[Fleecewife]

SallyintNorth  and I have been asked to write up a spinning info bit for the TAS website.

It would be helpful to get some idea from those of you who are beginner spinners, as well as those with more experience, just what would be helpful to include.  I can remember back a bit to when I first started, but not the details of exactly what was helpful, and what I would have liked to know if I could have found the info (this was way back before all those great youtube clips).

Please either put your ideas here or pm either Sally or me. Looking forward to your help. 

[Bionic]

Do you want to start with the fleece? I think it would be useful to talk about choosing a fleece and sorting it. I for one am reluctant to throw away too much but that's to my own cost because I end up trying to use some of the nasty bits.
When you first start out you don't realise how much those bits hinder your spinning, just thinking that the problem is because you aren't a very good spinner.


Washing the fleece comes up quite a bit too so a piece on that would be helpful.


Carding of course and then spinning woolen/worsted yarns. I still don't understand this.


S and Z twists and plying.


Well, I think that's enough for a book rather than an article.


Best of luck with it

[SallyintNorth]

Brilliant, Sally, thanks very much.  This is exactly the sort of input we need

[shygirl]

i would love to spin but have no knowledge except for watching other people. so a basic "how to spin - idiots guide) would be good.

[Greenerlife]

You have been really helpful to me whilst I am learning, so a review of what you have told me I am sure will encourage others!


It would also be great to see some examples of what you are doing with the wool you spin, or what you achieve after you have spun (colours, mixing etc)

[Lesley Silvester]

I would like to see something about adjusting the tension and when you should do it. Also, I know nothing about the difference between Scotch tension and double drive so if you could explain that at idiot's level it would be useful.


I'm looking forward to seeing this article.

[Fleecewife]

Some great ideas, thank you    Please keep them coming.

I can already see a bit about how to shape the article and how to divide things between Sally and me.  We don't live close together so will have to each write some parts and exchange info that way, then stick the bits together.

I definitely won't be doing worsted and long draw woollen spinning  . It's not that I don't spin worsted, but my way is a bit self taught, and I've never felt my fleece prep is good enough for long draw....so that's definitely one of your bits Sally    Wheels too and how to adjust.  I can do raw fleece to spinnable prep, but be prepared - for me fleece begins way back with breeds, animal health and pasture management 

It sounds as if we should divide it up into named sections or it will be muddled.  How about fleece; spindles and wheels; spinning how to, mostly basic including plying, but extending a bit into fancy yarns; how to wash, finish, dye yarn.

Something like that?  I think Rosemary will be asking someone else to write about knitting, weaving, peg looms, rag rugs etc.  Not sure where felting goes.

[SallyintNorth]

I am looking forward to reading - and learning from - fleece beginning with pasture management

I can't do rolags good enough for longdraw yet either, though I continue to improve and am sure I will get there.  I can certainly write about woollen vs worstead prep and spinning.

Yes, happy to do the wheels and how to maintain / adjust them.

Dyeing is a huge subject all on its own.  I have already written up stovetop rainbow dyeing, using both dry powder dye and using dye stock solutions, and dyeing in a steamer, on Ravelry, so that can be cut and pasted.  I haven't done any natural dyeing yet (it's very much on the cards for this year) so perhaps that could be one of your sections?

[Fleecewife]

Mmm - natural dyeing would need loads of research as I've not had much success because of my iron-y water - although that in itself is worth mentioning.  Lets leave that til the end when we've both grown some plants and used them successfully, and concentrate on chemical dyes.  I think we probably both have bits to contribute for that.

I'm not sure how much space Dan and Rosemary have for pics on the website, so maybe we will have to ration ourselves there, but I do think 'a picture saves a thousand words', especially when describing techniques.

[Clarebelle]

I also would like to get some info about the fleece processing stage too. Then on to how to get started with spinning. How to decide what ply to spin etc. Different spinning methods and their results would be good, for example, can you get the same results from a drop spindle as a spinningwheel or is it something totally different?
Also a little buying advice would be good, what beginners should look for when purchasing raw fleece and important equipment such as a spinning wheel.

I'm really looking forward to reading the article, its really good of you both

[madcat]

I seem to have problems with tension so would welcome some advice.

[Louise Gaunt]

As a novice, I am not sure about staple lengths of different types of fleece. A few words on that would be useful.thank you both for doing this. I do quite a lot of knitting and would be happy to cowrite an article on knitting the yarn we are going to be busy spinning!

[Lesley Silvester]

This looks to becoming a really long article. I'm sure you would be better turning it into a book with, maybe, some excerpts for an article.

[Fleecewife]

This looks to becoming a really long article. I'm sure you would be better turning it into a book with, maybe, some excerpts for an article.

I did start to write a spinning book once but didn't like the publishers terms so I withdrew    Which reminds me - I could crib some bits from that....

Sally and I have been discussing length, which of course can't be too long or it will take over the whole of the TAS website  so our thinking is that we should keep it fairly simple and stick to the basics for beginners, then indicate which more advanced directions one could go, and do a series of links to good places for further info, with us tying  them together.  Many of the links would be to past bits on TAS, Ravelry and youtube.

Does this sound like an approach which would work?  I agree MGM that we could end up with an epistle 

[Fleecewife]

As a novice, I am not sure about staple lengths of different types of fleece. A few words on that would be useful.thank you both for doing this. I do quite a lot of knitting and would be happy to cowrite an article on knitting the yarn we are going to be busy spinning!

Thank you Louise.  I will pm you