[Fleecewife]

Perhaps because I'm spinning loads of dark Heb, I'm really struggling to see what I'm doing, which is affecting the quality of my spinning.  The low wattage lightbulbs we have to use now just don't seem to throw out enough light.
Does anyone use a daylight bulb for craft work?  I used to have one years ago when I could still see well enough to do fine embroidery, but haven't used one for spinning.  It's slightly odd, because I can spin by firelight when we have power cuts.  I did clean my glasses and that helped a bit     


So does anyone also struggle with dull lights and if so, what's your solution?

[Dogwalker]

I've given up on those energy saving things for anything but general background lighting, they take ages to warm up and then don't give enough light to do anything detailed.
I'm trying some, I think, halogen bulbs.  I haven't got the box any more so not sure exact info.  They look like ordinary old light bulbs, got them in co-op.
I also have one in a desk lamp on a cupboard next to me so I can direct it if I'm doing something detailed.

A daylight bulb is definitely worth trying for colour work.

[in the hills]

Hi FW


I make and sell needle felted brooches. I 'paint' countryside pictures onto the bases also with the fibre. I use tiny amounts of wool to paint with and found it impossible to do in artificial light.


OH bought me a free standing lamp from Lifemax ..... You can find them on Amazon.


Couldn't work after dark without it and it's been really reliable. Changed the bulb once in about 3 years.

[Penninehillbilly]

I have an LED desk lamp,  really bright, I'm finding I need brighter lights these days 

[Somewhere_by_the_river]

As an artist who works with graphite I've always struggled with poor lighting and until recently have had to down tools with the sun each evening - not so good with deadlines in winter... Since moving (I now have my own studio rather than the dining room table - hurrah!) I've replaced the spotlight bulbs in the room with leds - a mix of cool and warm for balance and I also have a floor standing daylight lamp which I wouldn't be without. The spotlights, inherited from the pervious owner are in the wrong place for work purposes, so I couldn't cope without the floor standing one, it's fab and you don't realise just how good it is till you switch it off. Link below (hopefully it'll work), £25 from Amazon...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MiniSun-Natural-Daylight-Adjustable-Reading/dp/B00ELJD0ZI/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1510838966&sr=8-21&keywords=daylight+lamp

[Lesley Silvester]

My OH insisted on buying me a daylight bulb floor standing lamp and it makes so much difference when I am doing craft work.

[Fleecewife]

Thank you all my crafty friends    I'm glad I'm not the only one with 'slightly less acute' vision these days  .  So I've taken all your advice and sent off for a floor standing daylight lamp.  I do have other lamps but they are in the wrong places for spinning and not easy to move.


I'm having great fun with my spinning at the moment, having not done much for a couple of years.  I've relearnt how to use top whorl spindles as well as turkish, with both of which I was very rusty  - and I rewarded my self for that with a couple of wonderful spindles from Vermont    (got stung mightily for VAT  )
I'm blending the Heb I'm spinning with all colours of silk which will either look great or awful - never mind, it will be nice and cosy whatever I use it for.  I've been using my Lendrum Saxony wheel for that because the bobbins hold 150gms, but my chair is at the wrong height so not comfortable to spin for long.


My attempts sound pretty feeble compared to yours in the hills and Down by the river, but I still love doing crafty stuff.


Thank you all again for your advice and experience.
Fleecey

[Lesley Silvester]

So good to have more posts in this group again. I'd got into the habit of just checking then closing it down and I nearly did again yesterday but suddenly realised that there was a new post.


FW I hope your lamp comes quickly. You won't believe the difference it makes. I'm doing a lot of crochet at the moment. Just finishing off a shark snuggle blanket for my 10 year old grandson for Christmas. Just got the teeth to do and the sewing up and he will be able to slide down into it's mouth. There's even going to be a bit of blood.


I still have in excess of 20 fleeces to prep and spin. ATM I've got the young man who helps me with the goats and garden to do a lot of drum carding as I am struggling with that now. OH will turn the handle while I feed the fleece in but he's not always around when I want to do it. I would love an electric drum carder but they cost a fortune. Anyone got any ideas for speeding up the process? I spin in the grease.

[Fleecewife]

My opening screen comes up with 'unread posts', which is everything new since I last checked.  I skip through the stuff I'm not interested in, but it means I don't miss stuff I do want to see.  It must be easy to set up, as I did it.


