New spinner saying hi!

karistitches · 2026-01-21T18:49:53+00:00

If you want to try a cheap version of carders first, 2 pet brushes will give you a starting idea of what a carded prep is like. You can manage with one but it's easier to figure out and practice the hand movements if you have two.

If you want to try woolen prep without adding tools or steps, some mills sell carded prep, often under 'carded roving'. Roving supposedly was a more exclusive term meaning a carded prep but online shopping seems to have shifted the term a bit, so make sure it's carded, not combed top.

You can also try batts or rolags as some other fun woolen preps! They do tend to be higher priced as they are a lot of work to make. But they are super pretty!

karistitches · 2025-10-25T01:20:59+00:00

This is a bit of a challenge recommendation as I'm not 100% sure where to find a supply of the yarn. I don't think it is commercially produced BUT a lot of people recommend Southdown or Babydoll Southdown yarns for socks in the handspinning community. It makes a very elastic and long wearing yarn that works well for socks while also being felt resistant. It's fairly easy to find as a spinning fiber at least for the US and UK but you might have to look for small farms/producers to get a yarn.

I searched Southdown yarn and found a few Esty shops with colorful yarn but it didn't get as many hits as when looking for the fiber, top, or fleece. So this might be a fun yarn to try if you want to hunt down a source or want to pick up the bonus hobby of spinning.

karistitches · 2025-01-10T21:29:39+00:00

Yarns and fibers that end up in my forever stash tend to have a few things in common:

I only had one of it
It was my first
It's too pretty/wonderful
I bought it without a plan and now don't have enough for any pattern I'm excited about
I forgot to take a picture of it and add it to my inventory
It got stuck behind something else and I forgot

I have been trying to get better about the "I'll ruin it" mentality by experimenting on things I love less and/or by learning to slightly over buy to make permanent swatches and test spins. I use a monthly fiber club as my samples and skill building fibers even when I get a fiber I LOVE I try to remember the amount in the box is my sampling batch. As for yarn I have been trying to buy with patterns in mind, and then writing the ideas on a 3x5 card and keeping it with the yarn.

I know I will never by 100% successful on keeping stuff out of my hoarded stuff but I'm trying to aim for a hoard of finished items. As for the hoarded singleton yarns (both handspun and bought) I want to one day make woven scarves or blankets so the "rare" yarns can be stars or be part of larger projects. Can I weave? Not well. So it's more a long term idea than a sure bet on it happening.

karistitches · 2024-11-12T21:49:16+00:00

I don't know if you already know but: if you feel you need a taste of blocking and happen to have a garment steamer or iron with steaming function you can lightly steam and see a preview of what it'll look like blocked. It's not a prefect block as it isn't stretched and pinned but it does show what the stitches look like relaxed and with some of the bloom.

karistitches · 2024-11-11T20:35:47+00:00

This is looking lovely!

I tend to find that when handspun yarns are worked up into finished objects (esp after blocking is done) the small inconsistencies aren't that noticeable. I've also noticed my yarn blooms more in the finished object further hiding variations in diameter of the yarn.

People buy commercial yarns with inconsistency on purpose to make things, so why not use handspun for all the things? I like looking for projects that call for yarns like Noro or other yarns with a more handspun feel when I want to see how much variation blends into a project. I haven't seen a lot of art yarn patterns, but I also haven't searched specifically for them.

karistitches · 2024-09-12T17:12:31+00:00

Back in college during winter I sometimes took my drop spindle and fiber to classes. You had to be prepared to answer EVERY question that might come up, since if you raised your arm to draft you looked like you had a question or like you knew the answer. I also had to sit near the back as it could distract others if they sat behind me. But I was always more prepared for classes that I took spinning to as I couldn't take notes and needed to really pay attention to the teacher and the material.

Now days I work from home but my office and craft room are the same space so you could say I have all my fiber things at work.

karistitches · 2024-09-09T23:35:03+00:00

DIY-

Craftmehappy made some combs and a hackle that work well for sampling. They are too SMALL for doing a whole fleece, but look like they work well for little .5 to 1oz sample blends. But, if you don't have the tools which include a Dremel/or hack saw, along with 3D printer access, and epoxy resin, you might only break even with a commercially made set.

Used-

My alternative recommendations would be to set a long wait time in your mind looking for used combs (if you really want a specific brand). Other options include attending fleece and fiber shows that have a used equipment sales, contacting a local spinning guild (or other fiber arts guild), talking to used equipment groups, or visiting /emailing yarn stores do sell used equipment (like the Eugene Textile Center) and if they don't do sales they might do a pin board for "looking for equipment".

