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//-->INTERWEAVEPRESSLOWTECH,HIGHS ATISFACTIONSpinning with simple toolsHANDSPINDLES PROVIDE A GREAT INTRODUCTION tospinning for the novice. At the same time, the most experiencedspinners we know find this simple tool endlessly satisfying. A goodspindle can be an excellent traveling companion, tucked into a brief-case, purse, or backpack to help you fill odd moments at meetings orsoccer games, or while watching television. If you haven’t discoveredthe joy of using a fine handspindle, you have a treat ahead of you.Supply list➤➤1 handspindle, well-balanced and not too heavyAbout1⁄2ounce of prepared fiber, preferably medium-grade wool,in a color you likeTiny piece of masking tape, with an arrow drawn on itA piece of wool starter yarn, about 24–30 inches long➤➤Agood spindleThis is critical. The wrong spindle will not let you discover the truepleasure of spinning, whereas the right one will do at least half theteaching. Some simple spindles work well, and some fancy onesdon’t. And vice versa.There are many kinds of spindles, in all sizes, weights, and forms.The basic spindle elements include hook or groove, whorl, shaft.We’re going to concentrate here ondrop spindles.Their shaftsnormally fall between 9 and 15 inches in length, and their whorlsaverage between 2 and 3 inches across (although their whorls may beas small as 11⁄2inches or as large as 5 inches). Drop spindles twirl inmidair as you spin, and areoften made of wood. Some havethe whorl at the top of the shaftand some have it at the bottom.1hookEither arrangement will do.What makes a good spindle?whorlYou’ll discover that in spinningshaftthere are no rules, but we canoffer guidelines. (If you fall inshaftlove with a spindle that doesn’twhorlexactly fit our description, it’sprobably perfect for youThere are two basic types of suspended (or drop)anyway.)spindles: those with the whorl at the top and thoseSpindleweightdepends on thewith the whorl at the bottom.type of yarn you want to spin—Regardless of type, a spindle needs to be wellbalanced and to rotate smoothly and freely.heavy yarn, heavy spindle. Adrop spindle that weighs more than 4 ounces (the weight of a medi-um-sized apple) is too heavy for general use. And hold off on the1⁄2-ounce spindle (with a whole walnut’s amount of gravity) until youhave some experience. Look for a weight between 11⁄2and 21⁄2ounces(with the heft of an apricot or a plum).Balanceis essential. The location of the whorl on the shaft affectsthe spindle’s balance, as does the shape of the whorl itself. Check abottom-whorl spindle by resting its tip on a non-abrasive surface(like your leg) and giving it a twirl; let your fingers flick the shaft soit spins, and then make a circle of your fingers so the spindle canrotate freely but remains upright. To check a top-whorl spindle,attach a short length of yarn to the hook at the top, give the shaft aquick roll between your fingers, and watch the spindle rotate. (Thedrawings to the left show this process).Spin the spindle a few times. Then note your impressions. Doesthe spindle rotate freely (does it feel like itwantsto spin), or does itwobble?Does it keep going for a while, or feel sluggish? Is the shaft easy tograsp and twirl? Do youlikethis spindle? If you have hesitations, keeplooking; there are more spindles out there. Basically okay? Go for it!Take the piece of tape with the arrow and put it on the whorl toremind you which way to turn it.Top-whorl spindleThe other principal types of spindles you’ll see aresupported spindles.Their tips rest on theground (or another surface) during spinning. The very large ones, with shafts 24–36" long, areNavajo spindles.Other supported spindles tend to be smaller than drop spindles, with more delicateshafts and lighter whorls. They may be made of a variety of materials, including metal. These can beperfectly wonderful spindles, although the spinning techniques are slightly different.1Some puffFiber, raw material, wool . . . you need something to spin. “Puff” isnot the official name, but it does describe the quality you want yourfirst fiber to have.There are lots of reasons to prepare your own fiber, but there arealso wonderful bags of ready-to-spin stuff out there that you can starton . . . or work with forever. With prepared fiber, you can spinnow.You want a medium-grade wool in batt or roving/sliver/top form (abatt is pancake-like, and roving, sliver, and top are rope-like). Thefiber should hang together well when you hold it gently, but shouldhave some air in it—like puff. (A slick, smooth