Bellefeathers! 28 September 2007

Yay! I am enjoying the new website, I hope you are too. The most recently listed items include

• Forrester's gorgeous leopardstone cabochon Niddy-Noddy in my favorite, one-yard skein, size
  
• a whole collection of new Jenkins Turkish Spindles, in Kingwood, Bolivian Rosewood, even Pink Ivorywood (woot!) as well as restocking Purpleheart and others
  
• Forrester's lovely Angel Wings lap bowl (Kokovoko's is now listed too!)
  
• The remaining Laceweight Spin-Dizzies (these may be the last of their kind!)
  
• The *last* Spin-Dizzy Traveller of the year!

You can use the New Products... page to see what the most recent additions to the store are. I'm looking for a way to also list "recently restocked" items on the New Products page for you too.

There are fun gizmos I plan to add behind the scenes to enrich your shopping experience, so be sure to keep your eyes open for new shopping features.

Did you know, you, the shopper, can use Paypal for your credit card payment at The Bellwether, even without a Paypal account?
Yep! Simply choose the Paypal payment option, and when the paypal page comes up as shown on the left (click on it to see it in readable size), click on the link shown, "continue checkout". This brings up a new window, shown below the first one, that lets you pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express! Yay! Without having a Paypal account.

There is one thing -- if you already have the card registered with a Paypal account, their system will require you to sign in to Yahoo to use that card. But if you don't want a Paypal account, this is a way to use your credit card without it!

*

Be sure to see Ask The Bellwether's homepage for these recent posts:
# How do you wind on a nostepinne?
# How do I stop the fiber from matting in my hand?
# How do I pick a drive ratio to spin a specific yarn?
# What is Needlefelting?
# What advice do you have for spinning mohair?
# What is a bead spindle?
Your questions are always welcome -- keep 'em coming!

Thanks for shopping at The Bellwether!

How do I stop the fiber from matting in my hand?

When you are spinning, the unspun fiber can be matted in your hand if you are holding onto the roving too tightly. I tend to break my roving into shorter pieces so that if I do get too tight a grip, it won't have a chance to matt much roving.

I also treat the roving like a little bird or butterfly that I don't want to crush, so the fiber is just resting in my hand (in the crook of my pinky, actually...) and not being squeezed.

Also you could split the roving lengthwise into skinnier pieces -- some roving seems to want to split, which can cause segments to bunch up behind your hand while one segment alone gets drafted. That way, there's less width to draft across, too.

If the fiber started out matted, there are two things you can do to help unmatt it. First, break it into 1-2 foot lengths and "crack the whip" with each piece from each end -- the snapping tends to open up the end. Second, predraft the roving -- even if done just a little bit, this helps start the sliding process of drafting so that when you spin and draft, it drafts more easily.

A note when pre-drafting -- hold your hands 1.5 * the staple length (individual fiber length) apart for easier pre-drafting: if your hands aren't holding onto both ends of a single piece of fiber, then you won't be having your own personal tug-of-war.

For related entries, see:
Do you pre-draft your fiber before you spin?
How do you go from spinning fine to spinning thick?

Do you have a spinning or sock machine question for the belle? post it in a comment on the blog or contact me. Thanks!

What do you teach in Beginning Spindling?

Teaching has to be fun -- so this class is "I Wanna Spindle!". The class goal is for people to be comfortable with their spindles, have the rudiments of drafting down, and be able to ply -- they walk away with tips to help them keep spinning, information on how to finish their very first handspun skeins, and their first (or in some cases, second!) spindle.

Taught: most recently, OFFF 2007, Jefferson County Farm Tour (@ Ananda Hills Farm) OCt. 2007.
Teaching next: NwRSA 2008.

When I have limited time (20 minutes) and a very young/high energy group (my son's or daughter's classes, for example), we focus on spinning a single, then folding it in half to make a stable length of yarn. They get a length usually long enough (and thick enough, wink) for a bookmark, and are quite happy with it.

With a group of students whose goal is to learn to spin, I use the following format, based on my book, Spindling: The Basics.

Choosing a Spindle

• size, shape, and weight

Choosing Fiber

• Preparation
  
• Wool or?
  
• Which wool?
  
• Staple length
  
• Drafting Fiber

The Leader / Balance

Park & Draft

• Hand placement
  
• Draft triangle
  
• Wind on
  
• Thick spots
  
• Joins

Ply

• Preparing to ply
  
• Balanced yarn
  
• Combine twirl and draft

Skein

• Niddy-noddy
  
• Figure-8 ties
  
• Wash/hang
  
• Twisting Up a skein
  
• Store as skein

Also great resources for learning to spindle-spin abound on-line:
ispindle.com -- terrific videos
interweave.com/spin -- see their section "resources" for great articles & handouts
joyofhandspinning.com -- great videos
Carol Cassidy-Fayer's Drop Spindle Instructions
Handspinning on YouTube -- collection of videos on a variety of spinning topics, great drop spindle videos!

Along with the two spindle-focussed spinning lists, spindlers and spindlitis, and the learning to spin list, spinning_camp, all on Yahoo groups.

There's also the Livejournal Spinning Fiber community, and the spinning Knitty style forum on Knitty.

Do you teach drop spindling? Or have you recently learned? What advice would you offer? Post it in the comments here or contact me. Thanks!

Do you pre-draft your fiber before you spin?

This was a recent poll over on Knitty's spinning forum. I chose, "Some. If it's nicely prepared to start with, I just loosen it up." which seems to be the majority consensus over not pre-drafting and pre-drafting down to spinning thickness.

Besides pre-drafting I'm known to split my roving or top lengthwise. Sorry if that makes anyone shudder -- I'm a dyed-in-the-wool woolen spinner, so it doesn't bother me if my top is muddled a little in the splitting process. And with really thick top, I want the color changes sooner than I'd get them if all I did was draft.

Janel Laidman recently discussed breaking roving/top lengthwise to play with the colors in her Spin-off article on fractal plying. This is really cool -- I did a small sample, and am now spinning up the first half of a second fractal plying experiment. These will both look terrific in socks!