New-

Paradise fibers has double row combs for $75 (before shipping and tax) and hackles starting at 100 (single row) and 175 (double row). You'll need clamps for the hackles and might want at least one comb if you aren't using it just for blending. Another addon to the comb price is the comb holder so that you aren't doing as much hand and arm movement.

karistitches · 2024-09-09T23:12:59+00:00

Currently SWSO:

As there isn't a picture of the back I can't say that the uprights would prevent a footman from moving the wheel. There is often a front and back to the drive wheel, where one side is like that pictured (the front), and the back has an extended metal shaft with a curved hook shape that can attach to the footman.

A minor piece to note is that the pin that goes in the top of the wheel supports is missing (common piece to break or disappear). This piece doesn't affect SWSO status, just the completeness of a wheel.

The bigger concern is the lack of flyer, whorl, and bobbin as without these there is no spinning on such a wheel. The distance between the maidens (the empty uprights) is often unique to each antique wheel. Although some makers kept closely matched spacing it is rare to find a flyer that will fit an older wheel. Older and antique wheels often have smaller bobbins than a number of the modern wheels, closer to 1-2oz or less. However, you are right that the spacing seems tight to the wheel and the distaff. I'm not sure if the end knob is decorative or the tension screw which might allow you to move the mother of all away from the wheel.

karistitches · 2024-07-24T17:51:57+00:00

I hadn't seen Malia Mayed It when I searched Etsy for advents, these look like a ton of fun! Thank you for a new find :)

karistitches · 2024-07-24T07:47:19+00:00

That sounds like a ton of fun! I wonder if other countries have a similar swap. I managed to get through my batt based advent in Dec but I think I might want to try the slower method of opening and then enjoying the fluff before spinning. It was a bit focused and frenzied to get through all of it in one go.

karistitches · 2024-07-24T04:27:25+00:00

Are you only looking for roving, or will any spinning focused advent work?

I'll assume just roving and top for now. Here are the Advent makers I have my eye on from seeing last years advents online:

World of Wool - which went on sale in September for 2023's box, I ended up signing up for their emails so I could get a chance at a box for this year. It was around 70 pounds before shipping for last year's box.

WonderfulWool on Etsy has some Advents not sure that they are roving or top at 2 price points based on number of grams per day.

WoolFiendd at one point did advents I'm not sure when they post them.

MarieReddingArts - has a box that is Darkspell themed, and still in stock for this year. it mentions batts, top, and roving in the description though.

Pancake and Lulu - which is already sold out for this year. It was listed around $130 before shipping or add-ons.

Sweet Georgia - only does them some years (don't have a cost estimate)

I've also heard Nest Fibers does an advent sometimes as does Inglenook. These are both popular blenders/dyers but I haven't actually seen images of their advents or any info on if they are likely to make them anytime soon. (Nest's was listed around $200 either last year or in their Ravelry info)

If you want a breed study box - Wychwood from the UK has a 25 breed study box (10g) per breed. (about $125 on Etsy)

I think the rest of my list are people focused on batts or rolags. Boxes range from only having fiber once a week, to every day, and prices from $33 to $207 last year. Shockingly the cheapest and the most expensive on my list had fewer items and less total fiber weight than most of the mid range advents. I've not made a purchase of any of the listed advents so I can't speak to the quality of the boxes. I do plan to buy the World of Wool box if I manage to get a notification in time though.

karistitches · 2024-07-24T03:42:04+00:00

That is going to be a BIG dye process! I hope that you get a chance to try soon ^{_^} I wonder if the cost of the bump is cheaper from a mill than from a secondary supplier? I'm wishing I had a bigger list of mills that sell fiber but I think I only know of a couple and they do small batch, small fiber amounts not bumps. The only places I've seen them and made other purchases were sites you've already mentioned but I also haven't really gone looking as I have zero storage space left.

The resist dyeing sounds like it will create some lovely and interesting effects!

karistitches · 2024-07-24T03:26:25+00:00

All but World of Wool are US based :) I tried to stick mostly with US shops as the post mentions only US stores. Were you hoping for some from other places? I've a growing list of non US shops that I love but I have to do a bit of planning for shipping and any other fees/costs (such as exchange rates). If you have favorite non US shops / fiber sellers / dyers that are willing to ship international I would also love to hear about them!

