Suri Alpaca Ethereal Spinning

Just wanted to share some of my Sunday Spinning.  Spining Suri Alpaca, is it fun?  Yes, once you get the hang of the fiber.  I have not used a drop spindle in such a long time, that I kind of forgot how to handle the spindle and the fiber.  Don't be afraid, it will come back to me easily, it is called muscle memory and that is what happened today.  My hands started to remember how to spin once more.  Thanks for stopping by!

MFKR 2010 Day Three part One

Our teacher John Wise was very kind and brought samples from his stash to give to us for practice. I too the Turkish spindle class. You may ask yourself why? I already know how to spin on a drop spindle and a wheel, so why would I take a class like this one for beginners?

The fact is that I have found that I learn a lot from different perspectives, and I did learn something new from this gentleman. Is like from the classes I have taken from Michael Wade, there is something new I learn from all of them. John has a different technique or approach and it was fun. I can now buy a better Turkish Spindle or more expensive if I may and be confident I will know how to work it. You make a half hitch and then when you have yarn you go over two of the legs and under one as you wind on. The advantage of this is you have a ball of yarn already for plying. The bigger the spindle the bigger the ball lol!


Here I am doing the spindling, the short video is just a video presentation of the class, but not in it's totality. The sun came out and John wanted to go outside for the class and on Spinning in Public Day we got to spin with this gentle guy.

So here it is Day Three part one , before the Earthues experience. I want to tell you about it right away, but I have to calm myself down, it was an extraordinary experience and I will tell you in a few. Thanks for stopping by.

The Spinning of the Fabric of Space

Above and below the pictures of this sentence you find cotton spinning, drop spindle above and wheel below. It is not quantum physics, but it is ruled by the laws of nature and thus the laws of physics.  Little did you know there is a science to my madness, Mr. Hawkins taught me well, thank you.  I decided to give it a try on the wheel as I spin very good in thin singles.  Believe it or not cotton is not the best fiber to spin, yet it has a peaceful effect on the soul.  When I am spinning I feel like the world actually stops and I transport into a different dimension where everything is possible.  My hope is to spin cotton in the next three months and then ply it.  I will spin a single on the Drop Spindle and some singles on the wheel.  The one thing I can say about cotton is that you know very fast if it has sound structural integrity , because otherwise it will come apart.  On a drop spindle you need to practice 30 minutes each day to gain skills and memory for you muscles. Yes your muscles start to learn what they need to do to draft the fiber to make the yarn you want.  You have to go without fears and dive into the fiber with all your heart, no expectations but to create something.  I believe spinning is in our gene code memory, your mission is to wake it up and let it express itself.

In the picture below I am trying to create my first fingering light fingering quality singles for plying, so far I am having success.  Should I tell you the secret?   The secret is practice , I have been practicing for an hour , at least an hour, yet  sometimes I have been spinning for  two or three or four, It is magical, there is no hurry, it is poetry in the making, you look at it, you feel it you count for a while, but then you trust the way it feels, then you let it go to the bobbin.  It is magical I tell you, you are creating a living yarn because this yarn will have your energy and enthusiasm.  It's all about fun, lots of fun.

Below you see 125 yards weighting 170grams, It is not very even, but it was fun to make.  The yarn is very soft and I am hoping to make a Tunisian  Crochet Bag with all this yarn that I am making, or maybe gift it away if people really like the yarn.  I bring it to my Monday Night Knit Group to show and tell.  It is about the journey, what's your hurry?

This yarn below is a bit more yardage, is about 182 yards  weighting 180 grams, is a bit thinner than the one above.  At this time in my life and in the learning experience, I am just letting the yarn be, I try to see if I can get something that I want, but in the end the yarn wins, it becomes what it wants to be and I will allow it to find expression through my hands and through the wheel or Drop Spindle. It is poetry in motion then it plies upon itself like a little caterpillar or like we say in" Puertorrican colloquial Spanish "gongoli" .There is more to come, but this is what I have for today, thanks for stopping by.

Vulcan Hibiscus Yarn

This yarn was part of my participation in the Tour de Fleece on Ravelry for the Men Who Knit group.  It was done on two different spindles, one Kundert and one Wasserman.  There were a total of 700 and some more yards , I did a two play for a total of 353 yards.  It is a fingering weight mostly, but it is not very consistent, yet it is nice to make something for yourself.  I over dyed the yarn with some hibiscus and black cherry Kool Aid and 10 drops of neon blue food coloring.  I am very proud of this yarn and hoping to make something out of it or find it a good home at the Deep Space Nine Promenade.  Thanks for stopping by.

