How to Spin: From Choosing a Spinning Wheel to Making Yarn. A Storey BASICS® Title
128
How to Spin: From Choosing a Spinning Wheel to Making Yarn. A Storey BASICS® Title
128eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612126135 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Publishing, LLC |
| Publication date: | 03/08/2016 |
| Series: | Storey Basics |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 8 MB |
About the Author
Beth Smith, author of How to Spin and The Spinner’s Book of Fleece, is renowned for her love of the variety and versatility of sheep breeds, and she teaches the whys and how-tos of preparing and spinning wool from different breeds. For seven years she owned The Spinning Loft, a shop celebrated for its selection of hard-to-find quality fleeces. She teaches internationally and writes for PLY, Spin Off, and Knittyspin magazines. She also sits on the editorial board of PLY magazine. She lives in Howell, Michigan.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Spinning in a Nutshell
Spinning is a simple matter of twisting loose fiber into a long, strong strand that we typically call yarn. Thread is simply very, very fine yarn. The concept is easy to grasp, but because you have to coordinate your hands, feet, and brain, the process can feel awkward and frustrating at first. New spinners generally produce yarn that's thick in some spots, thin in others, and, at times, becomes a gnarled mess or completely drifts apart. But with practice, you'll settle into a comfortable rhythm and produce a uniform strand that will make you proud.
To begin, let's look at the general process to familiarize you with the steps. Once you're comfortable making yarn, you can move on to the next chapters to learn more about the various types of spinning wheels, fiber preparation, drafting methods, plying, and finishing the yarn.
For this abbreviated lesson, you'll need cotton yarn for a leader (a strand of yarn fastened onto the bobbin that you can attach your unspun fiber to) and wool fiber for spinning. I recommend starting with undyed wool because dyes can affect the surface of the fiber and may make drafting (see Drafting) more difficult. It's often best to begin with a type of wool that's not too soft or slippery, such as Corriedale or Romney, but beginning with a fiber that makes you happy can help with the experience.
Tying on a Leader
To use a spinning wheel, you'll need to tie a leader onto the bobbin so you can attach the first bits of newly spun yarn to something. I prefer cotton leaders because they wear well and can be used over and over. To make a secure leader that doesn't slip and slide around the bobbin shaft, cut a piece of cotton string about 6 feet (2 m) long and attach it to the bobbin with a lark's head knot (see below). This type of knot will remain in a tight, fixed position for multiple spinning sessions.
TYING A LARK'S HEAD KNOT
1. Tie the cut ends of the cotton yarn into an overhand knot to form a large circle, fold the circle in half, then wrap it around the bobbin shaft.
2. Insert the looped end through the knotted end so the knot lies on the bobbin, then pull tight.
3. Wrap the double strand around the bobbin shaft again, then pull the looped end through both newly wrapped strands and pull tight to secure it.
This method produces a loop in the leader through which the fiber can be placed when you begin to spin. Some spinners prefer to omit the overhand knot in step 1 and simply begin with the lark's head knot in steps 2 and 3, in which case, they catch the fiber between the two loose tails when they begin to spin.
Once the leader is secure, insert the bobbin on the wheel. Use an orifice hook to pull the leader through the orifice, and you're ready to spin.
Treadling
To make the spinning wheel turn, you'll step on treadles. Some wheels have a single treadle; others have two — one for each foot (we'll talk more about wheels in chapter 2).
When you sit down at the wheel, place your feet so that the arch of your treadling foot/feet are positioned over the pivot point of the treadle. It's okay if your heel hangs a bit off the back of the treadle. In addition, your leg(s) should be slightly extended. You want less than a 90-degree angle between your thigh and lower leg. This position will help you treadle just with your feet (not your entire leg), which will be easier on your joints and lessen fatigue.
When you're first learning to spin, take care to treadle slowly — just enough to keep the wheel turning without reversing directions. It's a good idea to practice treadling (without trying to spin any yarn) until your feet can make the wheel turn smoothly and slowly without your having to think about it.