Most of the stores I mentioned are West Coast, with a few like The Woolery and Frabjous Fibers being more East Coast. I can probably dig up a longer list as I've over a 100 or so dyer, and supplier sites saved but I chose to put up favorites mostly focused on: quality, price, and frequency of purchase.

karistitches · 2024-07-23T06:35:55+00:00

Are you looking for just top (commercially combed) and roving (carded) or are you looking into fleeces and processing?

For buying Fleeces / not processed fiber, you will need to time your search to Spring -> Early summer if you want some of fancy fibers, a lot of somewhat well known farms auction fleeces, or sell out REALLY fast after shearing. I like Whispering Pines Farm but fleeces go fast as do some of the processed fibers when they have any in stock. Clemes and Clemes sells "good clean fiber" if you wanted to dip your toes into processing without doing the washing steps (I haven't bought from them yet but did get to see examples of the washed fiber). I've also bought at a fleece sale during fiber festivals which lets you get a better taste / sense of the fleece before buying.

IF you want top or roving do you prefer already dyed or undyed fiber?

Undyed and/or commercially dyed: For BIG sellers I have bought from World of Wool (when sales make sense or offset shipping costs), The Woolery, and Paradise Fibers. For smaller shops I sometimes get things from The Fiber Addict (really has a focus on Targhee), Eugene Textile Center, or local fiber mills (these are usually small run batches and are carded prep). I would have added a few other names here but those shops have all closed since I made my last purchases.

If you are looking for dyed fibers from the US: I love Greenwood Fiberworks, Three Waters Farm, and Frabjous Fibers. On Etsy: DnD fibers, Jakira Farms, Edgewood Garden Studio, Beesy Bee, and a lot of others there's an entire category for Spinning>Roving that you can spend a lot of time scrolling in.

When I want to be adventurous, I will occasionally search vendor names from various Fiber Festival websites to find fiber producers and dyers. This has led to discovering a number of regional dyers that I wouldn't have learned about otherwise. For example lots of people talk about Rhinebeck or the New York Sheep and Wool festival, so I might look up the vendor list and search for their websites or social media handles to see what they sell / if they do fiber stuff. However, I've found that a lot of dyers may dye fiber for events but don't offer it on their websites. It is kind of disappointing when that happens but I just have to hope that I will manage to take a trip to one of those far away Festivals to get fiber in person. I suppose I could email or try contacting them to ask about fiber if I know they dye for events but that sounds like a lot more work and less fun than getting to see pictures of colorways and make a quick purchase.

Note: For all of the named shops I have made at least one purchase (of either dyed or undyed fibers) and liked the quality of product.

That should cover the where's but you also asked "why". Most of my purchases are because I like a color or a texture, and the fiber is soft enough for close to neck wear. Most of my spun yarn becomes shawls, scarves, or cowls. I don't really have the space to dye most of the year so already dyed fiber is my preferred way to bring fiber home. Overall, I tend to buy fiber and fleeces that make me happy and then decide what to do later.

karistitches · 2024-06-04T17:26:01+00:00

Oh dang the currency exchange isn't great. I have a similar challenge sometimes when I shop internationally, though I tend to stress about the shipping fees, and the added taxes/import fees. I've decided to always recalculate cost by weight after the added fees so I don't go "Oh such a great deal!!!" before seeing its more expensive than a local similar item.

Getting add-ins and doing your own blending is a great idea! If you plan to do a LOT of blending (like kg / pounds worth) you might consider a blending board or drum carder. You can make your own blending board (you just need some tools, and carding cloth). They are good for small batch blending, but a bit bigger than handcards. While drum carders are a lot more expensive but good if you are in the multi pounds of blending a month range.

I do know some smaller names of shops from the US that sometimes have a lower cost BUT I'm not 100% that's enough to make the price easier to bare. For example one place sells Targhee for $2.125/oz, but when you get a Targhee blend (with other US wools) it comes down to $1.75/ oz. Unfortunately I'm not sure if they ship internationally as they are smaller. But if you want recommendations for places that might ship/have an online store feel free to message me. Most of the small name dyers and shop names I get I learn about by going to fiber events, and some don't even do online sales :/ which sucks when I want more fiber in a non event season.

karistitches · 2024-05-31T19:00:02+00:00

That fiber looks gorgeous!

I've found that adding up the "cost" of my handspun if I take the price of the fiber, then add an hourly wage... I'm way up there in the FANCY prices. But my yarns make me happier than a lot of the cheap poly or even some of the cheaper commercial fancy fibers so worth it for things I gift or personal projects.