preparation will behard to work with until you’re proficient.) Pick a color you like,either natural or dyed.Separate a piece of your fiber from the mass by gently pulling itfree. You want a segment about 4–6 inches long and1⁄2inch wide.What makes yarnThin yarnThick yarnless fiberlots offiberThe size of your yarn is determinedby how much fiber is caught by thetwist at any given point.Fiber is turned into yarn bytwist.Completely untwisted fiber pulls aparteasily. Twisted fiber, or yarn, is strong andwon’t pull apart. The twist comes from thespindle, and the transformation takesplace between your hands. What yourhands do is calleddrafting—lettingthefibers slide past each other and then let-ting the twist catch them.The size of your yarn is determined by howmuch fiber is caught by the twist. Whenyou’re spinning, your goal is to pay atten-tion to the fiberbetweenyour hands—thefiber that isabout to becomeyarn. Everythingelse can take care of itself!Half-hitch(if needed)The first twistTie your starter yarn around the long portion of the spindle’sshaft, next to the whorl. Turn the spindle a few times in thedirection of the arrow, so the yarn wraps around the shaft.Take the starter yarn through the hook or notch at the top ofthe spindle (on a bottom-whorl spindle which doesn’t have ahook or groove, make a half-hitch about1⁄2inch below the tipof the shaft).—3——2—A top-whorl spindle can hang from thestarter yarn. Ultimately a bottom-whorlspindle will do the same, but while you’relearning, rest it on a table so it doesn’t fall.Your lower hand will rotate the spindle andrelease the twist. Your upper hand will holdthe unspun fiber, gently prepare it tobecome yarn, and then keep the twist frommoving into the fiber before you want it to.Spin the spindle in the direction of thearrow; hold the loose end of the starterBottom Whorlyarn with your upper hand, and watch theTie a starter yarn around thetwist collect in the yarn.long portion of the spindle’s shaftand take it through the hook orFeather out one end of your fiber andnotch at the top of the spindle.overlap it onto the starter yarn. Pinch thefiber and yarn together with your lower hand, and pinch justabove that point with your upper hand.Rotate the spindle with your lower hand, then move that handback up to its “pinch” position. Don’t worrymuch about what the spindle’s doing; the onlyupper handthing youdon’twant it to do right now is topinches hereturn backwards, away from the arrow, andlower handpinches here“untwist” your work. It’s okay if the spindleflops over to one side after it has rotated, orwhen you stop it. As long as there’s twist in thestarter yarn for you to work with, that’s fine.Move your upper hand a little way up thefiber, pulling gently to loosen the fiber betweenyour hands. Then pinch the fiber with yourupper hand and slide the lower hand up nextYour hands work togetherto it. The twist will glide up behind your lowerto draft the fiber andcontrol the twist.hand. You’ve just made yarn!Top whorlWinding onTo keep your yarn from tangling whileyou wind on, catch it behind your elbow.Release the end from the hook or half-hitchand turn the spindle (always in the samedirection) so that the new yarn wrapsaround the spindle shaft, over the initialjoinwraps of the starter yarn. Leave enough newyarn free to catch the hook or to make a newhalf-hitch. That’s it—back to spinning!When you run out of fiber in your hand,take a new piece and feather out one of itsTo join in new fiber,ends. Feather out the end of the old piecefeather out the ends of thenew and old fibers, over-as well, overlap the two ends, and letlap them, and let themtwist together.them twist together in ajoin.When your yarn gets long, you need to wind on. To keepthe strand from tangling while you wind on, catch itbehind your elbow. Release the end nearest the spindle andwind the yarn around the spindle shaft.When your spindle’s full, you canwind a skein around your forearm.Bumps and breaksLumps happen in yarn when there’s toomuch fiber between your fingers at the timethat the twist comes along and turns it intoyarn. Make sure your lower hand is pinchingback the twist until your upper hand haspulled out the fiber and gotten it ready.Breaks occur when there’s toolittlefiber inthat spot between your fingers. Fix a breakby feathering the end of the yarn and the endof your fiber and making a new join.Thick-and-thin can be a design element infancy yarns. While you’re learning,experiement a bit with these extremes so youcan see how they occur and can laterproduce them when you want to.Break!Bump!Set