[horsemadmummy]

Id like to use my Shetland fleeces for hand knitted items do I wonder if hand spun better suits rather than being commercially spun.  Are there any places that will hand spin?  Or if not how does someone learn how to do it - are there courses? 

[Blacksheep]

I am not sure where you are but try and find out if there is a spinning guild in your area and go along to a meeting, they am sure will be very helpful in getting you started or possibly advising you if there are any spinners in your area that would be prepared to spin some fleece for you if you decide not to learn yourself. Some wool product shops may also hold learning to spin sessions or know someone locally who could teach you, once you get started it is really just a matter of practising.

[Fleecewife]

Hi HMM  There are quite a few hand spinners on here - see the crafts section.  There are also a few people who do hand spin for sale (no-one on here I think) but it is the expensive way to go.
Whether you can hand spin all your fleeces depends of course on how many you have.  I usually manage to spin up about 12 in a good year, although in the past 9 months I have done none, due to illness.
For the rest of my fleeces I get them commercially spun.  I find that I can knit much faster than I can spin, so I produce perhaps one hand spun jumper to two mill spun ones.  What can look nice is to use the fleece which has been mill spun for the main body of the article you are knitting, then add in features of your handspun, which is usually more textured than the mill spun.
There are lots of courses for beginner spinners, fewer to perfect your technique.  You can find anything from a week-long course which will really get you set on the right road, to one day introductions.  Or as Blacksheep says you can find a local guild and just pick things up as you go along.
I didn't do any of them, but bought my wheel then spent three weeks concentrating on teaching myself.  As a consequence I'm not too hot on the theory and just turn out practical, home-style yarn - but I love it 

[SingingShearer]

Hi,

Where are you?
My sister does commission hand spinning, and spinning courses, I am sure she could help.

Thanks,
Philip

[SallyintNorth]

Hi HMM, there are plenty handspinners on here.  I'm one of the newest, having first had a go in November last and really getting started in January when my local Guild lent me one of its for-loan wheels. 

I absolutely love it, now have my own wheel, have also bought one for my mum, who is a fiersome knitter but who didn't take to spinning; that wheel has now gone to my sister who thinks she may very well take it up.

Most spinners you talk to have more than one wheel and often still look wistfully online at others they know they can't justify...

Back to how to start, and/or find people who handspin for money, see if you've got a local Guild.  Some Guilds are affiliated, so start here:
http://www.wsd.org.uk/guilds.htm
I can see ones in Exeter and Peter Tavy, also Somerset, any of which might suit you?  But there will also be guilds which are not affiliated, so ask in your local knitting / crafty shops.

Oh!  And DASH, of course - there are bound to be spinners amongst the DASH membership.

[Fleecewife]

Most spinners you talk to have more than one wheel and often still look wistfully online at others they know they can't justify...

That is SO true 

[smithycraft]

My husband taught himself to spin after a 10 minute lesson at a craft fair and much research on youtube.  Unfortunately as Fleecewife mentioned, he spins much slower than I knit so I'm always waiting for more wool.

The yarn he produces from our Suffolk cross fleeces is a bit on the rough side but since I felt everything it hides a multitude of sins.

[Bramblecot]

Hi, Dorset has an active spinning and weaving group which meets monthly in Dorchester or Sherborne.  There is a brilliant craft shop in Dorchester which sells everything you need for hand spinning.

[Bionic]

If you are near enough to Dorchester go to the spinning shop that Brambelcot is talking about(Frank Herring).
Its a great shop and has lots of spinning wheels, but they are crap at answering email.  I have been waiting for 2 weeks for them to respond to mine, despite 2 phone calls to them in between too.

Sally

[Bramblecot]

Sally,  I think they call it Dorset-time  .  Very irritating though  (Brain has turned to mush, I could not remember the name of the shop!  Must be all this sea fog for days 

[woollyval]

Right......there are lots and lots of hand spinners BUT to get wool spun to the quality you need, in the quantiy you want will cost you a LOT A couple of years ago we worked on an art project and I commercially washed and carded a couple of jacob fleeces, which were then hand spun by a member of the Devon Guild. I think I remember she charged about £10 per hour to spin.....and it took lots of hours!

If you are going to make a commercially viable product it must be of the right guage and also be of good quality. Shetland fleeces can also vary in their quality and one poor fleece could spoil the whole batch. I am very willing to help those who want to get involved in wool business as have started, set up, and run an award winning business before splitting it and selling due to serious illness (am ok now) we were profitable and had a high turnover....its doable but lots of pitfalls!

[SallyintNorth]

My husband taught himself to spin after a 10 minute lesson at a craft fair and much research on youtube.  Unfortunately as Fleecewife mentioned, he spins much slower than I knit so I'm always waiting for more wool.

The yarn he produces from our Suffolk cross fleeces is a bit on the rough side but since I felt everything it hides a multitude of sins.

Ah-ha, someone who can tell me a bit about felting... I've posted a question in Crafts, please help! 
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=23868.0

[horsemadmummy]

Have pm val she is relatively near me