The other thing I do that seems to run counter-culture to the spinners I spin with is break my roving up -- the piece I'm working with is usually a foot or less in length (less when I'm working with blends of different staple lengths). I find this helps keep the color changes cleaner, and with blends, makes sure the longest staple length doesn't push all the short stapled fibers to the end of the line. It also helps make sure my fiber doesn't get hand-felted ;-)

You can see me breaking up batts into these hand-sized pieces on How do you spin a batt? and Teyani talks about breaking pencil roving into foot-long lengths in her discussion on spinning Sock Hop yarn. I've taken her advice -- it works very nicely!

Okay -- so I know a picture's worth a thousand words. Tell me, which of the above would you like a picture of? I'll take it and add it to this post :-)

What about you? do you pre-draft before you spin? when/why/why not? Thanks!

How do I pick a drive ratio to spin a specific yarn?

This question came up recently on Spin-List, and as those list-readers who are also blog readers know, I occasionally post my list-emails on my blog (cross-pollination, don'tcha know!) But this time, I was tickled to be beaten to it by shizzknit ... I'm very flattered to be considered quotable!

So I'll refer you to her entry, Amelia on Mabel and Ratios, for details on what I think about ratios on wheels and fineness of spinning.

And in one of those blog-serendipity moments, what do I find but that Spinning Spider Jenny has put up a post on wheel ratios too!

And for more reading on the topic, Abby has this terrific post: Can You Explain Spinning Wheel Drive Ratios?

For the spindlers among us, let me refer you to my post, How do you vary the ratio on your spindle?

Do you have questions on wheel ratios? Or know of another good resource of information on the topic? Share it in the comments here or contact me, thanks!

How do I dye with Kool-aid or Wiltons?

Dyeing fiber is a great way to add extra zing to your yarn. You can dye fleece, batts, roving, or yarn. Dyeing fleece that is still in the grease can lead to interesting results since the level of grease in different parts of the fleece will cause the takeup of dye to vary over the fiber.

Dyeing with drink mixes such as Kool-Aid™ or cake icing colors such as Wilton's™ is an easy, relatively safe way to dye. Some natural dyes can also be used without poisonous mordants. Mordants are the substances used to make the dye soak into the fiber; for Kool-Aid and Wilton's, you can simply use white vinegar.

There are good instructions available on Kool-Aid dyeing, as well as useful color charts. Wilton's web site also has a good writeup on mixing colors. (editor's note ... this page has moved before, so if it fails, go to wilton.com and do a search on "mixing colors" or "color chart").

Deb Menz's book Color in Spinning is an amazing treatise delving into dyes, color blending, and color theory for fiber in general. Her videos and classes on the topic are also quite wonderful.

Koolaid, Wilton's, and food coloring will work on all protein (animal) fibers -- wool, angora, mohair (wonderfully!), llama, alpaca, cashmere, silk, camel, yak, quiviut, ... and others I've left out inadvertently.

And don't only dye white fiber -- dyeing natural soft tans leads to rich jewel tones, and dyeing greys leads to smokey earthy tones.

Here's what I do: presoak the skein of yarn in a mix of 3/4 warm water and 1/4 white vinegar. It doesn't have to be exact, and the amount only needs to cover the yarn. Leave it for an hour or even overnight, to get fully soaked.

Spread some plastic wrap out on a table, gently squeeze the excess water/vinegar from the yarn so it's not very drippy, and lay out the skein on the plastic wrap.

Thin Wilton's icing dye with a little water or mix the koolaid with a little water. You want a thin paste/thick water consistency, so it's runny enough to spread but not enough to spread too much. You don't need much of the Wilton's, a little goes a long way. "Paint" the length of yarn you want the color you want. I tend to leave a little uncolored in between, more if I've made the thin paste watery, which it is easy to do. Make sure you get all the yarn -- I turn it over and also pick through it a bit. I use a teaspoon to do my "painting", or a needle-less syringe like the one used for baby medicine.

I tend to paint from end to end, not in a circle - it's easier that way, and you end up with one long snake, without any worries about the halves being different colors. Once it's painted, if you want, use a paper towel to soak up the excess dye mix - use a different towel for each color so it doesn't get mixed!

Also, using colors that mix well next to each other is a good idea. Putting orange next to purple is risky, and doesn't always turn out.

Wrap the skein into a snake with the plastic wrap, it can be loose but you don't want it too loose. Think of it looking like a long sausage, if that helps. Roll it into a circle, like a cinnamon roll. Place it in a microwaveable dish or freezer baggy, since invariably the plastic wrap leaks.

In the microwave, do this:

1. high for 2 minutes
2. open the door and let it rest 2 minutes
3. high for 2 minutes
4. open the door and let it rest for 2 minutes

If it looks like there is still alot of dyebath that has not exhausted (gone clear), and the yarn has not taken up the color, repeat once more. I don't tend to get a clear dyebath this way, though it is paler than when I started.

Take the snake, open one end (it's hot, use dish gloves or oven gloves!) and slide out the yarn. Rinse it in cool water in the sink until it rinses clean. There is some danger of felting in this step, so handle the yarn carefully. You can let it sit until it's cool enough to handle without gloves, just be careful the colors don't get mixed up from doing this.

Another fun thing you can do is make a dyebath one color and then sprinkle koolaid of a complementary color directly onto the wool just before wrapping it; it gives an interesting speckled effect. Note, yellow speckles don't show up on orange yarn - it's best if the speckles are darker than the yarn color.

Another fun thing to do is 'polka dot yarn' -- start with a light colored yarn, soak it and lay it out, then put single drops of food coloring on it. This gives you a yarn that is mostly the undyed color, with various colors of polka dots on it.

For related posts, see these:
Can I use easter egg dyes with wool?
How do you dye silk?
How do you use Cushing's Dyes?
How do you dye self-patterning sock yarn?

Do you have some fun tips for Kool-aid or Wilton's dyeing? Please add it in the comments here or put a link to your blog entry or web page on it. Thanks!

What is Needlefelting?

Needle felting is a fun fiber-art. I enjoy making whimsical figures using books for ideas and inspiration. You can also make soft art, "painting" your fiber onto a felt backing for a lovely landscape or whatever you'd like to paint.

Pictured here are some gnomes and my miniature sheep -- only a little over an inch tall! My favorite are fiber critters; it's alot of fun to make a sheep, bunny, or llama and to needle felt sheep locks, raw angora, or llama fiber onto the surface of the critter.