Tour De Fleece

I am almost done with my ply. The music is "By Your Command", by RIchard Gobbs, for the Galactica CD . I enjoy spinning to music and watching my favorite SyFy episodes.  The act of plying is fun, but you have to be rested.  The same goes with making a single, I notice that if I am tired I become sloppy in my spinning even on a wheel.  The wheel versus the Drop Spindle.  The wheel is less work on your body, the drop spindle gives you a bit of a work out and you are not as fast, even though sometimes you can accomplish the same amount of spinning.  I am at the point of the ply which I take two singles and make them into plied yarn.  I am hoping to get another video where I am  getting this skein ready for dyeing and setting the twist at the same time.  It will be Monday soon and I need to rest. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Spinning "Lords of Kobol"

A little spinning on Saturday after a friend of Mine posted a video on Flickr, I thought I Would do the same.  Happy Saturday , music by Bear McCreary and Raya Yarbrough, Long Live SyFy, thanks for stopping by!

I Cord, Navajo PLying et Facebook

I Cord, Navajo Plying et Facebook and Blogger of course have something in common, Crafty Andy. There are many things that are great with facebook, but one of them is not the greatest. Facebook has no real appeal to me besides getting to see what my friends are up to, but I can do that in the internet anyway.  There are also game after game after game, but nothing like a true craft such as knitting, crocheting are.  Facebook the same as Second Life have a place, but nothing beats an exciting real life, which I do possess and keep on making every day.  If facebook goes for pay, It will be a great experiment, but I will be one of the free floaters.  I may indulge in the virtual world once in a while, but there is nothing like knitting and crocheting with my friends at the Cafe Trieste, the park or one of the Men Knitting Retreats.  I have take a break from Facebook, but this feed will be posted there from my personal blog.  I decided to take a break from Facebook, because is ok to be away from it lol!

The I-Cord rediscovered is a great piece of knitting.  I was in need of a cord for the hood of my jacket, somehow it had dissappeared with the washings.  I decided I will make it out of omega nylon  thread  and here it is.

Last Saturday I was lucky and able to take a trip  to A Verb For Keeping Warm , in Berkeley , where I was able to attend a Class with WonderMike from Fiber Beat.  The Class was on Navajo Plying while making yarn on a drop spindle, which was a very easy task and you can do it on the go, once you are done you are done.  I will have to say that it will not be possible to do this task the same way on a wheel, it would not be possible without a lot of maneuvering if at all possible.  Navajo Plying gives you a nice three ply yarn that is is very strong, after all it has been done for many , many years.  I believe that if it is done properly , you will have a well balanced yarn that will respond with strength and beauty.  A three ply yarn s very rounded and has a beauty of its own.  Thanks for stopping by.

Spinning Lab March 2010

You may want to Search Amazon.com for yarn dyeing if you are interested in learning more or sign up for classes at one of your local yarn shops that works with natural dyes or acid dyes.  Eco Friendly is always nice and preferred..  This is Sunday and a beautiful day to go to the East Bay to take a class / labs on drop Spindle with Wonder Mike, from Fiber Beat, at A Verb For Keeping Warm  .  When I got there Kristine was cooking some beautiful colors and had something drying out in the open.  The plethora of colors was intoxicating, I wanted them all, lol!

Marcel, I believe that is his name is a French Angora rabbit, very cute bunny he was in our midst at the end of the class getting some needed excercise.  I took a class with 3 others at A Verb For Keeping Warm  ,

As always I learned a lot and got to have a good time with fellow spindlers, thanks for stopping by!

Doctor Phlox

Here you have the two elements of the Doctor Phlox. It has been plied, blocked-whacked, and dried. I manage to make 280 yards with 120 grams. Only with experience and lots of practice. I enjoy drop spindle and will be enjoying Wheel Spinning soon.

This warn was a lot of fun to make, but I was very tired at the end. DId not like carbonized bamboo for spinning, the nearmere or nylon cashmere was lots of fun to work with.



I was able to spin 560 yards on this spindle at once and then ues a ball winder to make a center pulled ball.

