the dropped spindle

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natalie · Last edited by natalie on Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

I have an Ashford Kiwi.
I learned to spin on a drop spindle and then tried a wheel. I borrowed one from my local guild, and brought it home, fully expecting to be able to master it. What a disaster!
We have tiled floors at home and I spent the next few weeks chasing it around the kitchen, treadling away. The Guild members were great, and when I went back the next month they let me try their own wheels. By the time I got to the shop I was able to choose properly. I think trying to choose a wheel before you can spin is a bit like trying to choose a car before you've had any driving lessons. I chose the Kiwi because it was easy to use, and because I wanted to paint the wheel... and since it was relatively inexpensive, I could still afford to buy some fibre as well!
natalie

cledry yarner · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 176

I have an ashford traditional which is a bit ropey to be honest but I love it to death. I got it from the classifed ads in the local rag and the lady threw in carders, a ball winder, some dyes and loads of bits and pieces. I've also got a 2nd hand (and very old) country spinner which has whopping 2lb bobbins Shocked

and an old hand made wheel which was made in Cornwall but I can't get bobbins for it any more so it just sits in the corner looking pretty. It was made in a place called Bugle and it's a really plain and simple wheel.

I've been spinning for 18 months and have 3 wheels - it's all a bit addictive really Very Happy

natalie · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:02 pm Post subject:

I looked for a second hand wheel for ages, I tried putting a "wanted" post on my local Freecycle group as well, but had no luck at all. It got to the stage where it was stopping me moving on with the spinning, so I ended up buying mine new. I am really pleased with it though. There is the option for a high speed flyer and a "fat" yarn flyer, but I haven't decided about these yet.
Just after I got it I was on a training course at work and one of the "winding down" questions was "What would you do with £100,000?". The facilitator kicked off by saying she would buy a few acres and start a smallholding. Some people wanted to go on the holiday of a lifetime or set up a cafe. I said I'd like a few sheep and the time to improve my spinning. The facilitator came up to me at the end and said she had a wheel in her garage if I was interested. I was about to go on holiday, and I had forgotten all about it until now... maybe I'll give her a ring and she if it's still there.
I have wondered about the country spinner. Do you use it much, or do you find you can do most things on the traditional?
natalie
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cledry yarner · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 176

I bought a jumbo flyer for the traditional so I can do most things on that really. I find the country spinner very heavy and fast, it's easy to snap the yarn or overtwist it. The wheel itself is a beast - solid wood and that doesn't half take some turning!

wendy · Joined: 30 Jun 2006 Posts: 24 Location: london uk

I have a ashford traditional that i won on ebay, its a great little wheel thats like new, i dont think the previous owner used it. I`m playing tug of war with it at the moment.The wheel grabs the yarn out of my hands so its wheel- 10 -moi -0. Embarassed

I`m looking around for a day course, in the meantime its read and re-read hands on spinning...
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sally · Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 148

Mine's an Ashford traveller that I had from my parents for my 18th birthday, it went all through University with me in my room too Cool

Don't get a huge amount of time to spin at the moment so its looking a bit dusty right now, but its a lovely wheel to use.

natalie · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 8:46 pm Post subject:

wendy, I found this

http://www.londonguildofweavers.org.uk/html/guild.html

spinners meetings at the weekends and on Wednesdays 12-4 in Barnes.
Don't know how near that is to you. My Guild in Edinburgh are just so helpful, might be worth a call to them to see if they have any suggestions about where to do courses.

natalie
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Davy · Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Fife, Scotland.

I have the Ashford Electric spinner that I purchased from Twist Fibre up in Newburgh. I have been spinning about 7 months or so and love the control that an e spinner gives me. It's also a great tool for plying, but does my head in having to stop every few min's to move the yarn onto the next hook Mad

. So getting a Woolee Winder for it shortly.

Davy.

wendy · Joined: 30 Jun 2006 Posts: 24 Location: london uk

Thanks for the link natalie, there are a couple of places near me. Very Happy

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spinningsue · Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 56 Location: Worcestershire

I've just got an Ashford Traveller which I bought from the Alpaca Spinner http://www.alpaca-spinner.com/ through Ebay. Very nice lady, we were chatting like old friends in about 2 seconds. Smile

There are pictures on my blog of the wheel and the spinning I haven't been able to stop doing since Saturday!

Spinning Sue (I notice there are a few of us! So I'll call myself this to save confusion as its also my blog name.)

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