The Bellwether offers a Needlefelting Project Bag with everything you need to get started.

Some tips on needle felting: I found nothing beat having a book that covered the range of techniques for opening up my mind to the possibilities. That said, there are plenty of websites out there with ideas, FAQs, instructions, and links of their own:
The Feltmaker's list FAQ covers wet and needle felting
Chart of Felting Wools
Felting Needles and Their Uses
Gnome Sweet Gnome's FAQ
Mielke's Farm's Needlefelted Lady-bug
Susan Puffpaf's Needlefelted Teddy bear
Sharon Costello's Needlefelted Doll
Pat Spark's Gallery: lovely felted pictures

When needle felting, be sure to keep your fingers out of the way. You may be tempted to hold the item you are felting -- it is far less painful to "pin" it down with some straight pins and then felt it without your fingers in the target zone!

Felting needles are fragile, so avoid felting onto a hard work surface. If the needle hits a hard surface, it can snap very easily. Be sure to find both pieces if this happens.

For thin or flat items, be sure to lift them off of your foam work surface fairly often. Otherwise, you may find you have entangled the foam into your felt. If you have, you can prize up the item with some attached foam and then brush off the foam. I'd recommend changing to the other side of your foam if this happens -- once the surface is broken, it is no longer a flat working area. I usually felt both sides of a small piece, and so will pick it up from the foam and work on the other side.

The longer you "needle" your item, the harder the felt will be. Usually within a few minutes, it is sticking together. If you keep going for 20 minutes, it will shrink considerably and be a very hard felt.

If you are making a sculpture, use a fairly large needle (20 or 32 gauge) and stab deeply into the middle of the loose fiber to get a solid center. Once the center has solidified, change to a finer needle and stab closer to the surface.

For attaching limbs or two felt pieces to each other, in addition to enduring that at least one of the pieces has loose, unfelted fiber at the attachment point, I will put some unfelted wool between the two items or wrap it around the joining point. I also will start with a larger-gauge needle and stab into the center of the join. Joins gain strength the longer you are willing to needle them.

A fun way to make a 1 or 2 needle handled felting needle is with polymer clay. Make an oval shape around the top 1/2 to 1 inch of the felting needle or pair. Follow the clay package directions for hardening.

If you are felting 3 dimensional shapes, you can get a jump-start with wet-felted spheres and cylinders. I save my scrap roving and fiber; when I have enough or need more filler pieces, I take Goodwill panty hose and stuff it. I put knots in the hose to separate Fiber balls and tubes from each other; then, I run it through the washer and the dryer. After leaving one in by mistake, I've learned not to "wash" these with a regular load -- the fiber can leak out of the hose a little bit. A quick wipe of the washer when the felting load is done cleans it up for regular use.

So, give needlefelting a try -- there are many fun ways to use it to make ornaments, tools (pincushions!), and to embellish knit, fabric, or other items.

Found a good needlefelting resource on-line? Please post a link to it in the comments on this blog entry -- Thanks!

Meme: 7 odd things, the spinning version

Rexenne (of the great YouTube videos!) tagged me, so here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post rules
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog

Well, I already did the 7 random facts meme, so here are 7 at least mildly "odd" spinning facts about me ...

So here we go!

1. I go through color phases -- purple and green are my always-favorites, but I find I can influence my mood with color (can't we all!) so when I'm stressed I reach for marine blues and greens; and when I need energy I reach for firey reds, oranges, and purples. This is reflected in my current spinning projects as well as my clothes.

2. The Bellwether was almost named "Fuzzy Stuff" ... but fuzzystuff.com was taken. By an artificial intelligence contractor. It's available now (for a price!)

3. When I first saw spinning I said, "I can't learn another hobby" ... I was busy studying/playing chess at the time. I sure am happy I found the time to spin!

4. When I was a child I learned to make fake flowers with pipe cleaners and felt.

5. I have spun dryer lint -- blended with cotton. It was the purple dryer lint from my new towels.

6. Who am I kidding -- I'm still spinning the dryer lint. And the cotton it's mixed with is pill bottle cotton.

7. I have spindles I've never spun on. (Well, maybe that's not so odd?) Does anyone know how to spin on a Balinese spindle? or what fiber might be spun on it?

I'm afraid most of the blogs I read don't "do" memes ... sigh ... or have already been tapped for this one (sigh) so, if you'd like to play, please do! And let me point you at seven blogs I enjoy, instead:

Soxophone Player
Abby's Yarns
Intrepid Fiber Wizard
Spinning Spider Jenny
Leigh's Fiber Journal
Simple Knits
Zen Habits

Until next time...

What advice do you have for spinning mohair?

Mohair is a very useful fiber for spinners. It has a unique sheen, takes dyes wonderfully, has wonderful curl, and works well spun alone or in blends.

There are three main kinds of mohair. Kid Mohair is the first shearing from a young angora goat. It is very fine and soft, usually with less luster than an
adult fleece. Fineness ranges from 23-27 microns with a staple length of 3 to 6 inches. The second shearing is often also soft, almost as soft as kid mohair. Adult Mohair is from the mature goat. It can be anything from fine to coarse, with a fineness of 30 microns or larger. The staple length is 3 to 6 inches.

Mohair should be spun with a loose to medium twist. If spun too tight, it will feel like string; if spun too loose, it will drift apart. Make sure you put just enough twist in to hold it together, plus a little more if you are plying.

Mohair is a hair, so it is different from wool. The scales along the fiber are much further apart than the scales on wool. This makes it more slippery to spin, and harder to felt. It is best not to card mohair too much unless you are blending fibers or colors -- with 100% mohair, my preferred preparation is top or hand-combed fiber.

When spinning mohair, avoid running your finger and thumb down the twist like you would when spinning wool. Instead, open them and re-grasp the fiber further down the yarn (this is "woolen-style" spinning). This will keep your yarn airy and fluffy. Also, keeping a light tension on your wheel lets you put minimal twist in. You don't need to hold the yarn as tightly to keep it from winding onto the bobbin in that case.

When plying follow the same method, with not to much twist, otherwise you may end up with rope instead of a nice fluffy yarn.

Mohair takes dyes beautifully, often resulting in brilliant, bright colors. It is also available in a wide range of natural colors.

