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How to Spin - just about anything
Superb value at £12.95 with FREE postage (UK mainland).
ISBN-10: 0956675107
ISBN-13: 978-0956675101
Use the Buy Now button to use Paypal or your debit / credit card online. We can also take card payments over the phone, 01292-550393. Alternatively, send a cheque payable to 'Janet Renouf-Miller' and post to 29 Dalton Avenue, Dalmellington, AYR, KA6 7QR.
For a flavour of Janet's style of writing and teaching spinning, here is an excerpt from the book:
How to Spin, page 23:
Why spin your own yarns?
I have access to lots of free fibre
I once spun 5 bags full of Qiviut, or musk ox for an Arctic scientist who had collected it whilst working in the frozen North. Most spinners will know it as an incredibly expensive fibre that they buy in tiny quantities - but I always picture it in bin bags cluttering up my living room. The scientist never learned to spin although having access to that much fibre would have been a great reason to do so. Other people have learned, however, when someone has given them a fleece or even dog fur and they didn't want it to go to waste.
How to Spin, page 191:
Spinning fine yarns
Use good quality, very fine fibre
The traditional choice for lace spinning is Cormo fleece. This is not a breed as such but is a way of specially breeding Merino or similar breeds for extra fine fibre combined with a longer staple length.....
Fleece for fine spinning is usually available in small quantities from a specialist supplier by mail order. it can also be bought direct from suppliers in New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania or the USA. The international postage is not prohibitive if you live elsewhere because you do not need much of it. Do not make the mistake of buying a whole fleece for lace spinning. Special fleece can usually be bought by the 100g and will be more suitable for the purpose. 100g goes a long way when spinning lace.
How to Spin, page 58;
Spinning Wheels
Don't make your own - and don't buy an antique
When I teach beginners, I take a spare spinning wheel with me in case someone turns up with a 'tricky' wheel. Often this is one that even an expert would struggle to use; sometimes it will not spin at all because some vital part is missing or very slightly out of alignment.
These wheels are often of sentimental value and inheriting an antique wheel may even be the reason someone wanted to learn to spin in the first place....
Admittedly it is a bit tricky if your beloved has made you a spinning wheel and you have to go home and say 'er, actually I need to buy another wheel, this one is no good'.
Making a spinning wheel is not for the feinthearted and it is said that you need to make between four and seven of them before you get a good one.
Here's a suggestion: if you are attached to your antique or hand-made wheel learn to spin on a modern, professionally made wheel first. Once you can spin use the other one sometimes and you will do better with it. Just don't try to learn on it. The only thing is by that time you may not want to.
REVIEWS
"This is an excellent clearly written book that covers all the principles of the basics of spinning. It is written by a well known, well loved and respected practicioner and teacher of spinning in an informative, encouraging and easy to understand style. It is plentifully illustrated with black and white photographs which are clear and helpful. It has a place on the bookshelf of every spinner whether you are a beginner or experienced. If you are a beginner this is the first book I would reccommend that you buy." Debbie (via Amazon)
"I really liked this book. It has things for both complete beginners and for more experienced spinners and it covers both hand spindles and spinning wheels in all sections.
I found the fact that it had lots of photos very helpful and it is broken up in to easy to read sections making it simple to find things.
The explanations are clear and easy to follow and the book is a handy size and paperback making it easy to use.
I have heard that the author teaches some great spinning courses." Anne (via Amazon)
Spinning for low impact living
Very comprehensive book explaining everything from where the fibers come from to how to spin them to yard. Good level of details and tips provided.
Like having a teacher at your elbow
This is the book you need if you are starting to spin either on a wheel or a drop spindle. It tells you waht you need to know to get started and to improve - thnk you - it even got me spinning fine singles on my new wheel within a matter of minutes.
I already spin a little but there was a lot I didn't know. This book gives lots of help. Easy to follow advice and instructions. A good buy
I was recommended this book as I am a complete beginner. It's very early days for me but I can tell you that this book is going to be my constant companion. I can't imagine a more complete guide to spinning for the beginner. It also stretches out to more advanced techniques when you're ready.