Two Ply Dr. Phlox

This is the yarn before it got plied.  I was able to spin the whole 560 yards on this spindle, since it is a two ply, it became abour 280 something yards.  I have made a skein which is the picture you see below.  This picture below is before I put it in a bath of Eucalan wool Soap and some vinegar, then after that I will whack my yarn  and let it dry in the bathroom until a day or so.  I believe I may have enough for a pair of mittens , a hat or a small scarf.  I do not have enough for a pair of socks, but if I mix another yarn, it could be a lot of fun.

There will be more drop spindle spinning.  I need to practice with the drop spindle.  Every day is good for drop spindle , 15 minutes to 30 minutes a day.  I have some nifty Alpaca and some BFL to practice later on.  I hope you enjoy the yarn experienc that I am sharing and come by later on.  Thanks for stopping by.

Ravelympics and some spinning

I wanted to share some of my wors in progress and some of my spinning fun for the weekend. Happy Valentine's.

Dr. Phlox N friends

DrPhloxNfriends
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

I am having a greattime during the Ravelympics as I am spinning Dr. Phlox and his friends. I am also working on my second sock and doing some carding and spinning as well. As I go along I am learning about carding wool by myself. I am also reading the book from Abby Franquemont "Respect The Spindle", it has a lot of know how that is beyond what is written. As a scientist and crafter I understand and love the craft more and more. I hope you have a great Valentine and that you celebrate the love of life with your friends and loving family. Thanks for stopping by!

Drop Spindles, Is it for you?

Spindles are tools of the trade, and my first spindle was the one I got during the first Men Fall Knitting Retreat of 2008. I did not understand spinning well, maybe we just got teased with a short time. One thing was for sure, I wanted to learn more about making my own yarn with a spindle. Last year I really got more interested in spinning, but I did not want a wheel. Nothing stood in my way of taking a class with my friend Mike Wade aka WonderMike at A Verb for Keeping Warm Store in Berkeley. The class was fantastic, the class was beyond my expectations. It was two days and we got a lot for the money. Lot of students present and all where very successful at spinning. Having someone experienced teaching you how to spin is a different story.

 If you are curious , you should get a beginners class with a drop spindle that is inexpensive, but get one from the place you are getting the class. There is no need to get an expensive spindle, the main thing is that it is balanced, not price, and that you are comfortable with the weight of your spindle. This spindle above was very inexpensive and from EBay for about 8 dollars . It works great for the angora that it is spun and wrapped around the shaft. It is said that you can spin anything in any spindle, but only very experienced people can do that and just for a limited amount of time. Eventually you learn how to distribute the yarn on your spindle so that the center of gravity helps you in your spinning and not against it. Your spindle will drop for many reasons; too much twist, too little yarn, not enough twist and so on. This other spindle above, was painted for me and even though is not my favorite it is OK for spinning silk. A spindle can be a simple stick. Spindles have been around for thousands of years and it is in your genetic code , just give yourself some time to remember.

The spindle with the thumbtacks is an experiment. If you have followed my blog for a while you know I like to make stuff and play with scientific notions. When I got the spindle above it was a bottom whorl spindle. I have made the spindle able to spin from the top or from the bottom , by adding another hook on the other side as you can see. The weight makes it a bit heavier and does make it spin nicer in my opinion.

Above you find four spindles, Avi Wasserman on the far left, the the on the far left, one from EBay with flower decorations, and a Kundert Spindle on the right. My favorite spindle is the Avi, the second favorite is the Kundert. All these spindles spin differently, but you can tell what a balance spindle is by the way it spins continuously and evenly as possible. You may make a home made spindle that is the finest tool there is on the world without spending more that 5 dollars. Nevertheless is Spinning for you? You have to find out, I find that spinning is a very Zen experience where I am connecting with a primitive part of myself. Spinning allows me to create yarn, so that I can create cloth and thus a garment of my own making. Spinning helps me listen to myself. A great book and Video is what follows for you. I am still reading this book and I find it to be a great tool and a bit of and adventure.
These mittens are the perfect example of what I meant. I dyed the fleece or roving, then I spun the yarn, and I made these mittens. These pair of mittens are my first real spun yarn project and it has a lot of personal meaning to me. You need to practice at least 15 minutes everyday and not worry about the yarn too much. Your first yarns are going to be funky, later on you will wonder how to make yarn like the one you used to make at the beginning. Practice makes perfect and with time and patience you will be able to create beautiful yarn for you , your friends and for sale. Time will teach you how you already knew how to make yarn, just remember to listen to your ancestors, the one that made yarn with a stick and a stone for a whorl.