Mohair is a silky, lustrous, and durable fiber. It is used for coats, suits, dresses, sweaters, hats, scarves, shawls, mittens, loungewear, socks, hair and beards for dolls, blankets, upholstery, draperies, carpets and rugs. Mohair is used in knitting, weaving, and many fiber arts.

Mohair makes a great accent when plied with wool or spun around wool using 'core spinning' and is great for spinning boucles or curly yarn.

More tips and ideas...
Selecting, Preparing, and Spinning Mohair at Barkas Farm
How do you comb wool or mohair?
Can you offer some resources on spinning boucle?
Mohair - Curly, Smooth, or Loopy?
What blend do you use for socks?
What can I make from Mohair? Can it be worn next to the skin?
How can I spin hairy yarn?

Where's the picture on page 8 in Spindling: The Basics?

Oops! At least the last 20 copies of Spindling: The Basics have been missing this picture. You might want to check your copy and see if it was "hit" by this too.

My apologies -- the test copy from the printer had all pictures in it!

Here's the missing picture:

As you can see, it's about joins -- for those of you who don't have the book, here's the point the picture illustrates:

When you are making a join, have at least one-and-a-half times the staple length (length of individual fibers) of the spun end unspun, loose and opened up. Take your fiber supply and draft out a similar length. Overlapping these two, draft them together down to the thickness you want to spin, and then holding onto the overlap, start spinning again. By drafting the fibers together, you are helping make a stronger join, almost indistinguishable from the rest of your yarn.

It takes practice to perfect joins, so be sure to give yourself some learning time.

For more on joins see:

• how to make a V-join
  
• making joins with cotton
  
• making joins
  
• spindling splicing -- joining two full spindles
  
• improving joins
  

Have you noticed a typo or any other errors in Spindling: The Basics? Let me know with a comment on this blog entry or contact me, as I'm preparing to get a new copy printed. If you are the first to report a particular error before the new edition comes out, I'll send you the new edition with the correction it as a Thank You!

How can I spin on a budget?

If you're intrigued by spinning but the $200-$800 and up price tag of a wheel intimidates you, there are ways to learn and have a spinning hobby without spending an arm and a leg. (Granted, it takes some discipline!)

First off -- you can make your own toy wheel spindle. Toy wheels actual have decent-to-good spindle physics. The spindle that taught me to spin silk was a lollipop spindle, which is "nothing more" than a 2 inch diameter toy wheel on a 1/4 inch diameter dowel -- with a lovely paint job.

Then, you can make your own PVC niddy noddy, or even a coat hanger niddy-noddy, or just use your arm for a 2' skein or your foot/knee for a 3-4' skein. To make a coat-hanger niddy-noddy, take a metal coat hangar, and pull down on the lower bar at the mid-point to make it a diamond shape. You then wind your yarn around the hangar in those indents, over-under-over-under each diamond point, making a skein. It's bendable, so you can bend it to get the skein off. Great for re-skeining wet yarn, since it's not wood!

A nostepinne can be made from a hardware store table leg -- look for a nicely tapered leg for a coffee table. Or, you can simply wind around a wooden dowel, or, for that matter, around your thumb!

And if you get very into spinning, there are books on making your own wheel. (I'll get them back up on thebellwether.biz really soon...) Spin-off also offers online plans for cigar box charkas and little great wheels.

So that leaves the stash ... how do you avoid ending up with all that stash spinners keep going on about? It takes alot of will power, and I'll admit I didn't succeed. I have stash. If I could start spinning over again, that would be the one thing I'd change!

If I had one thing I'd do differently on the path I have taken in my spinning adventure, it would be to amass less stash. There's so much prepared fiber and raw fleece in my house now, it's easier to buy something new for a project I have in mind than look through all that's here. But I can't "casual shop" at shows any more for fibers that intrigue me, knowing there's nowhere left to stash it at home.

I think this was hammered home to me by a lady that came to my booth at Black Sheep about two years ago -- she said, she was buying fiber "for the year" -- she knew how much she needed to have fiber on hand for the following year, she knew she'd spin through it, and she knew she could do the same again next year.

Now I find myself spinning things without knowing what they might become -- so my yarn stash is getting similarly out of hand. Ah well ;-) at least I don't need to worry about a fiber drought any time soon. This is one of those "happy problems", right?

And it does mean I'm happier to enable new spinners by donations from my own stash.

If you're a new spinner on a budget, you can look for fiber that is lower priced, but be sure it is still good quality. For example, a "medium wool domestic top" may sell for less than "Targhee" (which is medium wool and likely domestic, but since it's a specific breed, it has more value). Also, a mill near me, Fantasy Fibers, sells "beast" roving at shows, which is a mish-mash of a variety of fibers usually in wonderful natural shades, though she also occasionally has colored beast too. It's her least expensive roving, still processed on her equipment so it's nice stuff.

And if you do get a hankering to spin merino, cashmere, and other really fine fibers -- it doesn't take much to make a bunch of laceweight, so use these fibers for your fine spinning. Plan a lovely 4 oz. shawl -- you'll be spinning forever (ok, I'd be spinning forever!) with just 4 ounces of merino.

If you're offered free fleece (getting the word out that you spin usually results in this!) feel free to take it -- but be prepared to toss it or use it as mulch (or put it in those plastic net wrappers onions come in with a string to tie onto a tree branch and sell it as "bird bedding" at your local farmer's market for $5 an ounce, LOL!). If it has breaks in it, is just too mucky to get clean, or too full of VM, don't torture yourself with it -- learn from it and move on.

At least one spinning list (spindlers) has a trade day -- currently Fridays. I've traded fiber for homemade biscotti, fudge, and soap -- so if you have something you can easily (on a budget) make, you might consider barter for some fiber. The exchanges on the various spinning lists are also fun. I mostly enjoy the ones where everyone gets some of every one elses' things. spindlers had a breed exchange, and spinning_on_the_edge had a fiber sandwich exchange, in 2007.

What's the one spindle you can't live without?