I just got notification that my lamp is coming in a week - a whole week 


20 fleeces    that will take some time.  I keep walking past the six giant shetland fleeces I still have to do, but somehow there's always something more urgent. It's been so wet up here in Scotland this past summer that any days suitable for washing fleece have also been perfect for loads of other things.  I cheated and had 10 kgs of Heb first shear scoured and carded at NFCo.  I sold some but the rest will probably outlast me.  The Shetland is destined for dyeing, which will be fun.  Mr F wants a new general purpose jumper, but it won't be ready this winter.  I'm sure he's got a couple I made earlier hiding in a drawer somewhere.


MGM where did you get your young man?  I could so do with one of those around the place.  My eldest grandson used to help quite a bit, but now he's at Uni we rarely see him. I've always thought it should be relatively easy to link a drum carder to a treadle, maybe one from an old sewing machine.  It would give just as much control as turning the handle, but with the benefit of having two hands to guide the fleece.  Not much help if you have problems with your legs though 


So where is everyone else at with their crafting?  It must be the pre Christmas rush for those of you who make to sell.

[Louise Gaunt]

I have been watching this with interest as I think I need a lamp for my craft room- I was sewing Velcro on a woven lap top sleeve the other day and really struggling to see the grey thread on black Velcro. I am busy knitting and weaving at the moment- I have taken a stall in out local Christmas event to sell knitting and woven stuff, and the weaving group I belong to have a stall for three weeks in Kingsbridge, so I suspect I might be weaving and making things up right through December to keep the stall stocked. I know I should have been making stuff all through the year but that just hasn't happened!

[Lesley Silvester]

MGM where did you get your young man?  I could so do with one of those around the place.  My eldest grandson used to help quite a bit, but now he's at Uni we rarely see him. I've always thought it should be relatively easy to link a drum carder to a treadle, maybe one from an old sewing machine.  It would give just as much control as turning the handle, but with the benefit of having two hands to guide the fleece.  Not much help if you have problems with your legs though 

When I first became disabled I was looking for someone who could muck out the goats and help with the garden and friends suggested their neighbour's son. His mum bought him round to meet me and he started the following week.That was nearly five years ago and he's been with me ever since. He has Aspergers so takes a while to get into the routine but now I just say start with your usual jobs and he's on it. I can even go out and leave him to let himself in and get on with things. Sadly he has now finished full time education and is job hunting. I'm promised him a wonderful reference but I'm dreading him going because I'll never find anyone as good. When he knows he's taken longer than usual over a job he works for an extra 15 minutes and won't take extra pay.


As a bonus, his mum. who loves goats, together with her sister, do my holiday cover with the goats and his mum was the one who found me my very good cleaner.

[Fleecewife]

He sounds perfect MGM, and he must have enjoyed every minute of working for you.  I wish him luck with job hunting, and meantime will he continue helping you out?


My daylight lamp arrived today  .  I have spent all evening spinning beneath it, and I'm not cross-eyed nor do I have eye strain as I used to when I was struggling to see what I was doing.  The colours of all my silks stand out wonderfully, in fact I don't think I had realised quite how beautiful they all were. I'm so glad I bought it, and thank you all for your recommendations 

[Penninehillbilly]

My daylight lamp arrived today  .  I have spent all evening spinning beneath it, and I'm not cross-eyed nor do I have eye strain as I used to when I was struggling to see what I was doing.  The colours of all my silks stand out wonderfully, in fact I don't think I had realised quite how beautiful they all were. I'm so glad I bought it, and thank you all for your recommendations 

That was a quick week FW 

[Fleecewife]

My daylight lamp arrived today  .  I have spent all evening spinning beneath it, and I'm not cross-eyed nor do I have eye strain as I used to when I was struggling to see what I was doing.  The colours of all my silks stand out wonderfully, in fact I don't think I had realised quite how beautiful they all were. I'm so glad I bought it, and thank you all for your recommendations 

That was a quick week FW 

Wasn't it just     They said next Saturday but it arrived a day and a half after I ordered it. Amazon must be in Christmas mode 

[Lesley Silvester]

He sounds perfect MGM, and he must have enjoyed every minute of working for you.  I wish him luck with job hunting, and meantime will he continue helping you out?

Yes, he's still helping and yes he is perfect. I was spinning today while he was teasing wool ready for carding and we had a good chat. We often have some good conversations. He said to me one day as he was leaving, "I enjoy our chats." Not bad for a 20 year old and a 66 year old. I enjoy talking to him as well.