The Hubby Says "A hobby"

So I love my DH.  Though Friday night, I shot daggers from my eyes.  Though not in a serious way.  *laugh*

On a tv show we were watching, they said the person should get a hobby.  He pointed out that the saying is *A* hobby.  I shot my daggers and then laughed.

He says this because I am taking up another hobby.  Fiber related of course.

An awesome lady who I had the pleasure of working with for many years is selling her two weaving looms.  And I am buying the smaller of the two.  It is a Schacht 20" Table Loom.

I confess that if she weren't selling it at such an amazing price, I wouldn't even dream of it.  But it is about the cost of a new rigid heddle loom.  And it is Schacht.  And after having my Ladybug nearly two years, I am in love with the company.  They were awesome about answering questions even *before* I bought the wheel.  And I bought a used wheel at that.  But they answered all sorts of questions.  Awesome.

And I LOVE my Ladybug.  It is an amazing wheel.  I adore spinning on it.  Though I have to confess.  It hasn't been touched since after I finished plying my MASSIVE double Bump Loop madness.  I didn't get it finished for the Tour de Fleece.  But I finished it after getting back from SSK.

Mind you, that was not about the wheel.  That was about me.  I spin tons during the TdF and then STOP for at least 2-4 months afterwards.  So it is my yearly pattern any time I do the Tour de Fleece!  *laugh*

So... I am waiting for my tax refund before I can actually get my new-to-me loom.  Being me, what does that mean?  I start learning all I can.  Researching, reading and with weaving, there are a ton of awesome videos on YouTube that are super helpful.

I started thinking about projects.  I know a simple plain/tabby weave is a great starter project.  But it is me...  So I think about doing that for eons.  In just two colors...

I watched some YouTube videos for weaving.  I am thrilled there are so many good ones available.  It is so helpful.

One guy uses a rigid heddle to weave scarves.  And he can do it relatively fast.  He says about 4 hours for a completed project.  *blink*  He uses some bulker yarns.  They look great.  He uses long color stripe yarns.  And inexpensive ones at that.  He suggested Bernat Mosaic (which is discontinued), something from Red Heart & Lion Brand Landscapes yarn. 

LB is having a sale on Scarfie which is as you would expect, a scarf length of yarn!  Mandala also has long color repeats which could be cool.  So I am thinking that an order might not be the worst idea.  *smile*

But I looked at the yarns and went..."Hey...wait a sec.  Those look like the kind of long colors you get with handspun..."  Which of course inspired me...

See the slippery slope?!  *laugh*

So I wanted something fun & funky. Something where I could just play with colors and not stress too much if all was harmonious.  And if it didn't work out, that was okay too.

I remembered I had the bag of Odds & Ends from Into the Whirled.  That could be perfect.  Lots of fun & a bit of a mystery.

I loved spinning the singles.  I just spun it all & figure I will Navajo ply to keep the colors very sharp.  The warp can work to pull it all together. 

The fibers were fun to spin.  Since it is an odds & ends bag, I don't know what fibers were in it.  But I would swear that at least a third to half had some silk in them.  And I LOVE silk blends.  Mind you, in the same order from Into the Whirled, I had several braids of fiber with silk...  *laugh*  I just checked.  ALL the spinning fiber had silk in the order.  *chuckle*  So heaven knows, given how awesome the folks at ItW are, they may have pull an Odds & Ends bag with silk for me.  I am always confused, but some spinners don't like silk in spinning.  So they may separate them.  Or maybe I just lucked out!  *laugh*

The bag has a lot of green.  But there are bits & bobs of many colors.  I think it will be really interesting to see how it ends up in weaving.  I also figured it was a good way to use the colors.

This is the first time I am using the Akerworks bobbin I got at SSK.  I know...  Embarrassing that I have had it since July, but it only just got on the wheel.  But I haven't spun singles since the end of the Tour de Fleece.  As expected, I am in LLLOOOOVVVVEEE.  I adore seeing through the end of the bobbin!  I can only imagine what that would look like for a Bullseye Bump!

The Odds & Ends say they are between 4-4.3 oz.  And there was still room on bobbin.  I really wonder if I could fit a whole Bump on it.   Not sure...  Of course, may need to try at some point.  *grin*

Here's a pic of the singles finished on the bobbin.

Of course, it makes me want *MORE* of them.  *sigh*  And I actually *have* a lot of bobbins as I got them with my wheel.  So I really don't *need* more.  But WANT!!

We will see between now & when the tax refund arrives what I decide I need.  *laugh*  I want to pick up some weaving yarns as well.  I don't own much in the way of cotton.  And I think some washable cotton placemats could be awesome place to start with weaving.  

