf, hand spun roving from Supernova dye works, crocheted with a pattern from Desert Blossom Crafts

It is more the size of a scarf than a shawl, and to help it stay on, I put a button on one corner, and use the natural holes in the lace as button holes.

Shawl after blocking with sewn on button

I like how the color variation came out. When I spun it on my vintage wheel, I separated out the colors in the roving, sorted them, then spun. I used a chain ply to preserve the gradient. The gradient came out beautifully when it was crocheted!

Combing alpaca

On October 5, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I decided to try my new wool combs with the alpaca fleece that I washed and dried a year ago. I love them! Combing removes so much more vegetable matter and short cuts than carding. The fibers pulled off the comb are light and airy and beautifully aligned. I do get much more waste; I’m putting that in a bag to put out for nesting material for the squirrels and birds. I was going to comb all the fibers then spin, but the preparation was so fluffy I just had to spin it right away and not risk compaction in storage.

I tried spinning directly off the comb, but my skills are not that advanced yet, so I pulled off the fiber then spun on my vintage Befra Willy wheel. I now see how the yarn on a Irish tension wheel (flyer is slowed down) has to be thicker. There is more strain on the yarn and thinner yarns snap. I’m still pleased with the thickness of the yarn for multipurpose projects, but this will not be lace yarn.

Spun alpaca fiber on the bobbin of a Befra Willy wheel

Winding

On September 21, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

I filled my first spindle of Clun Forest wool while walking the neighborhood. Rather than ball up the singles, or put them on the niddy noddy just yet, I used my vintage spinning wheel to wind the yarn onto a bobbin. I used the hooks at first, but was not pleased with the way the yarn kinked between sections, and I was afraid the flyer was putting in more twist.

Single ply yarn wound from spindle to bobbin using hooks

I transferred the yarn to a different bobbin, and this time I locked down the flyer so it couldn’t add twist, and just let the wheel spin the bobbin. I didn’t use the hooks, but guided the yarn onto the bobbin with my hand position to make a smooth transition all along the bobbin.

The resulting wrap is much more pleasing to look at. My plan it to add on the singles as I spin them, then ply everything using the wheel.

Orifice hook

On August 5, 2022August 3, 2022 By CarynIn Craft

The hooked bit of wire use to pull fiber through the flyer assembly on a spinning wheel is called an orifice hook. On my vintage Befra Willy wheel there was no hook. I was using a small crochet hook from my Mom’s stash instead. Then I saw a hole in the back of the tension knob on the wheel. It looked like it used to hold a wire hook!

Hole in the back of the tension knob, and the coated wire I used to create a new hook

I had some sturdy coated wire in my supplies, so made a new hook. The coating made it a little bigger than the hole, so I stripped the end of the plastic off. Then it was a snug fit!

My cat really likes her basket, too.

Critters and Craft

Tag: vintage spinning wheel