Abby Franquemont is someone who is out there that I like, there are others you can read about spinning from, each person will give you part of their experience. Abby made spinning to me real and something to be done daily and as part of my human heritage. The video Respect The Spindle from Interweave, now that it is High Definition, is a great tool to add to this book and it allows you to visually see this lady in action. I am hoping that this motivates you to give it a try. Drop spindle is easier than what you think if you have the right teacher.  Thanks for stopping by.
Search Amazon.com for respect the spindle

Home Spun Plied

HomeSpunPlyed
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

Yesterday was such a busy day, I thought I was going to do some crochet and some knitting, it did not happen. I did laundry and some house cleaning and by the end of the day what I really wanted to do was to ply some of this homespun. As I am plying and using some of my spindles, I got to see what a good spindle is suppose to be like. Well to keep you not in suspense, the Avi Wasserman and the Kundert Spindles spin like heaven, they just keep the momentum of the spin for a long time. The Geek in me I guess, says yes, I love physics, thanks for stopping by.

of Spindles and Yarn

Spindles come in all colors and prices, Top Whorl and bottom whorl. A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a wooden spike (known as the shaft) which is commonly weighted at either the bottom middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object [known as the [whorl]]; the spindle may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without these are also common. It is used for spinning wool and other fibers into thread. spindle whorls are common finds in archaeological digs around the world; they may represent one of the earliest pieces of technology available to humankind. I hope you enjoy my candle holder doubling as a spindle display rack. Modern spindles are commonly available in high-whorl, low-whorl, centre whorl or supported varieties. In a high-whorl spindle, the whorl sits very close to the top of the shaft. A hook is placed on the top of the shaft to secure the developing yarn, and the newly-spun yarn is wound around the shaft underneath the whorl. In a low-whorl spindle, the whorl sits near the bottom of the shaft. The newly spun yarn is wound around the shaft just above the whorl. If there is a hook at the upper end of the shaft, the yarn is spiral-wound up the shaft and caught in the hook; if there is no hook at the top, then the yarn is spiral-wound up the shaft and secured with a half hitch (or more, for slippery fibers) at the top. Some low whorl spindles are notched at the top of the shaft to keep the half hitch secured, although this is not necessary. An alternate method of securing the yarn involves passing it down over the edge of the whorl, around the bottom end of the shaft, and back up over the whorl to be secured with a half hitch at the top of the shaft
I can tell you that this is the best spinning machine, lol! I do have projects for some of them and then you need one to ply. So you always need a spare spindle for your plying. The spindle above and the spindle below are from Avi Wasserman, the pictures make no justice to the beauty of these spindles. I got these spindles from THE FOLD. http://www.thefoldatmc.net/ . People here are fantastic, friendly and very helpful.
The spindle with the painting was from EBay and it is a good spindle, I am spinning silk on it and it works fantastic, it was very inexpensive. I think your best deal is to get spindles in kits as they come with yarn and you get a good deal that way. Drop spindles fall all the time, so it is good for you to have some kind of cushion area when they fall. I guess they call them drop spindles for a reason. On Etsy I have seen some made out of glass or semi-precious stones. In my opinion not a good investment unless you collect them and don't use them.
This other spindle below is from EBay as well and came with some roving, I like to give them a shinny finish so I did.
This one came with the silk roving and it is not the greatest of spindles, but it works fine. I guess your best choice of spindle is one that is balanced.
This one below is a combination of woods including cedar which is something I wanted to have, by Steve Kundert. Reasonably priced and made to order , shipped fast and great communication from the artist. http://www.kundertspindles.com/ . This is a very handsome spindle and is a dream to the touch.
This spindle below was a bottom whorl, and I really don't care for bottom whorls , so I turned it around. It is actually both, I have added a hook to the other side as well, and now has a weight of a tad over 2 ounces, which is something I wanted. I customised it with tacks, but you can add weights to the top and make it heavier if you want.
This concludes my show and tell of spindles. I have one for my Holiday gift to myself that we shall wait until then to talk about it. Thanks for stopping by.