The Yarn Barn of Kansas has some weaving kits.  I really think one of their samplers could be great.  Turns out they have one for dish towels which could be great.  Though of course, I love the sampler scarves.  My first knitting project is a scarf I still wear that is a sampler!  So it seems kinda fitting.

Sooo many choices!  The Woolery also has weaving kits.  And then there are tons of patterns & such.  So I could just get the yarn & have at it. 

SOOOO EXCITED!!  I really can't wait for the tax return to come.  Hopefully soon.  We e-filed already.  And they are saying it generally is completed within 4 weeks.  *fingers crossed it comes soon*

Baby Got a Bath

So my Ladybug for a bath.  *smile*

I got my wheel a year ago.  The previous owner had given her a "bath treatment" before I bought her. 

The treadles were getting a bit grimmy.  And I thought she could do with a good rub down.

Of course, being me, I did reading & watching.  Ordered supplies.  And finally did it this morning.

I watched this video:

https://youtu.be/IthA-_4SMMU

It is very useful. 

I followed it with mods of course, being me.

Schacht recommends Danish oil.  And I felt that she could use that.  It gives it a slight tougher finish.

So, here's what I did - mostly followed the video except adding the Danish oil.

- Water wipe down

Barely damp, just to get the dust & grime off

- Murphy's "wash"

I used the Clean & Shine Spray.  It is at the dilution needed for cleaning.

- Brasso for metal bits

I think next time, I would do the wash & Brasso in reverse order.  So that way it would just wash off if it got on the wood.

- Danish oil

I took a look at http://wooltherapy.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-babies.html who used Danish oil.  I followed her instructions.  Rub oil in.  Let it sit for 30 minutes.  Buff.  Repeat, but let sit for 15 minutes.  Funny part.  After doing that, I realized those are the instructions on the Danish oil.  *laugh*

- Wood Beams

I am going to let the Danish oil sit for the 8-10 hours recommended on the tin.  So either tonight or tomorrow, I will rub her down with some Wood Beams.  I have done a lot of reading on the forums.  It seems some people swear by only one or the other.  But some say they do the Danish oil every 2-3 years.  But on a more frequent basis, they use Wood Beams.

I think that is the best plan.  Especially with the treadles.  My feet aren't perfect.  I live in an urban area.  So they do get grimy sometimes.  Probably doesn't help that I have Mary Jane style shoes.  So some dirt is probably getting into them when I am out & about.

I am hoping this helps.  I confess that I was spoiled with my Babe.  It was really no maintenance.  I think I cleaned it once or twice the eight years I have had it.  It is PVC for the most part.  The treadles are wood, but not finished.  So I don't even have a guess what would help them.  So I just leave them be. 

I am hoping the Wood Beams will really make her glow.  A lot of people say that happens with the Danish oil.  But I don't really see that.  So either she was better off than I thought or I didn't buff enough...  Not sure honestly.

I should try to take pics.  Though I should have done before & after shots.

BTW, here is the link to Wood Beams:

http://www.goodiesunlimited.com/woodbeam.html

My Two Weeks with the Lady Rue

So, two whole weeks have passed with my new (to me) Ladybug.  And I am still head over heels.  I adore her.

I think the name is sticking.  She is the Lady Rue from Prudence by Gail Carriger.  Love the book & the character.  And there is an airship painted as a ladybug.  It seems to work for her.

It is so amazing to spin on her.  I really do love her.  The treadle is super smooth and sweet.  It was definitely a great choice for me.

It is interesting though.  I am trying to teach myself to modify the way I spin.  With the treadle being so easy & wide, I don't have to sit so close to the wheel.  And since the orifice is lower than the Babe & I can sit back from her, I can move back from the wheel. 

Also, I think that I can lean back as I am no longer a novice spinner.  I can relax my hold & position.  I don't feel the need to be right on top of the wheel to control it.

I have room between me and the wheel to hold the fiber.  So I can spin straight into the orifice.   But it does require thinking about things & changing where I hold my hands.  And I had my Babe since 2008!  So nearly eight years of spinning a certain way.

I was holding my hands to the left.  So I was twisting my body slightly.  With the new wheel, I am trying to remember to hold my hands in front of me, close to my lap.  I really think it is helping give me better control.  That is a huge plus.

Though I do find myself doing it still.  But after nearly eight years, it is going to take a bit of time to change. But overall, it is going well.

I am definitely glad I picked up the Drafting from Worsted to Woolen Craftsy class with Jacey Boggs. 

http://www.craftsy.com/class/drafting-from-worsted-to-woolen/4867

I watched this before getting the wheel.  So it taught me a more about control & consistency.  Some of the concepts are pretty basic. But it is so smart that consistent distance between the hands is critical to maintaining consistent thickness.  Great class.  Definitely the right class at the right time.

