Blue Fingers and Candlelight
Apr. 18th, 2007 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenMonday was a catchup day, as per usual. Also I asked ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fitzw to bring my spinning wheel downstairs that night -- it's been in the house, out of the way of us moving things, etc. Getting started again spinning on a wheel was a bit of a trial, and there came a point when I had to stop. Last night was much better, and I have good bit of blue indigo cotswold spun now (during the day I was at Fiona's, and she Emma and I made pennons for Crossroads at Canterbury). Cotswold is not a medieval breed, but it's pleasant enough to work with, and I like the natural dyes the lady uses - local person from the hills. I was good and mostly got a few different shades of blue, and I think a green (last October). And of course I have to spin a lot of it before I can buy any more!
Much of what I'm spinning will likely be used for modern clothing, so I'm not overly concerned with whether or not the sheep breed goes way back... but I still prefer Romney (which has one crossbreed in the 19th c., but a Romney breeder I spoke with believes it was primarily for hardiness), Shetland, and Icelandic. I like a longer fiber because it makes a smooth strong yarn -- although you don't always get that with the Shetland... I don't know if it's because of where some of them are raised or how the wool is processed. They're supposed to be dual-coated, but I find it hard to believe that sheep that are bred for generations in the southern U.S. would be as dual-coated as ones from the northern U.S.
The Icelandic is generally (unless you get some of the lambs wool) a harder fiber, so a lot of people don't care for it. But you want a harder fiber for outdoor wear and for socks and such. Lambswool socks might feel very nice, but they won't last long.
For the finest spinning I still use drop spindles, as I find the wheel doesn't spin quite as tightly and securely as I do. Also, it can only really go in one direction well, whereas doing Z- or S- twist with a spindle is no big deal.
One of the things I've noticed with spinning rovings and batts that are already dyed is that there tends to be a little excess dye on the fibers. Probably because you can only rinse it so much without risking turning the fibers into a mass of felt... so I end up with colorful fingers at the end of a spinning session :) Last night, blue.
I tried spinning by candlelight last night. Since I'd been having an awful time the night before, I figured it wouldn't be made much worse doing it by candle instead of electric light. I found it worked quite well, as the light caught on the fibers and filled out the shape of the triangle.
So, here's a little rhyme, in honor of getting back to spinning on the wheel...
Hello my friend,
good to see you again.
Fumbling at first with drafting and tension,
eventually I match your rhythm and rhyme.
Candle flame fills the triangle's dimension,
As the bobbin fills up with warmth and time.
The pleasure of a fine woolen
So much more, made by my hand.
fitzw to bring my spinning wheel downstairs that night -- it's been in the house, out of the way of us moving things, etc. Getting started again spinning on a wheel was a bit of a trial, and there came a point when I had to stop. Last night was much better, and I have good bit of blue indigo cotswold spun now (during the day I was at Fiona's, and she Emma and I made pennons for Crossroads at Canterbury). Cotswold is not a medieval breed, but it's pleasant enough to work with, and I like the natural dyes the lady uses - local person from the hills. I was good and mostly got a few different shades of blue, and I think a green (last October). And of course I have to spin a lot of it before I can buy any more! Much of what I'm spinning will likely be used for modern clothing, so I'm not overly concerned with whether or not the sheep breed goes way back... but I still prefer Romney (which has one crossbreed in the 19th c., but a Romney breeder I spoke with believes it was primarily for hardiness), Shetland, and Icelandic. I like a longer fiber because it makes a smooth strong yarn -- although you don't always get that with the Shetland... I don't know if it's because of where some of them are raised or how the wool is processed. They're supposed to be dual-coated, but I find it hard to believe that sheep that are bred for generations in the southern U.S. would be as dual-coated as ones from the northern U.S.
The Icelandic is generally (unless you get some of the lambs wool) a harder fiber, so a lot of people don't care for it. But you want a harder fiber for outdoor wear and for socks and such. Lambswool socks might feel very nice, but they won't last long.
For the finest spinning I still use drop spindles, as I find the wheel doesn't spin quite as tightly and securely as I do. Also, it can only really go in one direction well, whereas doing Z- or S- twist with a spindle is no big deal.
One of the things I've noticed with spinning rovings and batts that are already dyed is that there tends to be a little excess dye on the fibers. Probably because you can only rinse it so much without risking turning the fibers into a mass of felt... so I end up with colorful fingers at the end of a spinning session :) Last night, blue.
I tried spinning by candlelight last night. Since I'd been having an awful time the night before, I figured it wouldn't be made much worse doing it by candle instead of electric light. I found it worked quite well, as the light caught on the fibers and filled out the shape of the triangle.
So, here's a little rhyme, in honor of getting back to spinning on the wheel...
Hello my friend,
good to see you again.
Fumbling at first with drafting and tension,
eventually I match your rhythm and rhyme.
Candle flame fills the triangle's dimension,
As the bobbin fills up with warmth and time.
The pleasure of a fine woolen
So much more, made by my hand.
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no subject
Date: 2007-04-18 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:51 pm (UTC)I have three or four different colors and washes. Two I think are just indigo (1st and 2nd wash), and one is with walnut, and I forget what the last one it.
Hmm, I think I might bring something new to spin tonight at needleworkers... 'cuz the wheel doesn't travel well anyway.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 08:35 pm (UTC)Hey there! :) What sort of wheel are you using that it will not do S or Z
twist? I got one of these years ago, and find it wonderfully portable, and true to its name, a joy to use. http://www.ashford.co.nz/spinning/spinning-frameset.htm
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:00 pm (UTC)Its the "Joy" of course. Its lovely. Useful,
portable and lightweight, it also has several
flyer ratios to help with that "tight and secure"
thing. While its not the most period looking wheel ever,
I suspect that the similarly setup "Traveler" or the
Kromski "Mazurka" (http://www.woolery.com/Pages/kromski.html)
would probably match it for many of those important qualities
while looking a bit less jarringly modern.
Congrats on "da Boid" too, by the way!!
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:44 pm (UTC)Thanks for the congrats :)
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:52 pm (UTC)my beast along if you were interested in playing on it a bit.
Unfortunately my husband just got out of the hospital after
appendicitis so, Ugh.. staying home. ::whine::
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:59 pm (UTC)I've plied with the drop spindles, but that's pretty easy.
Sorry I won't see you at Balfar's. Funny, someone I know just had her appendix taken out this week too. She was out westish visiting family, will be flying in late tonight, so I expect she'll stay home as well.
We're planning on taking most of May off from SCA events, except War of the Roses at the end of the month. Need some time to work on stuff around the house - gardening, etc., as well as time up at the farm. Although there's a one-day sheep thing in Tolland CT that I'm hoping to go to, April 28.
Hope the hubby feels better soon!
no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-20 09:49 pm (UTC)That being the case, I wonder how they made multi-ply yarn with such
a beast? Most of the upright style wheels I have met will run happily
in both directions. In fact one of the challenges in learning on one
was getting it to keep going in the same direction at a constant
rate.