Beth of www.thespinningloft.com a loyal reader and my pal for Fiber Frenzy liked the spindles so well, she ordered 15 of them.

A little background on Beth, she is an absolute expert spinner, specializing in lace weight.  I can tell you that she spins very well with a highly technical ability.  Anyhow, I sent her the first batch which you saw in an earlier post.   After testing them out, despite my reservations, and some problems with 2 of the smallest ones, I have a second opionion, and you can read her unbiased opinion.

I got the spindles today and tried them all.  My least favorite are the smallest whorls.  I’m not sure if it needs a smaller shaft or what.  I’ll play with them a little more on Saturday, I only had a minute or two with each today – but they sure are beautiful.  I’ve chosen one for myself – the one with the swirly top next to the hook. That wood near the hook seems to have gotten cracked in transit so I’m going to glue it and see if it helps.
These spindles are just fabulous and I’m sure I’ll have no trouble selling them.

I had been concerned about the whorl size, but it seems that they do just fine, even though the whorls are smaller.  The two smallest ones, were not so good, so we will not be making any THAT small until we can manage to correct that problem.  Here is the rest of Beth’s order, I have done a couple of larger spindles in the 35 – 40 gram size, and also a couple of bottom whorl spindles.

The whorls are horribly difficult to photograph as a group, but they are all really beautiful.  I am very pleased with them.  We shall see what Beth thinks about the modifications made on these.

So, excepting for the smallest ones, and one that had a small crack, they were all a success.  I will have to wrap them in MORE bubble wrap next time, and see if that protects them more.  Of course Beth will be able to get three new spindles, if she wishes, although it would seem that she is attached to them, because thus far, she doesn’t want to exchange them

So now, I am off to the wood store to buy better wood to use, and also to get a few little tools that will help me out a lot.  I am also getting some special finishes and some other fun stuff that should make the next batch even better.

An update on the spindles, sorry no picture as I shipped them all off, so they are gone…  Don’t foget to comment, and get entered in the contest for a prize at the end of the month!  It will be valued at about $50 so it will be something nice!

I have solved the glue problem, useing a polyurethane glue, nice stuff by the way.  And I have also solved the hook issue as well.  I bought some heavy duty T pins, such as are used for upolstery or to hold fabrics on dress forms.  VOILA!  Non bending hooks, yet small enough to still look elegant.  They don’t look quite as nice, but still look good, and I think they added strength will be worth the sacrifice in appearance.  They will still shatter if dropped on a hard surface like concrete or tile.  I can’t do anything about that

So I have a few more to make to fill orders, and further refine the design.  I could use a little help with preferences.

So far, people seem to prefer the colored stains.

Here are some questions you can answer for me…

WPI on the bottom or top?

High gloss or satin finish?

top or bottom whorl?

And finally, a little talk on the concept of “Out of the Box”.  Generally speaking I am not a big adherant to the out of the box kind of creativity.  Out of the box is an expression that indicates a new or totally unheard of design, technique or use of material.  Personally, I think that in many forms, it’s pretty much all been done at some point or another.  Some fella 2000 years ago probably made spindles, similar to the ones I am making now, only probably did a better job at it.  That sums it up right there.

However, I think I may have actually come upon an idea that may not have been done, at least not commonly.  It could be because it won’t spin correctly LOL.  I’m going to try to make a double whorled spindle, with a top and bottome whorl, and see what happens.  I am thinking that if you put a small whorl on top, and a larger whorl on the bottom, you would have a longer spinning, faster spinning spindle.  I’ll have to see though.  Still it’s an interesting idea, I’ll let you know how it works!
So I have four types of spindles in production.  30 – 40 grams on a 10.5 inch shaft for heavier yarns, 25-30 grams for medium to light yarns, 15 – 20 grams for lace yarns, and also some 15 – 20 for cottons, support spinning and ultra light yarns.  Am I missing a size that would be desirable?

Sooo, I am finishing up this order, and will now be taking new orders.  You can email me at allena at spindle and wheel dot com (all run together) if you would like to order a spindle.  I can work with you one on one to find exactly what you want that way.  Prices are $35 and this includes shipping charges.  International orders will be slightly more, due to higher shipping costs.