What I really appreciate about this book is that it is also a great guide to wool and yarns in general. It introduces you to sheep breeds, fleece preparation, carding and alternative yarns like bamboo etc.
A happy purchase!
A must for all spinners
I have been spinning for a year now and use this book frequently for information.
It explains the steps very well and is easy to look up queries I have.
I would highly recommend this book for all spinners.
Copyright @ All Rights Reserved
Now if you have the time, you can read the following list of Contents from the book and see its extensive coverage:
CONTENTS
A brief history of spinning
Home workers
Hand spindles came first
The spinning jenny
Spinning for craft and fun
Why spin your own yarns?
I saw someone spinning
I want a relaxing but useful hobby
I want to meet like-minded people
I want to spin yarns for knitting or other hobbies
I want to save money by spinning my own yarns
I want to spin the fibre from my animals
I have access to lots of free fibre
Equipment: hand spindle or spinning wheel?
Hand spindles
Three kinds of spindle
High top spindles
You only need one spindle
Bottom whorl spindles
Turkish spindles
Other kinds of spindles
Support spindles
Navajo spindles
Tahkli
Akha
How to make a spindle
The stick spindle
From an old cd
From a potato and a pencil
From a square piece of wood and a stick
Just a reminder: a high top is a very good choice
Spinning wheels
How a spinning wheel works
Orifice size
Accessories
Learn to spin before you buy
Get a modern wheel and buy from an established maker
Buy a wheel to suit your lifestyle
Clean the wheel before you use it
Don't make your own - and don't buy an antique
If you really must make your own
The charkha, the great wheel and other point-of-contact wheels
Getting ready to spin: fibre
Try a bit of everything
All fibre is not equal
Pre-prepared fibres: a good place to start
What to do when buying pre-prepared fibres
How to pre-draft for manageable spinning
Check the fibre (or staple) length
Split the fibre before you pre-draft
Pull the fibre apart or it will not work!
Now pre-draft
Practise, practise, practise
Carded fibre
Zigzag a carded batt
How to spin on a high top spindle
High top spindles are easiest to learn on and the most efficient
Practise with a piece of yarn
Make a wrist distaff to hold the fibre
Wrap the fibre around the distaff
How to join the fibre onto the spindle
Emergency measures
Twirl, stop and draft: you don't need to do it all at the same time
How to join the yarn on again if it breaks
How not to get a sore shoulder
How to throw the spindle off the thigh
How to kick the spindle
How to ply 2 or more strands together
Is it essential to ply yarn?
A summary: tips for spindle spinning
How to spin on a spinning wheel
Make sure you get off to a good start
Lubricate the wheel and make sure the bobbins are running free
Practise treadling
Learn to stop and start the wheel with your feet
Get a cone of fine yarn to practise with (pretend spinning)
Adjust the tension
Double drive wheels
Scotch tension wheels
Bobbin lead drive wheels
Practise feeding the yarn in
Pre-draft the fibre
Make a 'leader'
How to join the fibre onto the 'leader'
Take your time: treadle, stop and draft
If you get stuck, stop
Some tips for wheel spinning
Troubleshooting for wheel spinning
It won't wind onto the bobbin
It is getting too much twist
It is too thick
The yarn breaks with an audible snap
The yarn drifts apart
It feels heavy when i treadle the spinning wheel
How to ply on a spinning wheel
Make or buy a 'lazy kate' to hold the bobbins
Put a new bobbin on the spinning wheel
Under-plyed is more likely than over-plyed
Take a sample
How to fix over- or under-plyed yarn
Tips for plying on a spinning wheel
Spin for 10 minutes a day and it will get done
More advanced techniques
How to get different thicknesses of yarn
The drafting triangle
The thickness and length of the fibre
The amount of twist
Spinning from the fold or over the finger
Pull off one staple length of fibre
Holding the fibre
From the fold
Over the finger
More about fibre
Dealing with fleece
How to select a good fleece
Choosing wool for sustainability
Explain what you are looking for
Express your appreciation
Some tips about fleeces
Sorting and washing a fleece
Sorting a fleece
Unroll the fleece
Skirting
Grade the wool
Spin in the grease?
