Tuesday, October 27, 2015

A Compendium of Spinning Posts and Other Random Spinning Links

I guess I can no longer call myself a spinning newbie, although whenever I run into truly experienced and capable spinners I feel like a clumsy beginner. Over the last three years or so, I've blogged now and then about what I've learned, and it's time to compile those posts into a list with links. Although I own a wheel, the posts below mostly relate to spindle spinning.

Chez Lizzie posts
1. Spinning hand-dyed roving off the fold: http://chezlizzie.blogspot.ca/2013/04/how-i-like-to-spin.htm.
2. Yarn management during plying: http://chezlizzie.blogspot.ca/2012/06/dsk.html.
3. Plying on a spindle from a centre-pull ball: http://chezlizzie.blogspot.ca/2015/03/getting-to-usable-yarn.html.
4. Making your own spindle: http://chezlizzie.blogspot.ca/2015/10/peak-colour-and-better-spindle.html.
5. Skeining and washing plyed yarn: http://chezlizzie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/carrying-through-with-momentum.html.

Favourite spinning books and videos
1. Respect the Spindle, by Abby Franquemont. Note that there is an accompanying DVD. This is the most authoritative source of spindling information, and Abby's calm, almost mesmerizing voice will convince you that you can do this!
2. Abby's Youtube channel.
3. The Practical Spinner's Guide: Wool, by Kate Larson. A recent publication, but I like it a lot.

So, what am I spinning today? This.


It's the Riverside Studio BFL I started on last week. My new hand-made spindle is so inexpensive, that instead of winding my singles off onto a toilet paper tube bobbin, I've made a second spindle and I'm simply working the second half of my roving onto it. Then I'll use my shoebox kate to hold both spindles while I wind a double-stranded centre-pull ball using my Royal brand ball winder. Finally, it'll be on to the fun of plying. For some reason, I'm not in a knitting mood just now. Is it the glorious weather?

I don't know. All I can do is go with my current obsession. Environment Canada has issued a "Special Weather Statement" for tomorrow as the remnants of Hurricane Patricia move northeast, so perhaps my fibre obsession will flip back to knitting with the weather.
P.S. A lot of you write to me on Ravelry with blog comments, saying that you're having difficulty commenting on the blog. I've changed the settings to make it easier (I hope). Let me know if there's improvement.