Well, that's a hard one. I'd always want to have a minimum of 3 multi-purpose spindles (rim and shaft weighted, Bosworth and Tabachek are good examples of this) to cover the weight range: 1/2 ounce, 1 ounce, 1-1/2 ounces. But if you're talking favorite, two of my spindles in my way-too-numerous collection are favorite'd:

* My Tabachek Zebrawood/Walnut -- I won it on spindlers, right after I first started spindling and joined the list, in May 2001

* My Hatchtown Amelia. You figure it out. (hint: my name! LOL, but it's not named after me. Well, and it's a terrific spindle.)

Both are in the about 1.1 ounce category, so I guess if the house was burning (let's not think about that) I might grab a Kaari along with the Tabachek and just pretend it's the Amelia. LOL. And I have good house insurance, so you can be sure the spindle collection would be rebuilt ;-)

What's your "gotta have it" spindle? Post it here, on your blog, or share it on spindlers.

What is a bead spindle?

Most bead spindles are support spindles -- you take a bead, add a steel, wooden or bamboo shaft, and wa-la -- spindle!

I have made spindles from glass beads I've made myself, glass beads from other bead makers, and a variety of ceramic, glass, stone, wood, or what-have-you beads from bead stores like Shipwreck Beads.

Interestingly enough, my local bead store sells ceramic African Beads that are identical to "African Spindle Whorls" I've purchased at Black Sheep and other shows -- that made me grin!

There are also Donut Bead spindles -- those are terrific spinners, since they have a dense stone donut bead as the whorl.

All of these support-spindle style bead spindles are spun just like a Tahkli spindle. Which is to say, you hold the spindle in your right hand (or dominant hand? I've never seen a left-handed Tahkli spindler...) while it is in a dish. Flick it to make it spin, and let it spin in the "O" that your first finger and thumb make -- they hold it upright. Practice this a fair bit before you add fiber to the mix. These are great for cotton, and for learning how to long draw -- because your right hand is busy flicking and O'ing to keep the spindle going, your left hand learns (eventually!) to pull the fiber back at a 45 degree angle from the hook as fast as twist enters the fiber. This is often called point of twist drafting, too.

(The difference between point of twist drafting and long draw is that point of twist drafting is "slow" enough that you can't pull against the twist again, while long draw is faster so you can pull the same length out further. Long draw is useful if your fiber drafts unevenly, as the thicker parts will continue to pull out with the second tug. Now that I've lost half of you in the depths of spinning terminology -- let me point you to a great wheel-spinning long draw video on You Tube. And then stop digressing.)

There's a very helpful support spindle video by Gwen Powell here.

Okay. But there's nothing that says you have to make a support spindle with your favorite bead. In fact on Spindle Shots, there are some lovely top-whorl bead spindles! With credits to ...

upper left: glass bead spindles

upper right: green-copper spindle

lower left: cotton?

lower right

There are bead spindle kits available at The Bellwether, they come with a support spindle, spindle bowl, and generous pouf of cotton, in a sturdy kraft box.

And "Thank You!" to marianne for asking!

Bellefeathers! 15 September 2007

Woo-Hoo! The Bellwether is so pleased to let you know we're all comfy in our new digs at thebellwether.biz!

In thanks of all your patience for my extended move, I have a move-in special! On the new website only, through September 30th, 2007, use the coupon code "move-in-special" and receive 10% off of your items ordered.

Besides merely copying all 94 colors of Cushings to the new digs, I've been getting in new spindles to list -- see all the new Bosworths, Tabacheks, and Natalies! And the exciting, new, Niddy-Pinny in my favorite niddy-noddy size for a one yard skein! Now you'll never be without a nostepinne. Mr. Tabachek has also given me the honor of carrying his newly made Tibetan Spindle -- these are tornados of support spindles. He's also re-filled my nostepinne and niddy-noddy bins.

But wait, there's more! the brand-new all-in-one Needlefelting Project Bag, you can make three dimensional art, pins, wall art -- it's all here, from foam and needles to roving and washed locks, and more besides!

I'm very pleased to now be carrying Goodies Unlimited's E-tomic Balm. It's been a wonderful tonic with all the typing on the new website!

I'm in the process (meaning, the Internet has to propagate it, I did my part now it's up to all those 0's and 1's!) of redirecting www.thebellwether.com to take you to the new website. So, if you have a bookmark and it's not taking you there, give it a day -- but in the meantime, be sure to check out all the new goodies and the new layout at www.thebellwether.biz!

And don't forget to use your coupon (good through September 30th): move-in-special!

I'd love feedback on the new store ... see the comments on this post for a few tips already emailed by helpful early shoppers!

Who is Crosspatch Creations?

Crosspatch Creations "is" my good friend Joan Contraman. She makes her home in Corvallis, Montana with her husband Don, various pets, and a herd of amazing sheep. Joan raises sheep, primarily CVM (California Variegated Mutant), hand-dyes wool, silk, viscose, silk noil and other fibers, designs amazing Rainbow Rovings and Triple-Play Rovings to be carded in a USA mill, and cards her own Signature Batts. She is an accomplished fiber artist -- the hat in the photo is her own creation, from her Signature Batts.

Joan is happy to be the first "interview" here on Ask The Bellwether. And here's a nod to Fiber Femmes, whose questionnaire for their webring inspired these questions.

<thebelle>: Do you raise fiber animals?
<Joan>: I started Crosspatch Creations, because I learned that having sheep is like eating potato chips – you can have just a few. When we moved to Montana 12 years ago, I told my husband that I would have a small spinner’s flock for myself … about 3 to 5. I now have over 100 adults and raise between 75 to 125 babies every year. So, to help with their feed, shearing, vet bills, etc. I started Crosspatch Creations. Now, I not only get to nurture the animals I love, I get to share them with other spinners across the country through their wool.

<thebelle>: What's your favorite fiber?
<Joan>: My favorite fiber is wool. I like to spin different breeds, hence I have a very eclectic flock. I raise everything from Romney though to Merino. I have experimented with Romeldales and do a lot of crossing with Corriedales. I’m playing genetically with both the feel of the wool, as well as color and patterns. I have badger and clown faced sheep, moorit, all shades of gray and now I’m working with spots. I love lambing just to see what my different pairings will produce.

<thebelle>: What's your least favorite fiber?
<Joan>: My least favorite fiber used to be cotton. But now that I have a Bosworth Charka – I love spinning it! So, I would have to say my lease favorite fibers would be synthetics.

