# Spinning on my new e-wheel



## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

Yes, I am the lucky one that got the Kickstarter e-wheel that word dancer decided to give up. Thanks to her generous advice, I was able to get started quickly. So fun!! I have spent way too much time today playing with fiber and this cute little contrivance. Worddancer encouraged me to share with you what I have done so far and also put forth a question I have:
How do you know when the yarn you are spinning has enough (or too much?) twist in it? What do you do when it is too much?
As to sharing, here's my story...
The photo below shows my very first ever bobbin of yarn spun on a wheel. (This e-wheel is my first ever wheel). I used several different kinds of fiber that I had purchased to learn to spin, so not much of each. It was really a good lesson on how different fibers have distinct properties, not just in feel but how they react differently to the process (and that I need to shift my work to accommodate them). It was much easier to get more consistent yarn from the wheel than from the drop spindle, enough not perfect yet. I do have trouble making the join smooth instead of being a lump there-- any suggestions on that?
The second photo shows also the second bobbin I did, with mostly white fiber that already had some of the colored stuff in it. I can see that on the last third (on the bottom in this photo) I got lazy and didn't draft as thinly and the yarn came out fatter, duh.
Third photo: these are two little balls of singles I made on the drop spend several days ago and which were waiting to be plied. I decided to go ahead and ply them with the wheel; why not?
Last photo: why not, indeed. This shows the holy mess that came from my first plying. I am sort of embraced to even show it. Clearly I really didn't control the yarns at all, and then spent more time unpinning and unkinking the tangles than spinning them back together again. It really seemed like the grey yarn was way overspun during its drop spindle genesis. Question: does the twist amount need to be the same for the two yarns being plied together? I do know that the ply twist is in reverse, so did do that. Question: can I ply some yarn with lengths of embroidery floss? (using all 6 strands as it comes out of the packet)? I have a lot of floss from my mom's sewing drawer and was imagining it would look cool plied with yarn.

Anyway, all ya'll are completely right about this being consuming. I can see that worrying about the cost of a wheel is nothing, compared to the cost of all the fiber this can consume!


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

Thank you again, worddancer for all your help and this opportunity.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

It is very easy to over-spin yarn on an e-spinner. The trick is to ply back often and test. The speed also has a lot to do with over-spinning. I have slowed down my speed considerably and the results have been amazing. When I have over-spun plied yarn I run it back fast to take some of the ply out. I guess you could do the same with the singles

I also measure the angle often. That tells me straight away if I'm over spinning. I usually try to aim for 35 degree angle. As from 40 degree I start running into over plied issued


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know you will only get better with time. :sm24:


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

gardenpoet said:


> Yes, I am the lucky one that got the Kickstarter e-wheel that word dancer decided to give up. Thanks to her generous advice, I was able to get started quickly. So fun!! I have spent way too much time today playing with fiber and this cute little contrivance. Worddancer encouraged me to share with you what I have done so far and also put forth a question I have:
> How do you know when the yarn you are spinning has enough (or too much?) twist in it? What do you do when it is too much?
> As to sharing, here's my story...
> The photo below shows my very first ever bobbin of yarn spun on a wheel. (This e-wheel is my first ever wheel). I used several different kinds of fiber that I had purchased to learn to spin, so not much of each. It was really a good lesson on how different fibers have distinct properties, not just in feel but how they react differently to the process (and that I need to shift my work to accommodate them). It was much easier to get more consistent yarn from the wheel than from the drop spindle, enough not perfect yet. I do have trouble making the join smooth instead of being a lump there-- any suggestions on that?
> ...


Gosh, how can you tell when garden poet is really excited? She has already gotten more enjoyment from the EEW5 in one day, than I did in what, two weeks or so.

When you need to join, fuzz out both ends, laid them together. Hold them together with thumb and forefinger of drafting hand. Roll your fingers in the direction of twist. Keep holding that join, let some twist build up then let it flow into the join. Then you should be good to go, don't worry if it is a little bumpy you will improve with practice

I'm off to bed and will give you some more info tomorrow.
BTW, when you take a break from the wheel, start rereading the past spinning topics here, there is a lot of techniques, tips and tricks buried in the back post.

Keep on playing and experimenting, that is how you will learn.


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## Goodshepfarm (Jul 20, 2014)

Good morning from Maine!
do you have a tool to measure twist? As Desiree said, it would be helpful to measure twist to see if your singles are consistent. 
Recently, I watched a great video about spinning a consistent yarn. In it, it discussed determining the staple length of the fiber, and that your left hand and right hand should be working at a consistent distance a little longer than that staple length. Also, you should work the same distance from the orifice and use the same drafting technique all the time. I will try to find that video again and share it, it was very informative. 
Also, I would not yet use your moms threads to ply as I don't think you are ready and you don't want to waste it. It will make a Boucle type yarn when done. Instead,i think you should practice using an inexpensive roving, all of the same type of wool. I would not start with merino, because as you said, different wool breeds have different qualities, and as you spin you will learn how to spin the fiber based on those properties. Definitely avoid adding luxury fibers right now as well, angora, cashmere, etc. as they too have their own properties that you need to learn to spin. I would also avoid alpaca, another difference. So, look for the cheapest roving you can find to practice, and try to draft consistently. 
Hope I have helped some. 
???? Michelle


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

Knitpicks wool of the Andes is a good roving to practice on


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

I love that you are loving your new EEL. I love mine. You will get lots of suggestions and the one I can give is that I only have put mine at the #2 speed and no higher. Sometimes, less than that. That really allows me to control my draft and take my time with it. If you draft out from just the very end of the triangle of fiber, you get thinner yarn. Draft more into the fiber and it is thicker. I think you did wonderful with your spin. 
Practice does it. I have been spinning for about a year and still have trouble getting my ends together smoothly but it is much better than before. You are doing great. Happy spinning.