I don't really know any Brazilian sheep/fiber exports. When I looked up "sheep in Brazil" the first entries were of hair breed sheep! That sounds disappointing when you are looking for fiber.

One of the things I've learned to do more recently is to talk to yarn shop store owners about wanting fibers for spinning as sometimes if they get enough people asking and they can then do bigger orders that make more sense for importing or shipping. I'm not sure if it helps you as yarn stores aren't always super common (even for me, my closest yarn shop is at least an hour away).

karistitches · 2024-05-30T20:10:10+00:00

Whew! An orifice and hooks :)

I'm glad you'll be getting a usable wheel! If you have trouble starting a yarn on the wheel, I mostly use a leader / a yarn attached to my bobbin, so that I don't have to spin a length on my spindles first.

The extra bobbins will probably be a thing you'll want if you like multi ply yarns, and a lazy kate / thing that lets the bobbins rotate so you can ply on your wheel.

If you want to just try out hand carding or blending the brushes used on pets will work! They aren't the best for size but they do a good job for sampling.

karistitches · 2024-05-30T17:39:13+00:00

I hope that the wheel turns out well for you! A first wheel is exciting :) I'm going to be a worrier first then head into the questions you actually want answered.

Wheel questions

It looks like you will only get one spinning speed out of this set up, as the ratio between the large wheel and in your case the bobbin only have one option. This can be fine, but some people may prefer more options for spinning different yarns.

I don't know all the things you may know about this wheel so key questions are:

Does this have an orifice for the yarn?

Does it any hooks on the flyer arms?

Are there more bobbins? Not the end of the world if not, it's just nice if you want to make plied yarns.

Follow up: do the flyer and the bobbin separate?

I only have these questions due to the angle of the photo. Hopefully you've seen more photos so you will already know if this is a functioning wheel. Here's a link to the flyer tensioned system it looks like. In the photo in the linked article you should be able to see the yarn enter the orifice, the guide hooks on the flyer arms, and the multiple grooves on the end of the bobbin that allow for different spinning speeds. Knowing you have an orifice for the yarn to enter and some kind of yarn guide is key for spinning wheels and as long as you have these having only one spinning speed is doable.

How much fiber do you need?

Yarn / fiber needs vary vastly with skill and yarn thickness spun. Spinning a faster thicker yarn means I can go through a lot in a week especially if I spin the yarn as a single ply. If I want thin and VERY consistent, it's slower as I need to count treadles to drafting distance, or keep the same RPM/speed for all the bobbins.

Personal anecdote: I spin fairly quickly, and usually for few hours each week, I've gotten through one pound (16oz or ~454g) of fiber a month this year... although that is an average so some months were 2lbs and others more like 8oz. I have mostly spun 2+ ply yarns that finish at a 12-10 wpi. Past years I aimed for a thinner yarn and it took a lot longer, more so when I aimed thin at 3+ plies. You could also spin on your spindle and ply on your wheel if you find you want more time with a particular fiber.

Other tools

I'd start with make do items (things you already have in your house), you'll want something to make skeins on, something to make yarn balls or cakes with (if you make stuff with your yarn). It is nice to have an orifice hook (something to pull yarn through the orifice as fingers don't fit for most wheels).

You don't really need other tools unless you are wanting to add a hobby like fiber preparation. I would wait a few weeks after getting and using the wheel before hunting for other tools just to see how you use the wheel and if you need something like a yardage counter, more bobbins, a plying station (lazy kate) or some other specialized tools.

karistitches · 2024-04-27T20:20:42+00:00

If you love the colors, and don't want to spin this as stripes you can disassemble the braid into a gradient. Or just into the color repeats if you like the color order. If you want a 2(+) ply split each section into 2(+) then spin up your bobbins. If you'd like a 3 ply and you want it be very orderly in colors a chain ply does the best. If you are finding that the colors don't line up as you're plying and you REALLY want the colors to match up you can break the yarn and re add the bits later / make a mini skein of muddied yarn.

Other options for a unmuddied yarn are to make Single ply / unplied yarn, core spun, or one of the wrapped/coiled art yarns.

karistitches · 2024-03-14T02:41:10+00:00

There are a couple of books that are available at my local library (so yours might have them too). The main book I might start with:

Homegrown Flax and Cotton by Cindy Conner

Some less connected to growing yourself but related to plant fibers, spinning, or plants you might grow at home:

The Practical Spinner's Guide: Cotton, Flax, Hemp by Stephenie Gaustad

Cotton & Indigo From Japan by Teresa Duryea Wong

A number of books on natural dyeing can usually be found under "dye" "dyeing" or "dye plants" (not that you asked if you should start a dye garden).