<thebelle>: What's your worst fiber habit?
<Joan>: My worst fiber habit has to be having it all over the house. As much as I try to keep it in my studio – it seems to creep into every room! My picker is in our shed off our barn, my carder is in my studio in the basement, my wool drying racks are in our kitchen, the dyed bags of wool are by the back door ready to be taken out to the picker and the bags of processed wool is usually on our sofa about to be shipped to our retailers. I have a very patient husband!

<thebelle>: In what ways does your fiber habit make you a better person?
<Joan>: Having Crosspatch Creations as a business allows me to share my fiber habit with other spinners. When I was a vendor at shows, I met such wonderful people. It was so good for me to hear what other spinners felt about my fiber and color combinations. Now that the business is wholesale, I miss this immediate feedback. However, I love getting e-mails from other spinners who have spun my blends and get their input. The nice notes really help after I have been working at the carder for hours on end.

<thebelle>: How would your life be different if you had to give up fiber?
<Joan>: I can’t imagine giving up raising sheep. I am so lucky work at a job and be able to do what I have always wanted to – raise sheep!

Having grown up as a “city girl” from the Los Angeles Area – I always felt I was out-of-place. I started spinning 35 years ago and from the very first time the wheel turned, it was my goal to take my craft from the actual animal through to a garment. Now, I can do that. It is so very rewarding to know the sheep personally, who went into a jacket or vest. I even have special blends for some of my most favorite sheep – like My Beloved (for my all time favorite sheep – Arnold).

[the picture shows the first lamb of 2007 -- what a cute badger face! -- thebelle]

The other thing that I have learned about raising sheep is that they have much more of a personality than people give them credit. I have found that if you are quiet and gentle around them – most respond. I was shocked the first time I was sitting out on my hill with my ewes and one came over to me and lay her head in my lap! No sheep book I have ever read talk about this aspect of sheep. Not all are friendly, but a portion of your flock will be. I have one ewe, Catherine, who likes to meet people by licking them. Also, some sheep just name themselves. I have a 3 year old ewe named Pandora – can you guess her personality?

<thebelle>: What tools, yarns, books or gadgets can't you live without?
<Joan>: We have fires a lot in Montana. And I have thought about what I would take, if we were every evacuated … and knock wood – that we never are. If I had to pack up – it would be my spinning wheels and looms that would have to be moved out. I have several Rick Reeves spinning wheels, an old Harris loom and a beautiful Fireside loom. These could not be replaced!

<thebelle>: Who are your fiber mentors?
<Joan>: My fiber mentors are Rick Reeves and Paula Simmons. I am a self taught spinner. When I first learned to spin, I could not find a teacher, so Paula Simmon’s books were my very first introduction to spinning. I first met Rick Reeves at a conference in California. His wheels are both a work of art and a true joy to spin on. First I became a collector of his wheels and later I was one of his dealers.

<thebelle>: Are you a member of any guilds?
<Joan>: I am a member of the Knotty Knitters, The Missoula Weavers Guild and the Montana Association of Weavers and Spinners.

<thebelle>: What's the most exciting fiber project you've undertaken?
<Joan>: I love spinning and weaving wearables. Several years ago I knit a Fair Isle sweater from handspun yarn. I also made a handspun, quilted jacket several years ago and am currently spinning cotton for a summer top.

<thebelle>: How many people have you mentored? In which fiber arts?
<Joan>: I love teaching our art and passing on our craft to new spinners and weavers. I taught beginning and advanced spinning classes in southern California before we moved to Montana. For ten years I taught both of these classes, as well as dyeing and beginning four harness weaving here in the Bitterroot Valley. However, the business has gotten so busy – I rarely teach anymore. But I still try to do some demonstrations and do one day classes for both my Weaving Guild and our Knitting Guild. Some of my programs include – different wool breeds, French Angora Rabbits, Surface Design, Knitting from Silk Caps and Needle Felting

<thebelle>: Are fiber crafts an avocation or a vocation for you?
<Joan>: Fiber crafts was first an avocation for me and now both an avocation and a vocation. Aren’t I lucky!

[ the artwork is Joan's felt piece, "Buffalo Jump" -- thebelle ]

<thebelle>: Do you consider fiber crafts to be functional or artistic?
<Joan>: Fiber Crafts are both functional and artistic for me. Functional, because I’m primarily interested in making clothing and household items that will be used. Artistic, in their design.

<thebelle>: My thanks to Joan! You can read more about her and Crosspatch Creations on her website. Her fibers, knitting patterns, and spinning kits are available at The Bellwether.

Is there a fiber artist you'd like to hear more about? Let me know. Remember, "it never hurts to ask!" Put your requests in the blog comments or contact me. Thanks!

How do you dye silk?

Silk caps, hankies, yarn, sliver, fabric ... any form of silk can be dyed.

Silk takes the same dyes as wools; but it takes a bit longer to get it wet through, so soak it for at least an hour (even overnight) prior to dyeing. It also can benefit from post-mordanting, a soak in a water/vinegar solution (if you are using acid dyes) for an hour after dyeing.

See How do you use Cushing's Dyes? for more details on the topic of dye in general with acid dyes.

Besides acid dyes like Cushings and Jacquard, there are Wilton's cake icing dyes, koolaid, and easter egg dyes -- all acid dyes as well.

For more information on dyes than you may ever want, I'd recommend browsing the Dharma Trading website. I'm getting ready to teach a dye class again, so I've stocked up on Reduran from Dharma.

Tussah silk has a natural golden tone that will take up most dyes into more jewel-like tones than its cousin stark white Bombyx or cultivated silk.

The silk in the picture with my silk spindles (click the picture for more information on them) is Bombyx silk. I didn't get the solid tone I was aiming for because I hadn't learned at that point about pre-soaking the silk.

If you'd like to read about spinning silk, see these entries:

How is spinning silk different from wool?

How can I spin fine yarn?

There are also some great silk-spinning videos and a really fun one on stretching silk caps on YouTube in the YouTube handspinning group!


Do you have some tips on dyeing silk to share? comment on this blog entry, contact me, or email. Thanks!

Do you have silk dyeing tips to share?

How do you avoid getting a purple finger when you wind an Andean plying bracelet?

