[SallyintNorth]

Just as FW says re uses of yarn plus thickness.

If you join your local Weavers, Spinners and Dyers guild, you may find someone there who could lend you a drum carder or even who might be selling one.

Personally I have decided I will have to save up for a classic carder

I also got back into knitting (ie I knew how to do it, but didn't) because of spinning  and am now hooked on that too.... so much to do, so little time 

Second all that. 

Our Guild has a drum carder it can lend out, recent discussions on Ravelry about drum carders always come down emphatically on the side of Classic Carders.

Like jaykay, I got back into knitting (could but didn't) because I wanted to use what I spun, and now I am totally hooked on making my own clothes with my own homespun

Even with extremely basic knitting skills, you can very easily make things which are seriously useful to smallholding / outdoorsy types - scarves, wrist warmers, tube socks that fit anyone, for instance.

And once you have joined a spinning / knitting / crocheting / fibre group, you will never be short of people very willing to help you with anything that you are struggling with and happy to show you techniques you haven't come across. 

[Lesley Silvester]

And you can make lots of very individual Christmas gifts that cost time but not much money.

[SallyintNorth]

QC, I just had a look at your blog, and the Traddy in the pic there (a) is very nice  and (b) does have at least 2 speeds.  So you can ply at a higher ratio than you spin, which will reduce the boredom a lot.

On the flyer, slither the drive band over into the groove nearer the front; you will need to tilt the mother-of-all to retension the drive band.  Do this by twiddling the knob on top of the mother-of-all.

Shout if that made no sense whatsoever! 

[quiltycats]

QC, I just had a look at your blog, and the Traddy in the pic there (a) is very nice  and (b) does have at least 2 speeds.  So you can ply at a higher ratio than you spin, which will reduce the boredom a lot.

On the flyer, slither the drive band over into the groove nearer the front; you will need to tilt the mother-of-all to retension the drive band.  Do this by twiddling the knob on top of the mother-of-all.

Shout if that made no sense whatsoever! 

   That's what that fancy embellishment is!!! Might need to sort out a new drive band as the twiddly knob is twiddled to the greatest extent it will go, unless I am missing another trick? 

Cheers Sally

[SallyintNorth]

Okay. 

• Twiddle the knob down until the MoA is flat on the deck.
• Keep the drive band on the larger whorl (where it is now.)
• Now tighten the drive band to fit.  (Yes, cut it and tie another knot.  And/or replace it.)  It should be taut but not so much that there's no give in it; you should be able to depress it with your finger by about an inch.
• Now shimmy the drive band over to the smaller whorl and use the tension knob to retension the drive band.

Ply away 

[quiltycats]

Okay. 

• Twiddle the knob down until the MoA is flat on the deck.
• Keep the drive band on the larger whorl (where it is now.)
• Now tighten the drive band to fit.  (Yes, cut it and tie another knot.  And/or replace it.)  It should be taut but not so much that there's no give in it; you should be able to depress it with your finger by about an inch.
• Now shimmy the drive band over to the smaller whorl and use the tension knob to retension the drive band.

Ply away 

Cheers Sally, I have new drive band string in my emergency fix kit so I will get that done soon, probably once I have spun up this Ryeland/Alpaca mix. 20% Ryeland 80% Alpaca, it is spinning beautifully just now so I dont want to mess with anything till the boring less thinking intensive, plying