(On a side note about the class, the only thing I wish from it was that there was class materials with pics of the different advantages & properties of each drafting technique.  There is a pdf, but it doesn't include the info in the class like showing the different yarns side by side.  It is minor, but it would really help.)

The spinning is great.  I am finding I can spin finer, more consistent singles.  I spun some beautiful alpaca/silk that is super fine.  Though I need to work on my plying...  More on that later.

All in all, I am so thrilled with my choice.

I still think buying the used wheel with the Woolee Winder was the best move for me.

Though there is still that little voice that wishes I got a completely new wheel because I could.  But that is just a desire for new because I could afford it.  The wheel is really great.  It is in good condition.  And I couldn't have afforded the Woolee Winder & so many bobbins, that's for certain.

I did purchase a couple new poly bands & a double drive band.  I also picked up a new break & new large o-ring pieces for the Lazy Kate.  Other than the poly drive band, none were critical.  I will swap out the old o-rings on the Lazy Kate when they arrive.  But I did ply with the ones on there and it worked well.

I confess though, there is a clicking with the Woolee Winder that concerns me.  It may be completely normal.  It may not.  Some awesome folks on the WW board on Ravelry helped me.  I think there should be a little plastic piece that goes around the threading eye that moves.  There isn't one.  So either that is a design change made by the company since this one was made or it is gone.

Thing is, there are parts that should have come with the WW to enable me to take it apart to clean it.  But there aren't.  And I don't know if I can find them.  They are small & challenging to replace I have been told. 

I would be less concern if I had heard back from the WW folks.  I have been assured their customer service is outstanding.  But I would completely get if the guy told me that it is a used flyer so he doesn't service them.  But tell me if that is the case. 

I did get a response to my email before Maryland Sheep & Wool.  I asked if the WW flyer could be used in both scotch & double drive mode.  They replied the same day. 

I wrote two weeks ago about getting a manual.  Then I wrote a week ago about getting the flyer serviced.  *sigh*  Kinda frustating as I really do love the WW.  But two emails without responses...  Not great.

One of the people from the board told me to call them but I loathe calling!  *laugh*  I may break down and do it.  But we shall see...

I have to say I adore the people on the WW board.  One sent me the manual.  She offered to meet up with me at the Webs tent sale to take a look at it.  She also offered suggestions on things that it could be.  She determined the issue is probably the missing plastic piece on the eye.  Another offered to take the flyer to someone who *works* for the company!  It was super sweet of them both.

I am thrilled with my purchase.  I love the Ladybug.  And I think it was the ideal choice for me.  I have been spinning daily. 

However, it caused the crazy to come out.  I purchased fiber to work on spinning enough for the Less Is More sweater.  A WHOLE FREAKING SWEATER.  Though after shelling out a whole lot of money, I realized that probably isn't in fact enough for a sweater in my size.  *pout*  Ah well.  I will see what yardage I get.  I may have to add some more fiber.  Mind you, this is probably a 3-4 year long project!  *laugh* 

I did wind the first yarn I spun on my Bug into a skein.  See that twist?!

There are 3-4 twists in the yarn.  It is about over-plying I think. 

More pics and such are on my Ravelry page:

http://ravel.me/akasha/asr

With the Babe, I have a bulky flyer which is much larger.  Also, I don't have a tensioned Lazy Kate for the Babe.  I use a box with pieces to hold the bobbins.  So the bobbins spin easily.  I suspect in trying to ply on Rue, I added way too much twist.  I did it on my largest ratio. But the Babe Bulky is very low.  (Can't track down the bulky ratio, but it is lower than the lowest ratio bobbins which are 5 7/8:1.  I think it was either 4 or 3.?.)   The lowest ratio on the Bug is 7:1.  So between the tensioning & the ratio, I definitely over-plied it.  *sigh*

I soak & snapped it.  But there are still some curly bits here & there.  The bulk of it is okay.  But I confess that I am bit sad as I had lace dreams.  An actual lace shawl with yarn I spun.  But alas, nope.  With the overspinning, I can't do anything with a detailed pattern as it may bias in a big way.  It could do bizarre things with any pattern. 

Mind you, I lost the tag & thought it was wool & silk.  But it is alpaca & silk.  And given the lack of memory in alpaca, not a great choice for lace anyhow.  *pout*  Ah well.  Even with the overtwist, it is still a pretty yarn.  The alpaca adds a bit of a halo which is nice.  And the silk adds some nice shine.  I am tempted to add some beads to weigh it down a bit to combat the twist.  But we shall see.  *smile*

I suspect I may use my Babe for plying unless/until I get a bulky flyer.  Though it would be interesting if I use the Lazy Kate on the Ladybug. 

I keep not getting this posted because I am adding to it!  So time to post it.