The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: Fleecewife on August 08, 2013, 08:46:45 pm
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At long last my new wool combs are on their way from Canada :excited:
To show what a sad person I am, I have been following the tracking info. From where they are made in the SW corner of Canada, they were taken over the border to Sumas, Washington State, From Sumas they went on to Seattle where they hung around for a couple of days. Then they have taken a little hike down to San Francisco ??? Eh? Seems a long way round.
So, I wonder where they will go next on their travels ;D :spin: :spin: :spin: Clearly I don't have much else to do with my time :-J
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Ooh what sort are you getting?
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They are Forsyth 4-pitch comb set, fine, in jatoba wood - whatever that is ;D
I've not used combs before but I think they will work well with my Heb fleeces, which can be long and are double coated. I've washed lots of fleeces to practice on :spin: :excited: :excited: :excited: What a child I am ::)
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where are they now have they moved yet?
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Ooooh, exciting! :excited: :spin: :knit:
Do you have an estimated delivery date for them?
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I would be tracking too. Sad isn't it
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I don't know what's more exciting ( or sad ;D ) You tracking your combs or us watching you tracking your combs :roflanim:
Hope they arrive safely soon :spin: :excited:
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I like tracking parcels too, especially from the States - it's interesting and increases the anticipation ;D
Will be interested in what you think of them.
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where are they now have they moved yet?
Not a squeak today. Mind you it's only about lunchtime on the west coast of the US. Maybe there'll be something tomorrow.
Delivery from 5 working days after sent, so after midweek, but delays are possible in customs. And add on a day for coming up to Scotland I suppose. :celebrate:
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I don't know what's more exciting ( or sad ;D ) You tracking your combs or us watching you tracking your combs :roflanim:
Hope they arrive safely soon :spin: :excited:
:roflanim: :roflanim: All as bad as eachother - shows there's life in us all 8) Then there's the weekend to get through with no news :tired:
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I've had a look at combs. Really, really expensive aren't they? And I really don't understand why?
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I've had a look at combs. Really, really expensive aren't they? And I really don't understand why?
I daren't even think about the cost ...but I would only have spent it on food otherwise, and I don't need more food but I do need combs :knit: The ones I'm getting look well made, but I'll find out soon enough if that's true. You can get combs which are less expensive, hand held, but for my purpose the ones I chose seem best. I would love to try a variety to see how they compare. Vicious looking things though :o
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I've barely got the hang of carders. Combs are another world entirely :o I'll get there eventually but it'll probably be in retirement.
Where are your combs at the moment?
It's very sad that a set of combs have already seen more of the world than me :huff:
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Customs Clearance
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:09 pm
Customs Clearance
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:08 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:05 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility
ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)
August 8, 2013 9:55 am
Arrived at Sort Facility
ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)
August 8, 2013 9:55 am
Depart USPS Sort Facility
SEATTLE, WA 98168
August 7, 2013
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility
SEATTLE, WA 98168
August 7, 2013 7:07 pm
Dispatched to Sort Facility
SUMAS, WA 98295
August 7, 2013 2:27 pm
Acceptance
SUMAS, WA 98295
August 7, 2013 1:53 pm
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How's that for exciting :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited: . There's nothing to say when they will arrive here...I'll just have to stay near the front gate til the delivery man gets here :roflanim:
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Considering all the places they have been to its really quite fast. ods law that they will get held up in transit this side but lets hope not.
Will you be taking comissions for fleece combing? ;D
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Can we have tracking from the front gate? ;D
11 August front gate 11.05am
11 August porch 11.06
11 August living room (east corner) 11.07
11 August kitchen (to get scissors) 11.08 ;D
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Then there has to be a piccie or two so we can all enjoy the arrival ;D
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If it's one of the friendly delivery drivers I'll get a piccy ;D Some are very grumpy though so I won't even ask ! I will show you when I open the box ;D
Bionic - if you're prepared to wait until I've combed all my stash, then sure I'll take commissions......of course I've got so many fleeces to prep, combing them all will take longer than my lifetime even if I live to 120 :roflanim: and that's not counting fleeces from the years to come :spin: :knit:
I hope that after all this I actually like the things :tired:
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After all that, FW, you'll HAVE to like them.
