# Spinning - tips



## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Shepherd posted a great tip for spinning yarn...she puts a piece of yarn she wants to spin pinned on her shirt to help her with her thickness. I thought it was a great tip and I know I will be using it.

I started thinking all of us spinners probably have great tips to share so let's put them on this thread. I am going to start a thread for each of our categories and of course, this is spinning.

I don't really have a tip so I hope Shepherd doesn't mind I used hers. Maybe mine can be to make sure you put the wine glass far enough away that you don't knock it over. That would mess up your roving. Lol. Down the road, I hope to be able to share real tips.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

Great idea. This is what I do. I keep my Eeze tool bought from Camaj Fibre Arts on my lap and as I spin I can gauge the thickness and the angle.

I keep photographs of everything I do and these go into Evernote. If I've dyed the fibre, those notes and pictures go in as well. That way I can refer back at any time to see what I did


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Get up and move around every so often, use a timer if you have to.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Practice, practice and more practice. Start off just spinning the wheel with no fiber. Get the pedal down (hehehehe get it). Then add fiber and feel the pull ( I jumped back at first ) I did not expect it. Then spin. Your first yarn will be a arty kinda yarn but have fun. There is no reason to have a perfect yarn for your first try. Start with a less expensive roving with long staple.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

Practice Navajo plying with commercial yarn


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Great tips. I absolutely will Navaho ply with commercial yarn for practice.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

desireeross said:


> Practice Navajo plying with commercial yarn


Also practice spinning with commercial yarn. You know you were saving that old acyclic yarn for something.

1. Use one strand to get the feel for the pull and to practice setting tension.
2. Ply 2 commercial yarns together, again this will give a beginner a chance go feel the action of the wheel and practice peddling while your hands are doing something.

Note, do check the twist of the commercial yarn and spin the opposite way.

This is how I been teach the new spinners that I train at the farm I volunteer at. Though my first step before I put them on a wheel is to start them on a drop spindle to get an idea of drafting.


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## amoamarone (Feb 21, 2015)

Cdambro said:


> Maybe mine can be to make sure you put the wine glass far enough away that you don't knock it over. That would mess up your roving. Lol.


My wheel has a cup holder!


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Great tips everyone. Thank you so much! 

Practicing with commercial yarn is great. I have lots of acrylic yarn to practice with. I did practice with spinning but not plying so that will be a help.

The Eeze tool looks like a great tool to have...thanks.

A cup holder is a great idea, amoamarone


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## wool spinner (Mar 7, 2016)

I card bits of colored yarn in with my wool to get some color. It is fun to see what I get.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

wool spinner said:


> I card bits of colored yarn in with my wool to get some color. It is fun to see what I get.


Do you mean you mix a commercial yarn with your roving?


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## Lillyhooch (Sep 27, 2012)

Spinning question, well plying really. I have Z spun some yarn and want to ply with silk thread. I now realise that silk thread is S spun. What are your thoughts on whether they can be successfully S plied. Ok for the yarn I spun, but would the thin silk thread mess up being plied in same direction as it was spun?


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## ctsandy (Mar 20, 2011)

Using commercial yarn to get the feel of the spinning wheel is an excellent idea. I'm going to try it.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Lillyhooch said:


> Spinning question, well plying really. I have Z spun some yarn and want to ply with silk thread. I now realise that silk thread is S spun. What are your thoughts on whether they can be successfully S plied. Ok for the yarn I spun, but would the thin silk thread mess up being plied in same direction as it was spun?


I think the S-plied silk would mess up. 
You could spin two strands of S plied yarn into Z-plied and then use that.


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## Lillyhooch (Sep 27, 2012)

wordancer said:


> I think the S-plied silk would mess up.
> You could spin two strands of S plied yarn into Z-plied and then use that.


That is what I am afraid of. I am really mad at myself not spinning S because I am wanting this fibre to go further - hence wanting to ply with silk to extend the quantity. I may try a sample to see how it goes. The fibre I am spinning is a mix of beautiful different fibres - some quite expensive.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Lillyhooch said:


> That is what I am afraid of. I am really mad at myself not spinning S because I am wanting this fibre to go further - hence wanting to ply with silk to extend the quantity. I may try a sample to see how it goes. The fibre I am spinning is a mix of beautiful different fibres - some quite expensive.


I'm wondering if the z spun yarn be respun as a S ply. Don't draft just let it unwind the Z ply then let the yarn twist into the S ply? What do you think?


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## Lillyhooch (Sep 27, 2012)

wordancer said:


> I'm wondering if the z spun yarn be respun as a S ply. Don't draft just let it unwind the Z ply then let the yarn twist into the S ply? What do you think?


Wow, hadn't thought of that. Very innovative idea. I could spin up some crappy fibre and practice - have you ever done it? 
I am thinking of your idea of spinning 2 threads of the silk into Z as you suggested previously. That will make it more expensive than I had wanted.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Lillyhooch said:


> Wow, hadn't thought of that. Very innovative idea. I could spin up some crappy fibre and practice - have you ever done it? .


I have unwound some badly over twisted yarn that way. Both single ply and two ply... And it worked rather well. I put the drive band on a smaller whorl, peddle fast over the section that didn't need any untwisting, and slow down on the over twisted areas and carefully watched as it untwisted till it reach the correct amount of twist.

Think I'll break out some practice fiber and give it a try, tomorrow.
I'm sort of wondering if it would need to be done in two stages. One time through to take out most of the z twist, then the second time to take out the rest of z and put in the s at the same time. Hummmm

It will be interesting to see if this will work. Let me know how this experiment works for you with the practice fiber.

This is so much fun ????


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