@textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts #Spinning
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@textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts #Spinning
I am, right now, seriously tempted to get an electric spinning wheel. Even though I'm not supposed to be buying any new yarn. Because the thing which caught my attention and interest was the idea of RECYCLING scrap yarn, by carding it and spinning it into new yarn.
Also, I like the idea of doing my own yarn-plying, specifically for yarns which I already have which are one-ply yarns.BUT part of me says "NO! Too expensive! Don't spend money!"
And another part says "No, why do you want to dive down the rabbit-hole of ANOTHER craft?"Expensive? Yes. The frustrating thing is that Australian sellers seem to ONLY want to sell the Ashford e-spinner, or other (European?) e-spinners which are even MORE expensive than the Ashford.
Sure, I could buy a cheap one from China... which doesn't have the right plug and probably won't work.
And before you say "The Dreaming Robots Nano e-spinner is cheap", firstly, they are out of stock and won't have any available until August, and secondly, exchange rate and postage makes it not-cheap.What should I dooooooo?
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@textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts
Additional information: I am not a spinner, I would be a newbie. There are a few reasons why I would prefer to start with an e-spinner:
1. Doesn't take up a lot of space.
2. From my attempts at learning spinning when a teenager, I think it would be a lot less stressful to learn where I don't have to be controlling feet and hands at the same time.
3. Diabetic means that I'm more vulnerable to injuring my tendons, so I don't really want to take the risk of having to do treadle spinning.
4. The do-multiple-things-at-once would be even more of a problem trying to learn on a Drop Spindle. -
@textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts
So far as I can tell, here are the main advantages and disadvantages of the different types of spinning tools.E-spinner:
Pro: takes up less space
Con: $$$$
Pro: only need to worry about your hands, not your feet
Pro: both hands are free
Pro: not going to injure my feet
Pro: the speed is steady (which some might consider a con)Traditional wheel:
Con: takes up more space than I have available
Pro: it's traditional, there's more teaching material available
Con: I might injure my feet
Pro: more control over the processDrop spindle: (which I think includes Turkish?)
Pro: takes up much less space
Con: have to keep on turning the spindle with your hand, the spin doesn't keep up the way a traditional wheel does
(Hey, does that mean you have to do the drafting with only one hand? Surely that would be more difficult?)
Pro: more control over the processOther kinds of spindle -- I don't know enough about them to say!
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@kerravonsen @textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts I have no idea how good they are but the 'electric eel wheel'-nano looks more affordable than most. I have not tried them out so I can't give a product review. They are a small one person business and I think work mostly with 3D prints. I am not sure whether they are the only option or whether there are also loose plans available for 3D printing an e-spinner that you and/or a local make lab could hack together? Might be worth looking around for though before an expensive purchase?
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@kerravonsen I've only done drop spindle (not turkish), and I can confirm that on space, price and portability it's quite hard to beat (I've made some of mine by carving a stick I've selected in the woods¹ with a knife, and some flour, salt and water for the whorl).
how many hands you use to draft depends on the style of drop spindle: in the medieval European style I use you keep one hand basically on the spindle to keep it rotating, the other hand to draft, and the third hand... ehm, the distaff (another stick and a length of tape) holds the fiber in place.
In the style I started with, which I think is Peruvian, and commonly used in the modern spinning community, the spindle is flicked to make it spin while hanging in air, and then the hand is free to move to the fiber to draft once or twice; in the park and draft variation for beginners the spindle is spun to impart twist, then the spindle is kept stationary e.g. with the legs and both hands are used to draft and distribute the twist just imparted.
I believe that in the Turkish style the spindle is supported on the floor, but I don't know exactly how one keeps it spinning and drafts, since I've never tried one.
I can't really compare with wheels and e-spinners since I haven't tried one (yet? but the advantages of drop spindles are quite suited to my needs)
¹ starting with a bought dowel rod is easier, and TBH still not that expensive
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@fruitcake @kerravonsen @textilearts @fiberarts @fibrearts Spinner here. AND I have owned an EEW Nano, treadle wheels, and spindles. (1) Spindles are the most portable, versatile, AND affordable means to spin. (2) The EEW machines are definitely excellent. (3) Spindles can do almost ANYTHING you want for yarn construction. AND if you end up enjoying them, various wheels are also lovely to add to your tool stash. (4) If you can, meet up with some spinners and try their tools. We love to help.
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@valhalla You building your own spindle reminds me of how I built my first lucet (aka snorgaffel aka string-fork) literally out of a kitchen fork. Because I wanted to try the craft first to see if I liked it, before I actually bought any tools for it.
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@cayswann
Re (4) I am an IDIOT.
I actually go to the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria once a month for my Kumihimo group (that's Japanese braiding). So OBVIOUSLY I should ask the people there about spinning! -
@kerravonsen exactly what I did!
(one of my hobbies may be collecting hobbies, *and* making tools for other hobbies is an hobby in itself, which gives me another reason for it)
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@kerravonsen @cayswann great idea, especially if you can manage to try somebody else's tool before committing to buying stuff!