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So what's happening with these combs? Are they in suspended animation somewhere or have they moved on? Now you have us interested, FW, you have to continue the saga.
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Seen the new reply and thought I'd missed the encore. Thankfully not :relief:
So don't keep us in suspense, where are they now! :D
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Sorry - I've been in hospital :unwell: but am back home now :thumbsup:
Still no combs and not a squeak from the shippers. OH looked up their website and the combs would appear to be waiting to go on from Customs. I think they've already lurked in Britain for longer than it's taken them to get from Canada.
Don't worry - I'll keep you all up to date with the progress of the Saga :roflanim:
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:bouquet: hope you are ok.
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Thank you :wave:
I have a genetic heart condition and every now and then my heart flips into overdrive. Sometimes I have to wait months to get it sorted, but this time they did it in A&E, so apart from being tired and a bit battered and bruised, I'm now back to my usual state of decrepitude, but content.
Now, if only those combs would arrive :excited:
While I'm waiting I've decided to rip down two of my knitting projects and reknit them :knit:
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:o FW do take care.
It must be all the excitement and anticipation from tracking those combs :D
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:yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:
Customs clearance processing complete
UNITED KINGDOM
August 15, 2013 5:19 am
Customs Clearance
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:09 pm
Customs Clearance
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:08 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility
UNITED KINGDOM
August 9, 2013 11:05 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility
ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)
August 8, 2013 9:55 am
Arrived at Sort Facility
ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)
August 8, 2013 9:55 am
Depart USPS Sort Facility
SEATTLE, WA 98168
August 7, 2013
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility
SEATTLE, WA 98168
August 7, 2013 7:07 pm
Dispatched to Sort Facility
SUMAS, WA 98295
August 7, 2013 2:27 pm
Acceptance
SUMAS, WA 98295
August 7, 2013 1:53 pm
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Yay! :excited:
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Nearly there :excited:
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Not long now :excited: :excited:
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Eek - now what does this mean?
Payment of charges - Item being held, addressee being notified
UNITED KINGDOM
August 16, 2013 7:11 am
Arrival at Post Office
UNITED KINGDOM
August 16, 2013 4:26 am
Customs clearance processing complete
UNITED KINGDOM
August 15, 2013 5:19 am
I haven't been notified, but I assume it's in my local Post Office with taxes or something to pay (just when I'm totally broke :( ). I understood everything was already paid. I think the sorting office closes at 12 and I can't get there before this afternoon :rant: . I wonder if it's open on a Saturday.
So near and yet so far ;D
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Oh no. I always knew that any hold up would be in this country :(
It's 12 now so I am probably too late with this but can you ring them and find out the details?
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That was a good idea Sally :thumbsup:
I just caught them at the sorting office and after a few crossed wires ::) determined that they wouldn't let me collect the parcel until I get their post card notification that it's there - no, having the tracking number and so on doesn't seem to count ::)
So we'll see if the postie brings the card today and if so the sorting office is open tomorrow so I'll get a lift down with OH and....ta da...hopefully collect it.
But it does seem typical of this lovely country of ours that my parcel has zoomed from Canada, down through the States and over the ocean, only to lurk around in Britain. Ah well - the tourists like quaint :roflanim:
I wonder how much extra I will have to pay.
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worst case is 20% of whatever you paid if they decide you have to pay VAT on it...