With the standard Andean plying bracelet, it's fairly easy to turn your middle finger purple. You can alleviate that somewhat by winding on the front of your hand and being careful to leave a larger loop around your finger so as not to strangle it.

For some, that still doesn't (or, rather, grin, does) cut it. If you have some spare cash and a love of wood, there are formal tools such as the Handy Andy by Nancy's Knit Knacks. (See mine in use on How do you spin a batt?)

Besides the Handy Andy, there's an informal method on the Rosemary Knits blog that is terrific. (I'm sure there's a word for these material-on-hand types of things -- would this be a MacGyver Plyer? LOL)

Basically, you stick a stick (pencil, pen, knitting needle, dowel, heck
a fork would work!) into a thick-ish paperback, and you wind around the
stick as if it were the finger stuck in the Andean wind-up.

When you're done, remove the stick, slide the bracelet from the book to
your wrist, and ply away! Look, no blue finger ;-)

For more on traditional Andean Plying, see this terrific article on plying by Abby Franquemont showing how Andean plying is used traditionally only to finish off the uneven length of two different balls of yarn!

Do you have a favorite MacGyver-of-spinning tool? Share it in the comments, email it, or contact me. Thanks!

Do you add extra plying twist to keep beads in place?

Heatherly asked, in How do you spin beads into yarn? (Part 2) if I add extra plying twist to keep beads in place.

Wow, I'd forgotten that is one of the things I think about when I'm spinning beads into yarn! Here are my thoughts on the topic ...

If I have a higher twist yarn, thus more tightly plied, there are more twists to make sure the beads don't travel along the length of their thread (or, if I'm spinning them directly onto/into the yarn, along their ply). So I do tend to go for a fairly tight ply, nothing too loose. I also tend to spin no thicker than a DK-weight 2-ply, 15 wraps per inch, so the beads aren't overpowered by the yarn. That said, if you use a larger bead, you could spin a thicker yarn. The main thing to consider is if the bead might wander.

A secondary concern is how well the beads are held in, should the thread break or when you (gasp!) cut the yarn once it's been knit, woven, crocheted, or otherwise crafted into an item.

I think all that is why my favorite way to spin beads into yarn is to have a thread core with pre-strung beads ... I capture the thread as a core in the single, so it is very well "trapped" in place as are the beads it holds. Also, I only do that for one ply -- the other ply is just spun plain, so I don't need to worry about the Murphy! moment of two beads meeting up when plying. (With apologies to anyone whose name is Murphy ...)

Now, all that said, I don't put an over-amount of plying twist in for the singles twist. If I want a higher plying twist, I make sure I have enough singles twist to compensate for it -- my end goal, being a knitter to the core, is to end up with a balanced yarn.

Heatherly, thanks for asking!

If you have a question about spinning beads into yarn, spinning a balanced two-ply, or all the Murphy moments of my spinning experience, feel free to comment here, email, or contact me.

How do you use Cushing's Dyes?

Cushings Dyes, titled "W. Cushing's Perfection Wool Dyes" come in an amazing selection of ninety-four (94!) colors. They dye wool, mohair, silk, alpaca, llama, cashmere, nylon, and other protein based fibers, with the addition of vinegar or citric acid as a mordant.

Acid dyes are the easiest of dyes to use on fiber: make a solution in white vinegar and water, simmer, and presto! dyed fiber. Acid dyes are also used for sun dyeing, roving or yarn painting, and microwave dyeing.

If you are looking to mix your own colors, the recommended "true red" to use is Turkey Red or Terra Cotta; the recommended "true yellow" is Buttercup Yellow or Old Gold; and the recommended "true blue" is Copenhagen Blue.

Directions to dye a solid color on your fiber...

• Fiber should already be clean. It can be roving, yarn, washed fleece, but it should be lanolin and residue free. Soak fiber in warm water and ph-neutral dishwashing liquid or Synthrapol for 20 minutes. The dishwashing liquid or Synthrapol helps with dye-takeup in your fiber.
  
• Make a dye solution by dissolving powder in a small amount of boiling water (enough to make a liquid, not a paste). Do this carefully! Do it out of the wind and be careful not to spill the powder.
  
• Fill enamel or stainless steel dyepot with sufficient water to cover fiber allowing for stirring. Add 1-2 cups white vinegar for each pound of fiber. If your water is hard, add some water softener or mild detergent to aid the penetration of the fibers by the dye solution. Add the dye solution and stir in thoroughly.
  
• Heat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit; be careful not to boil.
  
• Add pre-wetted fiber, stir, and simmer at 165-175 F for 30-40 minutes. The dyebath will become clearer as it is exhausted, that is, as the dye solution is taken up into the fibers. Different components of a color will be taken in at different points in time, so it is important to simmer for the duration for the best results. Allow to return to room temperature in dye bath.
  
• Rinse fiber in cool water until water runs clear.
  
• Dispose of dye-bath and rinse water responsibly. A gravel driveway away from fields, septic tanks, and gardens is a reasonable spot to pour out the water.
  

Directions to space-dye your roving or yarn...

To space-dye, use a dye solution that is a 100:1 ratio of liquid to powder by weight (about 32 ounces of water per packet of dye). Lay out the fiber and use foam paintbrushes to apply the dye. Steam the fiber on a rack in a saucepan for 30 minutes, or wrap in plastic wrap, place in a glass dish, and microwave on a turntable for 6 minutes. I use 2 minutes on/2 minutes resting 3 times for microwave dyeing.

I save up 32 ounce Gatorade bottles so I can have colors ready to use when the dye bug hits. I'm not up to 94 bottles yet, but I'm working on it (grin!) I've kept dye bottles on the shelf for a year or more; reds may settle a bit, but warming the bottle in the sun and shaking it up seems to do the trick.

Please be careful when you dye -- use disposable gloves, don't use any food containers or equipment, and dispose of materials responsibly.

See earlier posts for more information on dyeing self-patterning sock yarns.

Ready to explore further? Check out these dyeing methods:

• writeup on space dyeing roving in a crock-pot
  
• great picture tutorial on hand-painting roving and yarn
  
• HJSStudio on microwave rainbow dyeing
  
• Knitty on dishwasher dyeing
  
• rainbow dyeing with 3 colors on the stove-top
  
• Knitty on solar dyeing
  

If you know of a good online dyeing writeup, please post it in the comments to share with others or email me - Thanks!