Do not use raw fleece on your 'best' carders
Not after christmas
Use protection
Washing a fleece
Cold-soak method
Hot-soak method
Fleece that needs special treatment
Types of wool
Use common sense
Mountain
Hill
Cross breeds
Medium
Fine
Lustre
Coloured
Spinning fibre without carding or other preparation
How to card fibre
Are the carders in good condition?
Which fibre is suitable for carding?
Carding technique
Transfer the fibre
Doff the fibre
Combing the fibre
Using a dog comb
Mini combs
Viking combs
English wool combs
How to use viking and english wool combs
Spinning fibres other than wool
If you struggle, blend it
Joining on
Alpaca
How to spin alpaca
Mohair
How to spin mohair
Using mohair without spinning
Spinning silk
Choose the right silk for the job
Silk cocoons
Silk hankies and caps - stretched out cocoons
Hankies
Silk caps or 'bells'
Knitting with unspun silk hankies and caps
Silk tops
The solution - start with tussah silk
Join it carefully
Spin from the fold or over the finger
Bombyx mori (b. Mori) silk tops
Throwsters waste
Pulled silk waste
Sari silk
How to de-gum silk
Angora
How to spin angora
Rabbits make great fibre pets
Camel and other luxury animal fibres (with hair in them)
Camel
Musk ox or qiviut
Yak, bison and cashmere
The hair of the dog - spinning pet fur
'extruded' and other synthetic fibres
Environmental issues
Soya fibre
Milk protein
Bamboo
Seacell
Viscose and rayon
Recycled fibres
Spinning fine yarns
Use good quality, very fine fibre
Clean that wheel
Pad the bobbins
Slacken off the tension
Use the fastest whorl
Zigzag the yarn on the hooks
Fine yarns on a spindle
Put lots of twist in the yarn
Plying lace yarn
Advanced plying techniques
Peruvian plying
Securing the yarn
Peruvian plying step by step
Navajo plying
A big chain stitch
Navajo plying step by step
Watch that twist
Finishing handspun yarn
Wind the yarn into a hank
Using a niddy noddy
How to wash the yarn
Using handspun yarns
A scarf
A cot blanket
Samples help to get the size right
How to adapt a commercial pattern
How to design your own garments
There is a whole other world out there
Resources
Organisations
Suppliers
Courses
Books
Places to visit
"I really liked this book. It has things for both complete beginners and for more experienced spinners and it covers both hand spindles and spinning wheels in all sections.
I found the fact that it had lots of photos very helpful and it is broken up in to easy to read sections making it simple to find things.
The explanations are clear and easy to follow and the book is a handy size and paperback making it easy to use.
I have heard that the author teaches some great spinning courses." Anne (via Amazon)
ILLUSTRATIONS / PHOTOS
fig 1: Alpacas are inquisitive animals 20
fig 2: hand spindles 22
fig 3: high top spindle 25
fig 4 bottom whorl spindle26
fig 5: Turkish spindle 27
fig 6: Navajo spindle showing spinning position 29
fig 7: Tahkli spindle with support bowl 30
fig 8: Akha spindle used for spinning cotton 31
fig 9: Debbie's home-made stick spindle 33
fig 10: home-made spindles 34
fig 11: Ashford Traditional spinning wheel with lazy kate 37
fig 12: the parts of a spinning wheel 38
fig 13 a lazy kate 41
fig 14: a niddy noddy is useful and inexpensive 42
fig 15: bobbins vary from wheel to wheel 43
fig 16: Majacraft jumbo and standard flyers and bobbins 44
fig 17: classroom with some modern spinning wheels 45
fig 18: Ashford Traveller spinning wheel 47
fig 19: LouetVictoriaspinning wheel 48
fig 20: Timbertops chair wheel 50
fig 21: Majacraft Little Gem folding wheel 52
fig 22: Ashford Joy folding wheel 54
fig 23: Bosworth book charkha 58
fig 24: spinning on a modern book chakhra 59