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Oh bums :o
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This isn't so exciting any more ::) The notification card eventually arrived this afternoon - from Parcel Force in Glasgow - so me sending OH down to the local sorting office this morning was never going to be fruitful :D
VAT at 20% as you said bloomer, plus a handling charge. I'll investigate the VAT further as I thought craft items only picked up a couple of percent. Still - all paid now and I just have to hang around the garden gate on TUES for the delivery man....... :excited: :yippee: :excited: I'd better watch the youtube vids on how to use the things before they get here.
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Hurry up Tuesday :excited:
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DeliveredUNITED KINGDOMAugust 20, 2013 11:27 am
Payment of charges - Item being held, addressee being notified
UNITED KINGDOM
August 16, 2013 7:11 am
Arrival at Post Office
UNITED KINGDOM
August 16, 2013 4:26 am
Customs clearance processing complete
............................................
SUMAS, WA 98295
August 7, 2013 1:53 pm
Pics to follow :sunshine:
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YIPEE :thumbsup:
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Piccies! We need piccies!
:excited: :excited:
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Huzzah!
:excited:
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Heehee!! at last :excited: :excited: :excited:
Well, What are they like?? Worth the anticipation? Piccies please :D
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Opening my birthday pressie:
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I soooooooo want some! Jealous
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I love them, but there's not all that much volume for the price ::) . Special things come in small packages :sunshine: The comb is beautifully well balanced and all the woodwork is lovely to hold. The tines are lethally sharp but beautiful too.
Unfortunately the carrier box was damaged in transit somewhere as the parcel appears to have been dropped from a height onto something sharp, which split the box from the impact. Forsyth's say I should claim damages and they will make me a new box, so that's a nuisance but they are right that I should have my purchase in perfect condition (we were going to repair it with glue...) It did perform its function of protecting the combs within.
Now to watch those youtube clips again....and again....
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They look gorgeous :)
I had hoped to have fitted in a visit to see you around about now, but I've had a stupid horrid cold that wouldn't get better so unfortunately didn't manage to fit it in.
Maybe next month... ::)
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They look gorgeous :)
I had hoped to have fitted in a visit to see you around about now, but I've had a stupid horrid cold that wouldn't get better so unfortunately didn't manage to fit it in.
Maybe next month... ::)
That will be lovely Sally :wave: We can have a play with our combs and see how they compare for performance. Do yours work ok with the CM fleece? I'm thinking I will need to wash my fleece more thoroughly for combing, although apparently you can sprinkle sticky fleece with talcum powder and it makes it comb-able.
I'm glad you didn't come with a cold - I really really REALLY don't want to catch another cold :cold: :unwell: but I'm glad you're better now :thumbsup:
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You need at least 2" staple length for combing, so no I can't comb my Castlemilk Moorit, nor my Manx Loaghtan. ::)
According to Peter Teal, you want some grease or oil in the fleece for combing, so don't rewash the Hebs you've already done! Our commercial fleece combs very well, and isn't terribly greasy, so I just give it a cold soak, no soap, and then comb. You heat the combs, the tines then melt the grease and the fibre moves deliciously :yum: If you've scoured all the grease out of the fleece, Peter Teal has you mist the fibre with oil to lubricate the fibres and allow them to slide over each other. I haven't heard about using talc, that sounds quite contrary to the Peter Teal approach. I guess it's like most things, there are a dozen ways to achieve the same thing, some of them quite contradictory!
With the Heb, were you going to try the technique for pulling the longer fibres away from the shorter? I've got a really lovely Heb fleece myself and am hoping that you'll tell me this works!
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Thats really interesting about heating the combs. How would you heat them?
I am sure you wouldn't want to do it with hot water so perhaps just put the hair dryer on them.
A friend brought back a Navahjo (have i spelt that right) rug book from america this week. In there it says the women don't wash their fleece but leave it out in the sun and sand. Sand blows into the fleece and cleans it and the sun melts the grease. They just pick it up off the sand and shake it before working with it.