How do you spin beads into yarn? (Part 2)

Part 1 of How do you spin beads into yarn? elicited a few emailed questions. Since more than Rhonna (thanks so much for the questions!) may want to know, here is more information on spinning beads into yarn.

What thread have you used?

I've used regular sewing thread, quilting thread (which is a little stronger), rayon, silk thread, and polyester thread. I think the 100% cotton thread snaps the easiest, and tend to like the silk the most (though it is harder to find -- my local Sew & Vac shop had it, Joanne's and Wal*Mart didn't). None will felt, but I do tend to rough up the skeins a bit so the wool at least grabs onto the yarn a bit more to help everything stick together. But be careful about "whapping" the yarn on the counter if your beads are breakable (luckily I thought about that and haven't done it!)

Do you lose beads if the thread breaks?

The Winter 2003 Spin-Off article talked about tieing the beads in place, so that if your thread did snap, only the bead where it snapped might be lost. Also (my own opinion) if you ply the yarn, then the plying action will help hold the beads in place should the thread or the yarn be cut.

How many beads are enough?

I went overkill on my bead acquisition because I was worried about having enough beads -- I had 1 package plain seed beads, 1 package mixed colors, and one strand of semiprecious stones for some yarn; I ended up with way over half of each left over, 75 yards of hard-won yarn (chalked up to learning!), and beads way too close together on the finished yarn -- the skein weighs a ton! I had beads about every 6-4 inches.

Not bad maybe for an edging on something, but as an overall effect, I'd probably put a bead every foot or so for a scarf, every yard or so for a sweater. And I'd seriously consider beading just one ply rather than both -- so I know where my beads will end up.

What size beads do you recommend?

I'm not an expert on bead sizes so I can't say what size I'd recommend, but there appear to be two common sizes, one easy to thread onto a DK yarn and one onto finer yarns. The outside diameter of such beads also varies -- the larger hole is in a larger bead. I like the small beads, unless I'm going for a particular effect with the big ones.

How washable are beads?

I have to admit, I plan to make most of my beaded yarns into spot-clean-only items to be safe. A poster on spindlers said that some beads will bleed color if washed, especially the ones with silver lining the hole. Those that are semiprecious stones are not dyed, so going that route would ensure the beads would not leach color. But the turquoise-and-copper yarn I plan to spin will be treated with kid gloves, just to be safe!

If you have questions on spinning bead yarns, please contact me or post a comment on this blog entry. Thanks!

How do you vary the ratio on your spindle?

Now that I know I'm not the only one to have been asked -- a question wheel spinners ask spindle spinners is how they vary the ratio on their spindle. Because, wheel spinning is "all about the ratio", I am guessing.

The ratio on a wheel is the ratio of the number of times the flyer goes around (so, the number of twists it puts into whatever length of yarn you've drafted out) for one full rotation of the big wheel (or, one full pedal of the foot treadle-- both treadles, if it's double treadle). So, on a 4:1 ratio wheel (which is LOW), you get 4 rotations of the bobbin/twists into yarn for one full treadle-cycle/rotation of the large wheel. To put it in perspective, "production" wheels typically have 30:1 ratios, and charkas go up to 100:1 ratios or even more.

Now, the amount of twist going into your yarn can vary even at a given wheel ratio, given you might draft out different lengths for a given treadle. So to have constant twist in your singles, you have to develop a wheel rhythm of treadles, drafting, and use the same ratio. But, I digress...

Okay, ratios on my spindle. Well, I vary the ratio on my spindles by picking different spindles -- you see, it's about spindle weight and spindle physics.

Lighter spindle == finer yarn. The wheel equivalent would be slower take-up, less drag on the yarn -- minimizing the draw-in of the yarn so you can draft it out more finely.

Then there’s spin time. A long-spinning wider whorl is great for plying – big bobbins would be the wheel equivalent. Not only will the wide whorl spin longer, but it gives you more of a "seat" for your yarn to be wound under (or, for the bottom whorlers, on top of).

And, spin speed! Faster spindle = higher ratios – good for fine spinning and high twist yarns. A faster spindle has some density near the shaft.

Spindles like Bosworth, Tabachek, and Kundert model these "ratio"s wonderfully; Bosworth and Tabachek come in a range of whorl diameters with the shaping of weight out at the rim of the whorl and near the shaft; Kunderts have lovely wide whorls with rim weighting, making terrific long spinners with room for plenty of yarn -- my favorite plying spindle.

Spindlers, too, need to check that the amount of twist going into their yarn stays consistent -- the oomph with which we twist a spindle can give a different spin speed and spin time. I use the ply-back test to check for consistency as I go, as well as unrolling a little from the last spun length to let twist travel between just-spun and most-recently-spun lengths a bit before I wind on. Spindlers develop a rhythm of spindle-twist, drafting, and choice of spindle to spin a consistent yarn.

Are you a spindle-spinner? what sorts of questions do wheel spinners ask you? post a comment on this post here or contact me. Thanks!

Ps. Many thanks to Vicki for vocalizing her thanks for the posts in this blog. It's great to be able to interact with my audience!

How do I spin a more even single?

Thick spots tend to occur when the twist works its way into fibers you haven't drafted yet, which then won't draft, leaving a lump of thick before you can draft it out thin again.

For even drafting, look at how close to the thicker roving you are letting the twist get during spinning. What you want when learning to spin is to keep the twist more than a staple's length away from the thicker roving that still needs drafting -- that way you can draft out the roving to the even thinness you're looking for.

As you get more experience, you'll find you can actually let the twist get within about 1/2 a staple's length while still being able to draft out the fiber ... your control will increase with practice.

Now, all that said, if thick & thin spots persist, you might try to start spinning from the other end -- some rovings are directional, drafting more easily/smoothly from one end than the other. Also, predrafting the fiber before spinning may help open it up and draft more smoothly during spinning.

Enough that in a year or so, when you're looking to spin thick and thin again, you'll have to rediscover how to grab the thick part of the roving and let twist _into_ it to purposely spin a thicker spot ;-)

Do you have tips for spinning a more even single? Comment here or contact me with your suggestions.