fig 25: spinning on a great wheel 60
fig 26: one staple length pulled off a combed top 65
fig 27: splitting the fibre prior to pre-drafting 66
fig 28: the pre-drafted fibre 68
fig 29: a zigzagged carded batt ready for pre-drafting 70
fig 30: twirling practice on a high top spindle 72
fig 31 wrist distaffs with and without fibre 74
fig 32: winding pre-drafted tops onto a wrist distaff 75
fig 33: attaching fibre to a drop spindle 76
fig 34: an 'emergency' join 77
fig 35: spinning on a high top spindle 78
fig 36: winding yarn onto a spindle 79
fig 37: join two fluffy ends to make a firm join 80
fig 38: drafting on the diagonal as opposed to vertically 82
fig 39: throwing the spindle off the thigh 83
fig 40: kicking a high top spindle 85
fig 41: drafting horizontally on a high top spindle 87
fig 42: winding a double stranded ball for plying on a spindle 88
fig 43: the parts of a spinning wheel 92
fig 44: flyer showing oil points 93
fig 45: treadle board viewed from underneath 94
fig 46: foot position on a double treadle wheel 96
fig 47: foot position on single treadle wheel 97
fig 48: treadling with one foot forward and one back 97
fig 49: treadling with both feet together 98
fig 50: flyer viewed from above 100
fig 51: a double drive set up showing flyer 102
fig 52: a Scotch tension set up 103
fig 53: a bobbin lead wheel 105
fig 54: practise feeding yarn into a spinning wheel 107
fig 55: pre-drafting fibre 108
fig 56: leader tied on to the bobbin and ready for spinning 109
fig 57: examples of lazy kates 115
fig 58: lazy kate made from a shoe box and knitting needles 116
fig 59: putting a bobbin on the spinning wheelis easy 117
fig 60: singles yarns in position on lazy kate 118
fig 61: the 'drafting' triangle 123
fig 62: locks of Corriedale and Wensleydale fleece 124
fig 63: pulling off one staple length of fibre from a combed top 127
fig 64: spinning from the fold 128
fig 65: hand position for spinning from the fold 129
fig 66: hand position when spinning over the finger 130
fig 67: hand carders 148
fig 68: pulling out locks of fleece ready for carding 150
fig 69: flicking the tips prior to carding 151
fig 70: locks laid on carder ready for carding 152
fig 71: begin carding the fibre 153
fig 72: transfer the fibre 154
fig 73. doffing or removing the carded fibre from the carders 155
fig 74: finished rolag 156
fig 75: combing fibre with a dog comb 158
fig 76: Louet mini combs 159
fig 77: using hand-held Louet mini combs 160
fig 78: Valkyrie Viking combs 161
fig 79: Majacraft mini combs 162
fig 80: four pitch English wool combs163
fig 81: work with combs at right angles 165
fig 82: combing the fibre 166
fig 83: drawing the fibre off the combs 168
fig 84: combed fibre ready to spin 169
fig 85: using a flick carder 174
fig 86: de-gummed and dyed silk cocoons 176
fig 87: silk cap 178
fig 88: Tussah silk tops 181
fig 89: B. mori silk tops 183
fig 90: B. mori silk brick 184
fig 91: a padded bobbin 195
fig 92: different sizes of whorls 196
fig 93: yarn zigzagged across the hooks of a flyer 197
fig 94: Peruvian plying - make the first loop 200
fig 95: Peruvian plying - the yarn does not cross the palm 201
fig 96: continue until all the wool is on the hand202
fig 97: slacken the yarn that is around the wrist 203
fig 98: the middle finger has been taken out of the 'cross'204
fig 99: Navajo plying - make a large loop 206
fig 100: Navajo plying - two loops 207
fig 101: thread the loop and the loose end of the yarn 208
fig 102: tie them onto the bobbin core209
fig 103: winding yarn onto a niddy noddy212
fig 104: wound yarn ready to tie 213
fig 105: figure-of-eight ties on a hank of wool 214