Keep Your Distance
For all drafting methods, it is important to keep your hands and your body as far from the orifice as is possible and comfortable. There are several reasons for this. First, it's better for your posture and will save you a lot of pain in your back, shoulders, and other places. Second, allowing more space between your drafting and the orifice allows the twist to even out a little bit before it is wound onto the bobbin, which helps result in a more consistent yarn. And third, more room between your hands and the orifice gives you a little more time to work before too much twist builds up and results in little corkscrews or with the newly spun yarn breaking.
Drafting
When your feet can treadle at a smooth, constant rate, it's time to focus on using your hands to draft the fiber to make yarn. Drafting is the action of pulling fibers past one another before they become twisted into yarn. To get started, treadle slowly as you pull out a few fibers and catch them between the loop or loose ends of the leader, depending on how you tied on the leader. Once the fiber is attached to the leader, you're set to spin.
The brief instructions that follow are for drafting with a short forward draw. Other methods of drafting are discussed in detail in chapter 4, but this is the method that I've found to be easiest for most of my students. This type of drafting requires both hands — the hand in back (called the fiber hand) holds the fiber with a loose grip while the hand in front (called the forward or drafting hand) pulls out fiber to be twisted by the motion of the wheel. Try each hand in both positions to determine which is most comfortable for you.
SHORT FORWARD DRAW
1. Hold your hands at least one-and-a-half staple lengths apart (see Staple Length, below) and keep them as relaxed as possible. If your hands are too close together, you'll have hold of both ends of the staple, which will prevent the fiber from sliding through your fingers to form the yarn. If your hands are too far apart, you won't be able to stabilize the fibers as the twist is added.
2. While treadling slowly, use your forward hand to pinch and pull a bit of the fiber forward from your fiber hand.
3. Without releasing the pinch, slide your fingers back to the fiber supply and pull a bit of fiber forward again.
Repeat this process of pinching and pulling forward, then sliding back, keeping your fiber hand relaxed and pinching only tightly enough to prevent the twist from entering the fiber supply. As you move your forward hand forward, allow the yarn to feed onto the bobbin. If you need to fix something or you feel that your hands are lagging behind, stop your feet. Continuing to treadle will only add to the trouble, not fix it. Remember to keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Holding your shoulders up around your ears will strain your back.
If you want a yarn that is slightly less smooth or contains a bit more air, allow some twist into the fiber supply. But be careful — too much twist might make the yarn thicker than you may want, or it may lock up the fibers to the point that drafting becomes impossible.
If things aren't working, try a different fiber, change the way you hold your hands, treadle slowly, and stop if you get into trouble. Treadling faster won't make a better yarn if your hands aren't drafting faster as well.
Staple Length
To determine staple length, simply pull a lock, or staple, of fiber from the end of the top or roving and measure it with a ruler. Do not stretch the fiber; staple length is the relaxed measurement of the fiber
CHAPTER 2
Wheels and How They Work
Because this book focuses on spinning on a wheel, it's important to become familiar with the various parts of the wheel and how they work together to turn fiber into yarn. You'll want to know what happens when you turn the knobs and use the different whorls and tighten or loosen the brake band and drive band. Learn what happens if you treadle with a drive band that's too tight. Can you use just one foot on a double-treadle wheel? Is it more comfortable to use a single foot or both feet in unison on a single-treadle wheel? So many questions! Take time to become familiar with your wheel so that you'll have an inkling of what to fix when things go wrong.
Spinning Wheel Parts
Although yarns wind onto a bobbin or spindle in different ways, depending on the wheel style, most wheels are constructed with similar parts. Take time to learn the names of these parts and how they work. Then, when you need help fixing or adjusting your wheel, you and the person helping you will speak the same language. See the illustrations for specific types of wheels, with some parts labeled.
Bobbin. The bobbin collects the yarn after twist has been added to the fiber. It sits on the flyer shaft and should spin freely.
