[SallyintNorth]

Got my new-to-me Haldane Shetland spinning wheel going yesterday.  She's small but she's *fast*!  I need to get me some practise spinning very very fine to make good use of her.

An absolute bargain from Gumtree - patience paid off   Oh, and a bit of help from a couple of friends to get her down country to me - thanks magnusmog and Rosemary 

[Fleecewife]

She's lovely Sally.  Now you'll need to sit just outside the farmhouse door to spin to be authentic 
 
We will want to see pics of the yarn you make, and what you make from it     Any idea which breed of fleece you will be using?  Shetland?

[SallyintNorth]

She's lovely Sally.  Now you'll need to sit just outside the farmhouse door to spin to be authentic 

I have sat on the loading dock spindling before now, lol.  But yes, I should do exactly as you say, as they do on all those lovely archive videos 
 

We will want to see pics of the yarn you make, and what you make from it     Any idea which breed of fleece you will be using?  Shetland?

I do have more Shetland to spin...  Not sure I'm ready (read good enough) for the speed yet, might have to spin tops on her while I get better at going fast and thin!  Mind, I do have some Shetland tops, and I recently completed my first fancy shawl and loved knitting it... 

[Bionic]

I love her and would like her myself 

[Lesley Silvester]

Lovely looking wheel. Haldanes are good wheels.

[Mammyshaz]

She looks very nice    and sounds lovely to spin  look forward to seeing what to produce from her

[JulieWall]

I'm jealous, I love Haldane wheels. I don't think the pitch of the treadle would suit me though, I'd have to have it flatter for less ankle strain, hubby altered my Lewis for me.
Did you know that Haldane made different sized double whorls for their wheels? Its the only way to alter the ratio with double band wheels as far as I know, but they are handy for different types of spinning, nice big one for soft thick yarns and tiny one for fast fine spinning and long draw. If you don't already have these it would be worth looking out for some if you like fast spinning.

[SallyintNorth]

Woodland Turnery can supply all the whorls and bobbins for Haldane wheels.  I haven't yet measured the whorl I've got against Joan's list to see what size I've got.  I certainly won't be needing a faster one anytime soon!  But it may be worth looking into whether there's a slower one... 

[JulieWall]

Forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know, but if you want more control slack off your tension to the point where the drive band wants to slip slightly, but not actually slip if you know what I mean. Give it a try and see how you get on for a looser spin with less pulling onto the bobbin. 

I always use a string drive band (nylon blind cord is good) and overlap then over-sew the ends together so there's no twitch when the knot flicks past where the bands cross. Cord or string is much more controllable than the newer rubbery drive bands, I loathe those.   

[SallyintNorth]

Oh, I replaced the string she came with pretty soon, Julie!  I use crochet cotton or other soft string.  It stretches quickly so needs adjusting and then replacing sooner than a harsher string like butchers' string, but I find you can get a softer pull-on with a softer string.

What do you spin on, Julie?

[JulieWall]

Mostly my Haldane Lewis but I have a robust little castle wheel for carting about places.

[renee]

Just got another new to me spinning wheel. This one is seriously beautiful
It has small ivory knobs here, there and everywhere. It has lost a couple of plugs but is otherewise ready to whirl

[Mammyshaz]

That is a rather beautiful Wheel  does it spin as nice as it looks?

[Lesley Silvester]

Wow, Renee, what a beauty.

[SallyintNorth]

 

I can just imagine that that, once started, that wheel goes round and round almost effortlessly.

And I can imagine you sat at it, spinning your lovely fleeces, smiling beatifically...