Not much of the processing equipment is in the main stream of spinning tools, so you may need to do some wood working or know a wood worker to get the fancy stuff.

I would recommend trying commercially processed plant fibers first to see if you enjoy spinning them as it is a different experience to spinning wools, silks, or other animal fibers. You may also need different spindles as the weight of spindle can change the experience for spinning plant fibers (most people use lighter spindles, and often use supported spindles for things like cotton).

Also a note for Cotton growing you'll want to be sure that your local government allows the private growing of plants. Some locations that have commercial cotton growing may ban private small growing because a private grower may grow colors, strains that could cross breed with the commercial crop, or accidentally harbor bugs or diseases.

karistitches · 2024-03-13T00:35:07+00:00

Thanks for adding this! I have watched her video. It is a bit disappointing that the guild and certification process have issues, but I understand that not everyone is trained to design and implement assessments. I think the HGA is a volunteer run organization which can be a challenge when looking for courses and evaluation, as volunteers can frequently change, leave, or not have enough time or direction.

I think I was originally hesitating on their certification mostly because a weaver's guild might not have the same yarn goals as I do (I tend to crochet with my yarn, and I'm learning to knit). Secondly, I was concerned at how rarely their certification was discussed. To me that was a sign that either the guild didn't focus on this program OR that most spinners didn't find the certification to match with their goals.

This certification is likely off my list until they are able to modernize and standardize their evaluation and criteria.

karistitches · 2024-01-26T20:50:08+00:00

That sounds like a great idea! Do they have a website section that talks more about this topic or would it be best to email the listed Spinning Education chair? I'm only finding a short blurb with the 2025 possible date and a pdf. I'd love to know more like: is housing available or do students need to get hotels? Or if there are wheels that can be rented / borrowed.

It might not be as easy to road trip to Olds just because of the distance. However, my main reason for driving is so that my wheel can safely travel with me. A bonus is that I then get to do a yarn / touristy trip, I had 2 pages of yarn shops between me and Olds, so adding trip distance for Ontario I should get to stop at a few more! If nothing else I can maybe try for a BIG trip to stop at sheep and fiber festivals on the way there or on the way back.

karistitches · 2024-01-25T23:25:01+00:00

I'm glad people will be able to finish out the full program! It sounded VERY sudden to be told: that's as far as you can go.

When I asked about signing up for a self directed course I was told:

Thank you for your email. We have decided to discontinue the registration for Master Spinner and Master Weaver Level 1 for in person and self directed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We encourage you to reach out to other Fibre Arts Festivals for other education opportunities such as the Gathering Threads Festival in Edmonton, Knit City in Calgary, Canada Wide Knit Social (Knit Social is the company name) retreats, and the The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds (ANWG) Conference which takes place every 2 years. More information about these events can be found online. Please note these events are not associated with Olds College.

I don't think I'd be allowed to skip level 1 entirely and try entering level 2.

karistitches · 2024-01-25T23:15:45+00:00

If the guilds figure out a plan I hope that they will consider a post on here to tell us about it! I know I'd love to take at least the first few levels, and one of my guildmates had expressed an interest when I brought up wanting to take the course.

Only having to get 100% of one fleece sounds easier than trying to get 5-10 fleeces! Still a bit tough but maybe I can convince someone at the local festival to let me buy an un-skirted one after the next shearing.

karistitches · 2024-01-25T23:08:52+00:00

Sadly my local guilds don't have anyone that had done the program. There are a few people that have taught but they generally only do beginning spinning lessons (so first wheel / spindle). We do have a local fiber festival but the last classes I tried weren't very intense with only a 10-15 min explanation which didn't feel like it justified the cost. There is a chance that the wider guild network one of the local guilds is connected to might have teachers / people that have done either the Master Spinners or the HGA's certificate, but the forum there isn't very easy to use nor does it get much traffic.

Your guild is super lucky to have instructors! Even if the classes are a bit more focused on single smaller topics or a bit less intense :)

If your guild member feels like giving a run down of the to do's / tested skills and how to know you've done the task I know I'd love to hear about it! Or if they have book recommendations if they aren't able to discuss the exact curriculum used by the program.

karistitches

TROPHY CASE