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Your new combs look beautifully made :love: but quite lethal in the hands of somebody as clumsy as me ::)
The engraved box is a great idea. It may have been expensive but looks like a lovely heirloom in time ( a long, long time from now of course ;) )
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Thats really interesting about heating the combs. How would you heat them?
I am sure you wouldn't want to do it with hot water so perhaps just put the hair dryer on them.
Hot water is exactly how you do it. Tall saucepan, tines in water.
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Thats really interesting about heating the combs. How would you heat them?
I am sure you wouldn't want to do it with hot water so perhaps just put the hair dryer on them.
Hot water is exactly how you do it. Tall saucepan, tines in water.
Ah, I see, just the tines in water and not the wood
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Your new combs look beautifully made :love: but quite lethal in the hands of somebody as clumsy as me ::)
The engraved box is a great idea. It may have been expensive but looks like a lovely heirloom in time ( a long, long time from now of course ;) )
My daughters-in-law are not remotely interested, but I think my granddaughter, who has her first day at school today :yippee: , is old enough for me to start getting her interested :spin: :knit: . I'll try the grandsons too - I know the oldest at 21 runs a mile when he sees me spinning, but the rest are still at a less-set-in-their-ways age.
If none of them is interested then everything will doubtless go on e-bay when I'm dust :o I need to be organised and label everything discreetly with a vague resale value or it will all be treated as junk - not just the woolcraft stuff but antiques and so on :(
No, I'm not really feeling gloomy, just practical.
SiN - isn't it odd, and confusing, that the Forsyths are very specific that any grease at all will make combing too difficult with the fibre sticking to the combs. 4 pitch. A silk purse from a sows ear? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjanZ8B3XRM#)
Time for some experiments so I can make up my own mind :thumbsup:
Yes, I'm hoping to try separating the two layers of Heb fleece using the combs - it's one of the main reasons I got them in fact, so I'll certainly let you know if it works. As I intend to get stuck into my weaving this winter ( :fc: for staying out of hospital) I want to be able to spin warp and weft using the two fibre lengths.
But first I have to learn how to use my new combs....and before I can do that I need to set up somewhere safe to use them.
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But first I have to learn how to use my new combs....and before I can do that I need to set up somewhere safe to use them.
I think you need a suit of armour with gauntlet gloves ;D
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Those chain mail ones they use when cutting up meat? Perfect :roflanim:
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After cutting my finger needing stitches with a sickle, I have Kevlar cut resist gloves! Might be useful for protection when using combs.
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After cutting my finger needing stitches with a sickle, I have Kevlar cut resist gloves! Might be useful for protection when using combs.
Louise, I have just had a look at those gloves. they look good and are much cheaper than I expected :thumbsup:
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They are light weight and fit well so I do wear them when using sharp implements.
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I'm going to look at them for using, not when I am using the English woolcombs but for when I am flick-carding! I always have to stop when I am making the off-white fibre pink, lol!
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Is it wrong that the idea of fingerless cut-resistant gloves made me laugh? :roflanim:
Fingerless Kevlar (http://www.justworkgloves.co.uk/category.php?Catid=12703&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_feed_or_listings&gclid=CMnP7p6mj7kCFY7LtAodQFwAOA)
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Is it wrong that the idea of fingerless cut-resistant gloves made me laugh? :roflanim:
Fingerless Kevlar (http://www.justworkgloves.co.uk/category.php?Catid=12703&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_feed_or_listings&gclid=CMnP7p6mj7kCFY7LtAodQFwAOA)
Yes, that does seem to be a strange concept :roflanim:
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Is it wrong that the idea of fingerless cut-resistant gloves made me laugh? :roflanim:
Fingerless Kevlar (http://www.justworkgloves.co.uk/category.php?Catid=12703&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_feed_or_listings&gclid=CMnP7p6mj7kCFY7LtAodQFwAOA)
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: I love it!
