I went to my first Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild meeting a few years ago and a member taught me how to spindle spin after that meeting. It started a real love affair. I have over a dozen spindles of varying types, weights and characteristics.
My friend Lisa borrowed the guild wheel over the summer but got frustrated when it would not work. She brought it to me and I figured out what was wrong, it was out of alignment and the e-clip was missing. I fixed it up and taught myself how to spin on a wheel. This was my first wheel spun yarn. The roving was affectionately nicknamed "Muppet Guts" and later I used this very yarn to knit a pair of socks that my husband commandeered.
(Note: this is the guild's wheel, I late bought an older model Ashford
Traditional)
At the next meeting I attended after the summer break, I bought a Reeve's 30" Saxony Production wheel from a fellow guild member. Well, I brought it home and my loving husband actually paid for it.
I finally found a place online that could make me extra bobbins for the Reeves and they also had a tensioned lazy kate.
Then I bought a Double Drive Double Treadle Ashford Traveller from a member of the Spindlers Yahoo Group. It came with oodles of bobbins and a bulky flyer attachment. I am still looking for a Lace Flyer for this wheel.
Then there was the Wee Peggy that I bought from a lovely lady in Hattiesburg who can no longer spin.
And finally, an Ashford Traditional, single treadle, single drive with scotch tension.
This is a kit wheel from the 70s, after the spindles changes, but before the
maidens did.
The latest addition to the family is an Ashford Elizabeth.
Some of the yarns I have spun along the way:
Other spinning equipment:
Sometimes you just have to card...and card...and card.
last of the cheviot on the hearth, NZ Romney in the bag
Icelandic on the left, Shetland on the right
I finally invested in a yarn blocker!
And a little bit of a peek into my spinning stash...
Evolution of a fiber closet begins.
That is hand-dyed roving from Kae in the top five bins on the left. The
top two on the right are my own hand-dyed roving & top.
The old setup looked good, but I have used some of the wool and I really needed
to replace the two shoe organizers on the ends with one sweater sized one.
Of course, I could not find another one exactly like the two already in there.
I put all of my hand-dyed into the black organizer in the middle, see the close
up for more detail. The fibers on the left and right are commercial preparations
and hand-dyed fiber from vendors.
Occasionally, things get out of control and you just have to clean out the
closets and reorganize. This is everything from inside the closet, strewn all
over the living room!
Ah, much better!
Now it is completely full, the carded Shetland just barely fit in there.
