Tools new and used

I stopped by the Little Shop of Spinning to try out a couple of portable spinning wheels (more on that later). Since I was there, I purchased an Ashford lazy Kate. The shoe box solution was fine in an emergency but there was no easy way to add tension to the bobbins. Also, I am attending Ply Away in March and need a lazy Kate for 3-plying in one of my classes.

The tension system on this model is just like the Scotch tension on my spinning wheel, so no learning curve there. A little bit of tension keeps the bobbins from over spinning and tangling the yarn. I think this new tool will do nicely.

The lazy Kate was brand new, still in the box. Not so the mini-standard Clemes & Clemes drum carder that just happened to be for sale in the shop. Betty had posted it on FB earlier, but so far no takers. That meant is was for me.

We ran a little Romney fiber through it to make sure it worked okay and for me to learn some tips on how to get the best results from this device. Betty threw in a doffer, a tool for removing the batt from the drum.

Betty recommended removing the belt when not in use, BUT FIRST take a photo of the belt configuration. This sounded like excellent advice, one learned from experience. Since this item is pre-owned, there was no documentation with it.

I have used drum carders in several workshops, but didn't feel the need to spend $500-$650 for one. But I now have three bags of fiber sitting in the garage, just waiting to be processed. That is a lot to hand card, so this used mini is just the ticket. And at a reduced price.

A spinning experiement

Recently I purchased some dyed roving in what we will call turquoise and chartreuse. I had seen these colors together elsewhere and wanted to spin them together. My idea was to spin singles in each color, then a single with both colors combined, ending with a three-ply yarn.

I was somewhat disappointed in the quality of the yarn. It felt overly processed and stiff, and it was not much fun to spin. Looking back, I should have teased the fibers apart before spinning, to see if I could get them to draft better into the twist.

To blend the two colors, I used my blending board, layering one color, then the other, then rolling them together to create a rolag.

If I were to do this again (and I just might!), I would take the rolag and reblend it, as the colors were not actually mixed. The resulting single was mostly one color or the other or the two "barber poled" around each other. Not exactly what I was aiming for.

My spinning wheel has two spindles on it, but for a three-ply, I needed a lazy kate. I don't currently have one, so I rigged one up with US8 knitting needles and a shoe box. This worked fine, although a little drag on the bobbins would have been helpful.

I like the colors, but the result was not quite what I was aiming for. I like the bulky three-ply yarn, but there isn't enough to do anything with it. These are both good excuses to get more roving and give it another whirl. Right?