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

Wow, you are all so encouraging and helpful! I am finding that the first thing I do in the early morning is grab my coffee and take a spin. I just did a little practice on some roving I got on sale at Paradise Fibers, noting to myself that I should look up again what it is so I can recognize fibers by their properties and manage my handling of them. One thing I am noticing is that I forget to let go of what is in my right fingers (closest to wheel) and then it gets overspun. A little chart (tool?) came with the wheel showing angles, so that is helpful. Cdambro, what do you mean "draft out from just the very end of the triangle of fiber"? Oh, to follow up on the ply shown above-- I realized why it was a mess: when working with the wheel, I have been following the instructions of the wheel manufacturer, which recommended doing a z-twist for singles and and s for ply. But I think I had been doing an s-twist on my singles with the drop spindle. (I'll have to go back and check to be sure.) So when I plied the two singles I had done on the drop spindle using the wheel to ply, I repeated the direction. Don't do that! A good lesson. Yes, slowing down is good. I'd love to see the videos you all have recommended, if you have a moment to find and post the links. Thank you, Michelle for your thoughts too. I wish Mom were still around, she would be so amusedly delighted by this new passion of mine.


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

desireeross said:


> It is very easy to over-spin yarn on an e-spinner. The trick is to ply back often and test. The speed also has a lot to do with over-spinning. I have slowed down my speed considerably and the results have been amazing. When I have over-spun plied yarn I run it back fast to take some of the ply out. I guess you could do the same with the singles
> 
> I also measure the angle often. That tells me straight away if I'm over spinning. I usually try to aim for 35 degree angle. As from 40 degree I start running into over plied issued


Good advice from Desiree. I don't use an E spinner at all, but even too much speed on an ordinary wheel can produce too much twist if you don't have experience (and that is practice).


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

desireeross said:


> It is very easy to over-spin yarn on an e-spinner. The trick is to ply back often and test. The speed also has a lot to do with over-spinning. I have slowed down my speed considerably and the results have been amazing. When I have over-spun plied yarn I run it back fast to take some of the ply out. I guess you could do the same with the singles
> 
> I also measure the angle often. That tells me straight away if I'm over spinning. I usually try to aim for 35 degree angle. As from 40 degree I start running into over plied issued


What do you mean "ply back often"? How do you test? I am (now) checking the angle of the spin with a little chart; is that the test?


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## Spooly (Oct 22, 2011)

It sounds like your are having a wonderful time with your new wheel. Try to make notes and label your finished fiber. There are so many fabulous fibers available. I usually keep the label from the fiber on the table next to my wheel when I am spinning so I am thinking about the fiber and will be more likely to remember what it is. I have three spinning wheels so I usually have three projects going at one time.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

gardenpoet said:


> What do you mean "ply back often"? How do you test? I am (now) checking the angle of the spin with a little chart; is that the test?


Pull some spun yarn out about 1-2 feet and then fold it in half and let it curl back on itself. That's plying back. You'll get to see what the yarn will look like once plied


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## makeitsew2750 (Jan 23, 2011)

If you are using roving, you might want to split it into thinner lengths so that you can fluff them up and have them draft easier. One of the first things is to take a piece of your roving and hold on to each end in both of your hands and slowly pull it allowing the fibers to slide by each other and see how long the staple length is this will tell you how far you can draft the fiber before it pulls apart. A good thickness to start out with on your roving is about pencil size don't try to spin the full size of the roving while it is compact. I have a Roberta e-spinner I have used for years along with 2 regular Kromski wheels and have been production spinning for several Alpaca farmers through the years. There is always something new to learn and practice a lot. I hope this helps you with your new adventure.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

gardenpoet said:


> Wow, you are all so encouraging and helpful! I am finding that the first thing I do in the early morning is grab my coffee and take a spin. I just did a little practice on some roving I got on sale at Paradise Fibers, noting to myself that I should look up again what it is so I can recognize fibers by their properties and manage my handling of them. One thing I am noticing is that I forget to let go of what is in my right fingers (closest to wheel) and then it gets overspun. A little chart (tool?) came with the wheel showing angles, so that is helpful. Cdambro, what do you mean "draft out from just the very end of the triangle of fiber"? Oh, to follow up on the ply shown above-- I realized why it was a mess: when working with the wheel, I have been following the instructions of the wheel manufacturer, which recommended doing a z-twist for singles and and s for ply. But I think I had been doing an s-twist on my singles with the drop spindle. (I'll have to go back and check to be sure.) So when I plied the two singles I had done on the drop spindle using the wheel to ply, I repeated the direction. Don't do that! A good lesson. Yes, slowing down is good. I'd love to see the videos you all have recommended, if you have a moment to find and post the links. Thank you, Michelle for your thoughts too. I wish Mom were still around, she would be so amusedly delighted by this new passion of mine.


I just meant that if you draft less fibers, you get thinner yarn. Draft more fiber, thicker yarn. I would love to be able to show my mom how I spin.....I think she would be happy to see what I am doing.


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## Creative MaryAnn (Dec 10, 2016)

Just an FYI every October the Evergreen State Fairgrounds has a fiber event, Fiber Fusion. I live in central Washington and go every year. Just check the Evergreen State Fair for the dates. There is so much fiber and many talented people that are more than happy to share. I spin, weave, knit and crochet. It's just a great time for all.


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

Creative MaryAnn said:


> Just an FYI every October the Evergreen State Fairgrounds has a fiber event, Fiber Fusion. I live in central Washington and go every year. Just check the Evergreen State Fair for the dates. There is so much fiber and many talented people that are more than happy to share. I spin, weave, knit and crochet. It's just a great time for all.


Wow, thanks for the info! I will definitely try to get to that.


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