This is Jenny. My very unique spinning wheel.
She arrived on Christmas day 2019 and has been my companion ever since as I learn as much as I can about this fantastic craft. Now a lot of this has been done in lockdown, so thank you YouTube and Amazon!!!!!
As I have been getting to grips with making yarn I have learned a few things along that I wanted to share with you. Number 5 is really important!
#1 Spinners are lovely people
Before lockdown I was lucky enough to meet up with some lovely spinners. Whether they were from a guild, were running their own business, or were reaching out over the internet. I have received nothing but support and joy. I am really looking forward to getting back to my local spinners, dyers and weavers guild and to sharing our love of all things fibre. Unfortunately, so many events have been cancelled this year, but next year I will be there with the best, learning, networking and making new friends
#2 Not all spinning wheels are the same
I have learned a new language this year. Keywords are double drive, scotch tension, bobbin, and my favourite, niddy-noddy! I have also learned that Jenny was handmade and that I can't buy replacement parts for her.
As you can see from the picture she is a bit battered, and the bobbin you see is the only one that will fit on the flyer. I have been told by 2 ladies now that I won't be able to spin properly on Jenny and to look into buying a commercially build one. I have to agree that she is a wee bit unbalanced, especially when plying, but I am a stubborn bugger and think I am getting half reasonable yarn from her. I have been looking at other spinning wheels, links below, and have been feeling that expanding my collection of wheels will come in my future. Not least because Jenny is a bit too big to put in the car and take to guild meetings and events. I am currently looking at the Ashford Kiwi 3 because of its size and affordability.
The sheer range of things to think about is a bit boggling, I feel another blog post in my future!
An Ashford Quill Spindle. YES, SNOW WHITE DID PRICK HER FINGER ON A SPINDLE, just not the common wheels we know today.
A drop spindle, great fun for kids to learn how yarn is made
A Kromski Polonaise, the nearest thing to Jenny in a commercial build. This is what I thought she was to start with.
The Ashford Kiwi 3, oh how I love you!!!! (edit: I have recently had a try on one of these wheels and I am doubly in love)
All the images above come from Wingham Wool Work, who are a super helpful and knowledgeable bunch and who also mill and sell a HUGE range of fibres, that are great quality, I can't recommend them enough. Please support them if you can
#3 Not all fibre is the same
If you thought you could just pick up some wool, in the colour you fancied and just spin it, you are in for a shock. As well as many different types of wool (merino and Corriedale the most popular) you can also get fleece from different breeds and non-sheep fibres. If you haven't heard if Alpaca fibre you will definitely have heard of Cashmere (goat). Not only animal fibres but plant-based such as cotton, flax and linen and even silks, new and upcycled.
A small selection of different fibre types, pictures from Wingham Wools current stock. Each of these different materials will spin in subtly different ways giving a different range of yarns and textile used. Added to that you can blend your fibres together, or get a mixed fibre batch, for even more combinations. I already know I love to spin merino wool, it has quite long individual hairs making it wasy to spin as a beginner, but I'm really looking forward to trying out spinning with silk.
#4 I can now have a fibre stash AND a yarn stash
This one goes without saying and I hardly need to mention it, but obviously my stash has now doubled! And things can pass from the fibre stash into the yarn stash!
#5 Spinning is great for my mental health
This, for me, is really the most important. Once I got over the initial, "it's all going wrong" phase, and started to get actual yarn off the bobbin, I find the sound and physical motion of spinning so very relaxing. If I start thinking about anything else I will probably break the yarn, so I have to stay focused on the actions of my feet and hands and my eyes on the emerging yarn. Am I drawing consistently? Do I need to move the yarn up a hook on my flyer? Have I nearly filled my bobbin? All of these things keep me in the now, just working quietly listening to the clack of the wheel.
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