the twistby running some lukewarm water in a sink, settingyour skein on the water, and gently pressing the skein so that it issubmerged. Leave it for a few minutes, lift it out, squeeze gently toremove some of the water, and hang it over a faucet or doorknob todrip dry.Congratulations! You’re a spinner. There are many more things tolearn about spinning—like how to make plied yarns and designeryarns, how to spin all sorts of different fibers, and what to do withyour yarn (if you want to do more than pat and admire it).But you’ve just crossed the threshold.Welcome!Bumps or lumps occur when aclump of fiber gets caught by thetwist. Breaks often happen whenthere’s too little fiber to maintainthe yarn’s integrity.Brought to you by®Continuing to spinThat’s it. Your hands repeat thepinch, pull, slidemovements, whileyour lower hand occasionally reaches down to rotate the spindle. Asyou practice, you’ll feel at first like too much is going on at once.Then you’ll find that yarn is strong and your hands know whatthey’re doing, so you won’t have to stop the spindle while you draft.Soon after that you’ll think that you’re reaching alongwaydown to rotate the spindle, and you’ll find yourself with between 2and 3 feet of yarnthat you have made.It’s time to wind on.—4—Winding offAfter a while, you’ll have a mass of yarn that fills the spindle—thespindle feels heavy to work with, and the yarn begins to get in yourway when you rotate the shaft. It’s time to wind your yarn off into askein. See the drawing on page 6 for a handy way to do this.Tie the skein with small pieces of yarn (the two ends of your spin-ning will do; a third tie is helpful).—5—Individual issues available from fiber and yarn stores and selectednewsstands.Or, subscribe today! JoinSpin-Offeditors and contributors in explor-ing the joys of using handspun yarn to create handmade treasures.$24/year (4 issues) Call (800) 767-9638 Dept. PSBThis brochure is available for the general advancement of the spinning community. If youwould like additional copies please contact Interweave Press at (970) 669-7672. Text byRita Buchanan. Illustrations by Susan Strawn Bailey.www.interweave.com201 E. Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655INTERWEAVEPRESS [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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//-->INTERWEAVEPRESSLOWTECH,HIGHS ATISFACTIONSpinning with simple toolsHANDSPINDLES PROVIDE A GREAT INTRODUCTION tospinning for the novice. At the same time, the most experiencedspinners we know find this simple tool endlessly satisfying. A goodspindle can be an excellent traveling companion, tucked into a brief-case, purse, or backpack to help you fill odd moments at meetings orsoccer games, or while watching television. If you haven’t discoveredthe joy of using a fine handspindle, you have a treat ahead of you.Supply list➤➤1 handspindle, well-balanced and not too heavyAbout1⁄2ounce of prepared fiber, preferably medium-grade wool,in a color you likeTiny piece of masking tape, with an arrow drawn on itA piece of wool starter yarn, about 24–30 inches long➤➤Agood spindleThis is critical. The wrong spindle will not let you discover the truepleasure of spinning, whereas the right one will do at least half theteaching. Some simple spindles work well, and some fancy onesdon’t. And vice versa.There are many kinds of spindles, in all sizes, weights, and forms.The basic spindle elements include hook or groove, whorl, shaft.We’re going to concentrate here ondrop spindles.Their shaftsnormally fall between 9 and 15 inches in length, and their whorlsaverage between 2 and 3 inches across (although their whorls may beas small as 11⁄2inches or as large as 5 inches). Drop spindles twirl inmidair as you spin, and areoften made of wood. Some havethe whorl at the top of the shaftand some have it at the bottom.1hookEither arrangement will do.What makes a good spindle?whorlYou’ll discover that in spinningshaftthere are no rules, but we canoffer guidelines. (If you fall inshaftlove with a spindle that doesn’twhorlexactly fit our description, it’sprobably perfect for youThere are two basic types of suspended (or drop)anyway.)spindles: those with the whorl at the top and thoseSpindleweightdepends on thewith the whorl at the bottom.type of yarn you want to spin—Regardless of type, a spindle needs to be wellbalanced and to rotate smoothly and freely.heavy yarn, heavy spindle. Adrop spindle that weighs more than 4 ounces (the weight of a medi-um-sized apple) is too heavy for general use. And hold off on the1⁄2-ounce spindle (with