Bobbin bushings. Bushings, typically made of plastic, are added to the ends of bobbins to hold the bobbin core away from the flyer shaft.
Bobbin whorl. Depending on the type of wheel, the bobbin whorl holds the drive band (on double-drive or Irish- tension wheels) or the brake band (on Scotch-tension wheels).
Brake. The brake slows or stops the bobbin from spinning on a Scotch-tension wheel or stops the flyer from spinning on an Irish-tension wheel.
Crank. The crank is the part that extends through the center of the drive wheel to connect the footman or footmen.
Drive band. The drive band transfers power from the drive wheel to the flyer. It can be string or some type of elastic material. What works best for a particular wheel depends on whether or not the mother-of-all is adjustable, among other things. Most manufacturers recommend the type of drive band they believe is best for a particular wheel.
Drive wheel. This, the large circular wheel, is the focal point of any spinning wheel. It's put in motion by the treadles, and, because of that movement, the bobbin and flyer rotate.
Flyer. The flyer is the U- shaped part that includes a metal shaft (called the flyer shaft) that holds the bobbin. It spins to add twist to the fiber and directs where the yarn winds onto the bobbin.
Flyer shaft. The flyer shaft holds the bobbin.
Flyer whorl. Sometimes called a pulley, the whorl (or whorls) that comes with a spinning wheel hold the drive band. The size of the whorl helps determine how much and how quickly twist is added to a length of fiber.
Footman. The footman is the rod that connects the treadle to the drive wheel. A single-treadle wheel has one footman; a double-treadle wheel has two footmen.
Mother-of-all. By supporting the flyer and bobbin, the mother-of-all is what allows the wheel to spin yarn.
Maidens. The maidens are the uprights that hold the flyer in place, either by plastic or leather bearings. There are two maidens — one in front and one in back.
Orifice. The orifice is the opening at the front of the wheel that guides the yarn onto the flyer.
Treadle(s). Operated by your feet, the treadle (or treadles) sets and keeps the drive wheel in motion. Some wheels have one treadle; some have two.
Treadle support. The treadle support is typically attached between two legs of a wheel to support the treadle or treadles. On some castle-style wheels, however, the treadles are simply attached to the base of the wheel.
Uprights. The uprights hold the drive wheel in place.
Wheel hub. The wheel hub is the center of the drive wheel; it usually involves a metal bar that rests on the uprights.
Types of Wheels
When shopping for a wheel, it's natural to be drawn to ones that you find attractive. Although beauty doesn't necessarily affect how well a spinning wheel may work, it can be an important factor in how much you spin. Most of us spin in our living area, where the wheel is always on display. If you don't like the look of your wheel, you're apt to move it somewhere out of sight. Unfortunately, out of sight is often followed by out of mind, and you may stop spinning altogether. As a beginning spinner, it's especially important to spin often. It's therefore good to love your first wheel enough to have it on prominent display.
Looks aside, there are dozens of spinning wheels from which to choose. Fortunately, they can be broken down into four distinct styles, plus an electric spinner. The following section will give you insight to the different types and may help you narrow down the options when making your selection. Most advanced spinners own a number of different wheels to accommodate the variety of yarns they spin.
Saxony (and Norwegian) wheel. This is the type of wheel that's associated with most fairy tales. The drive wheel is set to the left or right of the flyer, and both rest on a long bench. The main difference between a Saxony and Norwegian wheel is that the bench on a Saxony is slanted while the bench on a Norwegian is parallel with the floor. The Schacht-Reeves is a Saxony-style wheel that comes with either a 24-inch (61 cm) or 30-inch (76 cm) drive wheel. The Kromski Polonaise is an example of a Norwegian-style wheel.
Castle-style wheel. This type of upright wheel has the flyer positioned above or below the drive wheel. The Louet S10, Ashford Traveler, and Schacht Matchless are all castle-style wheels.
Great wheel or walking wheel. This type of wheel is moved by hand rather than a treadle. It's set up similarly to a Saxony wheel with a large drive wheel to the side. The drive band turns a spindle, and the spinner makes yarn by drafting against the spindle. Once enough twist has been added, the direction of the wheel is changed, and the yarn is moved to the back of the spindle where it is wound on.
