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 Hand spinning is the process of twisting fibre into a continuous thread by hand or by using a spinning wheel. The thread can be spun thick or thin, plyed or unplyed and can later be dyed or left natural (at Alpacas of Norfolk we do not dye our yarns).
BEGINNERS
Most beginner spinners will find that a coarser wool fibre is easier to draft and spin. Finer wool fibres tend to feel more slippery, making control of the twist a lttle more difficult.
Most spinning wheels have three or four bobbins as standard (these are used for the plying the yarns). Three bobbins are really the minimum you should have, which will alow you to spin a two-ply yarn, but many spinners will keep many more than this so that they can move between different spinning projects.
Note: a "Niddy Noddy" (a hand reel for winding skeins) is essential for winding your spun and plied yarn into a skein. This will enable you to count the length of yarn that you have spun, so that you spin the correct amount for your project.
Hand Spinning - How To
If you are a beginner spinner, it is a good idea to pre-draft your fibres so that they are easier to handle.
Take a strip of roving or combed wool about a metre long and split it length ways two or three times. Grip one strip of wool, with two hands held apart by approximately 6-10 inches. Tug on the fibre until you feel them splip past each other.
Move your hands along the length of the fibre and repeat (you are aiming to loosen the wool fibre without tearing the sliver into pieces. Careful pre-drafting in this way will result in a more evenly spun yarn.
It is a good idea to spin a few yards of sample yarn, ply it and review it critically to make sure you are achieving your desired result. You may even want to knit a sample swatch to check it still further.
Spinning Wheels
When selecting a spinning wheel, make sure that it meets your needs. Some of thinsg you may want to consider are:-
Portability - are you planning to take hand-spinning classes? Do you need to put the spinning wheel away when not in use. If so, portability may be a key factor for YOU.
Comfort and Availability - try several spinning wheels to see which is most comfortable for you. See how easy it is to change the bobbins. Will you be able to upgrade the spinning wheel in the future and will replacement parts be readily available?
How it Looks - lets face it, there is something quite quaint about spinning wheels. They conjur up images of fairy stories and roaring fires, but make sure you get a spinning wheel has the look that is just right for YOU. Spinning may be a craft but spinning wheels are beautiful objects in their own right.
Other Accessories
Skein Winders
Swifts
Ball Winders
Flickers, Handcards and Combs
Drumcarders
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