a whole walnut’s amount of gravity) until youhave some experience. Look for a weight between 11⁄2and 21⁄2ounces(with the heft of an apricot or a plum).Balanceis essential. The location of the whorl on the shaft affectsthe spindle’s balance, as does the shape of the whorl itself. Check abottom-whorl spindle by resting its tip on a non-abrasive surface(like your leg) and giving it a twirl; let your fingers flick the shaft soit spins, and then make a circle of your fingers so the spindle canrotate freely but remains upright. To check a top-whorl spindle,attach a short length of yarn to the hook at the top, give the shaft aquick roll between your fingers, and watch the spindle rotate. (Thedrawings to the left show this process).Spin the spindle a few times. Then note your impressions. Doesthe spindle rotate freely (does it feel like itwantsto spin), or does itwobble?Does it keep going for a while, or feel sluggish? Is the shaft easy tograsp and twirl? Do youlikethis spindle? If you have hesitations, keeplooking; there are more spindles out there. Basically okay? Go for it!Take the piece of tape with the arrow and put it on the whorl toremind you which way to turn it.Top-whorl spindleThe other principal types of spindles you’ll see aresupported spindles.Their tips rest on theground (or another surface) during spinning. The very large ones, with shafts 24–36" long, areNavajo spindles.Other supported spindles tend to be smaller than drop spindles, with more delicateshafts and lighter whorls. They may be made of a variety of materials, including metal. These can beperfectly wonderful spindles, although the spinning techniques are slightly different.1Some puffFiber, raw material, wool . . . you need something to spin. “Puff” isnot the official name, but it does describe the quality you want yourfirst fiber to have.There are lots of reasons to prepare your own fiber, but there arealso wonderful bags of ready-to-spin stuff out there that you can starton . . . or work with forever. With prepared fiber, you can spinnow.You want a medium-grade wool in batt or roving/sliver/top form (abatt is pancake-like, and roving, sliver, and top are rope-like). Thefiber should hang together well when you hold it gently, but shouldhave some air in it—like puff. (A slick, smooth preparation will behard to work with until you’re proficient.) Pick a color you like,either natural or dyed.Separate a piece of your fiber from the mass by gently pulling itfree. You want a segment about 4–6 inches long and1⁄2inch wide.What makes yarnThin yarnThick yarnless fiberlots offiberThe size of your yarn is determinedby how much fiber is caught by thetwist at any given point.Fiber is turned into yarn bytwist.Completely untwisted fiber pulls aparteasily. Twisted fiber, or yarn, is strong andwon’t pull apart. The twist comes from thespindle, and the transformation takesplace between your hands. What yourhands do is calleddrafting—lettingthefibers slide past each other and then let-ting the twist catch them.The size of your yarn is determined by howmuch fiber is caught by the twist. Whenyou’re spinning, your goal is to pay atten-tion to the fiberbetweenyour hands—thefiber that isabout to becomeyarn. Everythingelse can take care of itself!Half-hitch(if needed)The first twistTie your starter yarn around the long portion of the spindle’sshaft, next to the whorl. Turn the spindle a few times in thedirection of the arrow, so the yarn wraps around the shaft.Take the starter yarn through the hook or notch at the top ofthe spindle (on a bottom-whorl spindle which doesn’t have ahook or groove, make a half-hitch about1⁄2inch below the tipof the shaft).—3——2—A top-whorl spindle can hang from thestarter yarn. Ultimately a bottom-whorlspindle will do the same, but while you’relearning, rest it on a table so it doesn’t fall.Your lower hand will rotate the spindle andrelease the twist. Your upper hand will holdthe unspun fiber, gently prepare it tobecome yarn, and then keep the twist frommoving into the fiber before you want it to.Spin the spindle in the direction of thearrow; hold the loose end of the starterBottom Whorlyarn with your upper hand, and watch theTie a starter yarn around thetwist collect in the yarn.long portion of the spindle’s shaftand take it through the hook orFeather out one end of your fiber andnotch at the top of the spindle.overlap it onto the starter yarn. Pinch thefiber and yarn together with your lower hand, and pinch justabove that point with your upper hand.Rotate the spindle with your lower hand, then move that handback up to its “pinch” position. Don’t worrymuch about what the spindle’s doing; the onlyupper handthing youdon’twant it to do right now is topinches hereturn backwards, away from the arrow, andlower handpinches here“untwist” your work. It’s okay if the spindleflops over to one side after it has rotated, orwhen you stop it. As long as there’s twist in thestarter yarn for you to work with, that’s fine.Move your upper hand a little way up thefiber, pulling gently to loosen the fiber betweenyour hands. Then pinch the fiber with yourupper hand and slide the lower hand up nextYour hands work togetherto it. The twist will glide up behind your lowerto draft the fiber andcontrol the twist.hand. You’ve just made yarn!Top whorlWinding onTo keep your yarn from tangling whileyou wind on, catch it behind your elbow.Release the end from the hook or half-hitchand turn the spindle (always in the samedirection) so that the new yarn wrapsaround the spindle shaft, over the initialjoinwraps of the starter yarn. Leave enough newyarn free to catch the hook or to make a newhalf-hitch. That’s it—back to spinning!When you run out of fiber in your hand,take a new piece and feather out one of itsTo join in new fiber,ends. Feather out the end of the old piecefeather out the ends of thenew and old fibers, over-as well, overlap the two ends, and letlap them, and let themtwist together.them twist together in ajoin.When your yarn gets long, you need to wind on. To keepthe strand from tangling while you wind on, catch itbehind your elbow. Release the end nearest the spindle andwind the yarn around the spindle shaft.When your spindle’s full, you canwind a skein around your forearm.Bumps and breaksLumps happen in yarn when there’s toomuch fiber between your fingers at the timethat the twist comes along and turns it intoyarn. Make sure your lower hand is pinchingback the twist until your upper hand haspulled out the fiber and gotten it ready.Breaks occur when there’s toolittlefiber inthat spot between your fingers. Fix a breakby feathering the end of the yarn and the endof your fiber and making a new join.Thick-and-thin can be a design element infancy yarns. While you’re learning,experiement a bit with these extremes so youcan see how they occur and can laterproduce them when you want to.Break!Bump!Set the twistby running some lukewarm water in a sink, settingyour skein on the water, and gently pressing the skein so that it issubmerged. Leave it for a few minutes, lift it out, squeeze gently toremove some of the water, and hang it over a faucet or doorknob todrip dry.Congratulations! You’re a spinner. There are many more things tolearn about spinning—like how to make plied yarns and designeryarns, how to spin all sorts of different fibers, and what to do withyour yarn (if you want to do more than pat and admire it).But you’ve just crossed the threshold.Welcome!Bumps or lumps occur when aclump of fiber gets caught by thetwist. Breaks often happen whenthere’s too little fiber to maintainthe yarn’s integrity.Brought to you by®Continuing to spinThat’s it. Your hands repeat thepinch, pull, slidemovements, whileyour lower hand occasionally reaches down to rotate the spindle. Asyou practice, you’ll feel at first like too much is going on at once.Then you’ll find that yarn is strong and your hands know whatthey’re doing, so you won’t have to stop the spindle while you draft.Soon after that you’ll think that you’re reaching alongwaydown to rotate the spindle, and you’ll find yourself with between 2and 3 feet of yarnthat you have made.It’s time to wind on.—4—Winding offAfter a while, you’ll have a mass of yarn that fills the spindle—thespindle feels heavy to work with, and the yarn begins to get in yourway when you rotate the shaft. It’s time to wind your yarn off into askein. See the drawing on page 6 for a handy way to do this.Tie the skein with small pieces of yarn (the two ends of your spin-ning will do; a third tie is helpful).—5—Individual issues available from fiber and yarn stores and selectednewsstands.Or, subscribe today! JoinSpin-Offeditors and contributors in explor-ing the joys of using handspun yarn to create handmade treasures.$24/year (4 issues) Call (800) 767-9638 Dept. PSBThis brochure is available for the general advancement of the spinning community. If youwould like additional copies please contact Interweave Press at (970) 669-7672. Text byRita Buchanan. Illustrations by Susan Strawn Bailey.www.interweave.com201 E. Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655INTERWEAVEPRESS [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]