Charkha wheel. This portable wheel can be considered a tiny great wheel. It includes book and tabletop versions, depending on the overall size. Like a great wheel, there are no treadles — one hand is used to turn the small wheel while the other hand drafts the yarn. The drive wheel and spindle are next to each other either in a box frame or standing up like with the great wheel. This type of wheel works best with short fibers, such as cashmere and cotton.
Electric spinner. Driven by a motor, this type of wheel has no treadles. Instead, it has a simple peddle or switch to start or stop the flyer. In this case, the motor turns a small whorl or pulley, which turns either the bobbin or flyer. Electric spinners can have either Scotch tension orIrish tension, depending on the maker.
Drive Systems
A drive system has two purposes. First, it transfers energy from the drive wheel to the flyer, which spins around and around. Second, it moves the bobbin and the flyer at different speeds so that the yarn will wrap around the bobbin for storage. This wrapping, and the tension it causes on the yarn being spun, is referred to as take-up.
Spinners like to debate about which drive system is best. As a new spinner, you may wonder what all the fuss is about — it's just a way to get yarn onto the bobbin, right? Well, yes, but there is a difference in how much take-up or how much adjustment is necessary when spinning a full bobbin. Once they get comfortable with the type of wheel they have, most spinners insist that the drive system on their wheel is superior. In truth, there are benefits and drawbacks to each system, and some are better for certain yarns than others. When choosing your first wheel, keep in mind that anyone can learn on any wheel as long as it has all of its parts and is in good working order. Let's talk about how each drive system works.
Double Drive
In a double-drive system, a single drive band moves both the bobbin and the flyer. The drive band goes around the drive wheel twice, with one loop around the flyer whorl and the other around the bobbin whorl. There should be a difference in the size of the flyer whorl and the bobbin whorl. This difference affects the heaviness of the pull or take-up of the newly spun yarn onto the bobbin.
Most modern double-drive wheels are set up to be bobbin led, which means the bobbin whorl is the smaller of the two. Because the bobbin whorl is smaller, it moves more quickly when there's tension on the yarn. Drive-band slippage occurs on the flyer whorl while the yarn is held in place. The slippage on the flyer whorl allows the flyer and bobbin to spin at the same speed. When the tension on the yarn relaxes to allow the yarn to wind onto the bobbin, the flyer slows, the bobbin continues to move at the same speed, and the yarn wraps around the bobbin.
Some double-drive wheels can be set up to be flyer led if the flyer whorl is smaller than the bobbin whorl. But, because most modern wheels have small bobbin whorls, this can be difficult to achieve.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "How to Spin"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Beth Smith.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
IntroductionTake the Spinning Plunge
Chapter One: Spinning in a Nutshell
Typing on a Leader - Treadling - Drafting
Chapter Two: Wheels and How They Work
Spinning Wheel Parts - Types of Wheels - Drive Systems - Tension and Tension Adjustments - Spinning Wheel Maintenance
Chapter Three: Fiber Preparations
Carded Preparations - Combed Preparations - Short Fiber Preparations
Chapter Four: Drafting Methods
Woolen Versus Worsted - Short Forward Draw - Short Backward Draw - Supported Long Draw - Long Draw - Spinning from the Fold
Chapter Five: Perfecting Your Skills
Joining New Fiber - A Matter of Twist - Tricks for Improving Consistency
Chapter Six: Plying
Lazy Kates - Choosing the Right Whorl for Plying - Choosing the Number of Plies - Rewinding Bobbins - Holding Singles for Plying - Plying from a Single Bobbin - Plying from Both Ends of the Same Strand - A Matter of Balance - Winding Off - Measuring the Length of a Skein
Chapter Seven: The End Is in Sight
Finishing Techniques - Drying Your Finished Yarn - The Importance of Samples
Glossary of Spinning Terms
Index