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Is it wrong that the idea of fingerless cut-resistant gloves made me laugh? :roflanim:
Fingerless Kevlar (http://www.justworkgloves.co.uk/category.php?Catid=12703&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_feed_or_listings&gclid=CMnP7p6mj7kCFY7LtAodQFwAOA)
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: I love it!
I knew you would ;) :D
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I've been trying my new combs and I still have all my fingers and am puncture free :eyelashes:
I absolutely love them and am wondering how on earth I managed to spin Heb for the past 18 years without them.
First I tried a really curly, crimpy Shetland fleece, from my ancient fawn katmoget ewe. I don't normally spin her fleece because the tight curls and super crimp make it difficult to card without getting neps. I put it through the combs a couple of times and dizzed it to get a wonderful clean roving. When I spun it, it came out really fine, unlike my usual yarn. However, I think it lends itself more to woollen spinning so I'm wondering the best way to convert the hackle full to rolags. I will try taking it off the hackle bit and rolling it, unless someone has some better ideas.
Then tonight I tried a Heb fleece. This is a first shear fleece which I have been carding and spinning fairly thickly. Separating the long and under coats with the combs seems to work pretty much automatically. I work back and forth with the diz until suddenly I find I can't draw so far back, so I start a new roving with the shorter fibres. They both look lovely to spin although I haven't tried yet, much smoother and glossier than carded fibre. Heb is naturally a fibre which is light and bouncy so it will be interesting to see how it responds to worsted spinning.
I think an adult fleece will show a much better defined change from the longer to the shorter fibres. With the first shear fleece, there are no really hairy longer fibres
So, a whole new era of spinning fun is opening before me :spin: :spin: :spin:
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This is not good.
I was hoping you would say they are horrible and you can't get on with them to put me off. Now we will all be wanting some combs :(
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Very very very glad to hear this :) Looking forward to my lovely grey/brown Heb even more now :)
With the Shetland, would the shorter fibres left in the hackle be cardable? Either by hand-cards or drum carder? I think this is pretty much how it used to work - the woolcombers would comb the longer fibres, and the 'waste' from combing would go to the woollen spinners.
Dang this pesky cold! :unwell: I am improving but still not better, so dare not come and see you - or my folks, come to that - until I feel germ-free.
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This is not good.
I was hoping you would say they are horrible and you can't get on with them to put me off. Now we will all be wanting some combs :(
Agreed! >:(
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This is not good.
I was hoping you would say they are horrible and you can't get on with them to put me off. Now we will all be wanting some combs :(
Agreed! >:(
I think there's a set of Winghams' English Wool Combs for sale on Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/uk-classifieds/2658042/1-25#1) right now. Apparently Winghams took over the Peter Teal designs when he stopped making them, so these should be identical to mine (which are original Peter Teals, lucky me :))
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This is not good.
I was hoping you would say they are horrible and you can't get on with them to put me off. Now we will all be wanting some combs :(
:yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :roflanim:
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Very very very glad to hear this :) Looking forward to my lovely grey/brown Heb even more now :)
With the Shetland, would the shorter fibres left in the hackle be cardable? Either by hand-cards or drum carder? I think this is pretty much how it used to work - the woolcombers would comb the longer fibres, and the 'waste' from combing would go to the woollen spinners.
Dang this pesky cold! :unwell: I am improving but still not better, so dare not come and see you - or my folks, come to that - until I feel germ-free.
I dizzed down as far as I could and all that's left is lumpy bumpy neps and rubbish. It seems quite a lot of waste but I don't think it's useable. Maybe in the olden days, when the combs were used for longwool prepping, the waste was long enough to use for woollen spinning (a bit like me separating the long and short fibres of the Heb, where I'll use the shorter ones for woollen)
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This is not good.
I was hoping you would say they are horrible and you can't get on with them to put me off. Now we will all be wanting some combs :(
Me, too. I want some. I just looked at the ones on Ravelry but I can't justify the expense. Not until I've had a bit more use out of my drum carder anyway. :( :(