Spinning
Spinning is the act of twisting the fabric (wool, cotton, silk, alpaca,
llama, angora, dog, cat, rabbit, and many man made fibers) into a stable
'ply' that can be used in knitting or weaving.
Single ply yarn is
used in knitting and weaving, but it more common for two strands to be
plied together to create 2-ply yarn.
When you spin from loose
material , you create a single ply. Depending on which way you
turn the wheel you get "s" or "z" twist. When you ply two strands
together, you ply in the opposite direction. For example, 2 "s"
twist strands would be spun into 1 "z" 2-ply.
Great Wheel
When we think of spinning, the picture conjured up
is usually a great wheel, like the one in the fairy tale
Rumpelstiltskin. These were widely used, and could be fabricated easily
as they had no complicated parts. Tension and twist were controlled by
the spinner who stood at the wheel.
Speedup Kit
A problem with the great wheel was the comparative
slowness of the spindle speed. A speed up kit was devised whereby an
intermediate spool with two different sized pulleys on it greatly
increased the spindle speed.
Flyer
Modern wheels have a "flyer" that aids the spinner
in controlling the twist. The yoke of the flyer and the spindle
actually turn at different speeds. Varying schemes for controlling
the tension exist.
Ashford Traditional
A modern wheel with an old fashioned look, the
Ashford Traditional is a staple of the spinning community. It comes with
single or double treadles.
Lendrum
The Lendrum is a modern wheel that has advanced
features which appeal to many spinners. The wheel and flyer are
tilted toward the spinner which many find to be more comfortable. Like
many modern wheels, the Lendrum has the ability to spin at many
different speeds which makes it usable for a wide range of fiber. The
Lendrum is a portable wheel, that is, it can be easily broken down and
transported to another location. As spinners often gather to spin
and chat, this portability is a definite p[lus.
Ashford Joy
The Joy is another portable wheel. It folds
up even smaller than the Lendrum. The Joy also has a wide range of
spinning speeds. At right it is pictured in the carrying case.
Spools and stuff
There are a great many accessories needed
to support spinning. Among these are(left rear) a swift for
transferring spun yarn to skeins, (left center) a ball winder for
transferring from skeins to balls for knitting, (foreground) spools for
spinning and plying the yarn.
Swift
A swift can be extremely simple and made of plastic
and metal, or it can be fancy and made of exotic woods. Eventually the
spinner finds one that is a favorite, no matter what the construction.