Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

 

I'd love, love, love to be a good at this, but every time I start again its like I'm doing it for the first time. Ok, maybe not the first time, that was a train wreck.  I blamed the wheel.  Troy bought it off ebay.  It is an Ashford, so I knew it had potential, but it had a piece of string for the drive band and some fishing line and elastic bands on the tension knobs.  I was sure herein lay my spinning woes.  I brought it down to the spinners and weavers guild for some advice.  They replaced my piece of string and fishing line with  . . . more string and fishing line! This is actually what they use - ahem.

 I think I've pin pointed my weak spot as of yesterday and its the draughting.  The gentle process of getting just enough fleece between your fingers before you let the twist take it.  I really struggle to get an even draught - and I over twist every time.  When I spun on a drop spindle I'd pre-druaght out the fleece before I spun it  - It took forever, but it worked and that process was OK for the smaller quantities that I spun on the spindle.   I can't see myself doing it for jumper quantities! For now I'll slog on and put my faith in practice and repetition. Any spinners out there - your words of guidance would be appreciated.

Yesterday I spun two bobbins worth of this pre-dyed Australian Merino.  I'm plying it today with my home made lazy kate - a shoebox with some dowel.  I'm hoping that will prevent it from pilling so much when I knit it.  I'll be casting on a Milo for Sadhbh tomorrow, who has all of a sudden grown out out all her winter woolies. Why I'm surprised by this I have no idea - they keep growing until they are 21 or something like that . . . .

See what other folk have been crafting at Nicole's place today.