Well so, form over function means that the item should be beautiful, and the function should be a secondary consideration.  That is true with these spindles, sort of.

I learned that I was actually useing them incorrectly, and thus my problems.  I was trying to spin thicker yarn oh maybe 20 wpi or so, and these spindles won’t work for that.  They stop spinning.  I found that if I spun lace weight, as in about 30 – 40 wpi (for the singles) they spun fantastic.  I was just thrilled.  So the form and function are harmonious at this point.

The only hitch left in the design of these little beauties is adhereing the whorls and hooks securely.  I am testing yet another glue, and should know by tonight if it will do the trick.  If this one doesn’t work well enough, then I will try epoxy, and I am also considering soldering them on.  Wouldn’t THAT be gorgeous!

So the only design element I am not feeling really good about is the hook.  I found that if you dropped the spindle 10 feet down onto the ground from the porch, and it happend to land on the hook it bent.  To eliminate this problem I would have to use a MUCH heavier wire, and my form would be quite unattractive.  So I think this will just have to be left as it is.  I am going to look into some heavier pins to see if I can find something that will be a little more stable.  I didn’t have any trouble dropping them from short distances, so I think even as they are that they would be just fine.  They are somewhat delicate however and not something to be thrown around as the whorls will chip and the hooks will bend.

But enough talking, show me the spindles right?  Here is what I have made, and tested thus far.

I just love them, these test spindles will probably be sold for a smaller fee than the ones I will eventually make, I am thinking maybe around $25 for these, and then if I can get more consitant results, probably around $35.

Some of the whorls are carved, and some of them just don’t show up as well.  As I list them I will need to take better individual shots, but I thought this would give you all a good idea of what I had up my sleeve!

What do you think of the colored stains?  I mixed these myself, and I like them best.  I will be making up all sorts of colors, and this will let me choose the right color to go with the whorls.  I also have a lady who will let me “Pick through a HUGE box” of whorls so I can have a much better selection.  These were just a few I chose to try out, and I hadn’t found a good supplier yet.  But NOW I have one, so I have nothing to stop me!  It’s very exciting, I love to create.

The lighter ones weigh around 18 grams, and the heaviest one about 28 grams.  I will be designing some heavier spindles soon, for more heavy yarns.  The heaviest 28 gram one will work for heavier yarn, but you have to twirl more than I would like.

I spun on each one, and I thought they all worked really really well.  I could spin at least a yard with one twirl, which I thought was reasonable because you have to stop to wind on then anyway.  Especially if you are spinning in the car while riding… ahem

I did get a few odd looks, but found them all wonderful to use.  I will sell these, then take what I make from those sales, and buy more whorls and wood and make more. 

Also in progress are nostepinnes, (with a wpi tool included) and a wpi tool/necklace, and also some tiny spindle ear rings and necklace pendants.  Should be really really BEAUTIFUL!  and also useful.  I could also make little stone whorl key chains which got my 14 year old son really excited.  ???  What is up with that?  He doesn’t like spinning, but is nutso over a spindle key chain.  Oh well I guess I should be happy he wants one of those instead of an IPOD or something…

Let me know what you think, you guys are helping me make something really pretty, and useful.  Who knows, what if one of these was the prize???  Or something even better?  Better comment, just to be safe LOL!

I’ve been making spindles, that are GASP pretty!  They are pretty labor intensive, and very beautiful, but I am not sure how well they spin.

This was my first one, which didn’t work out so well, because the carving catches the fibers and winds them around.  So I have since redesigned the spindle.  I have kept the wpi tool, and made some with it on the bottom, like this one, and some with it on top, because I thought this would be more handy.

The problem is, that they don’t seem to spin as long as other spindles I have used.  I am thinking that I may need to put a slightly longer shaft on them.  This one spins better than the others, and it’s about 9 inches long.  Usually spindles of this weight range (18 – 28 grams or so) have shorter shafts, but since the whorls aren’t so big around, maybe this is why.  Of course the other thing to consider is that it spins a lot faster than others I’ve used, so maybe it’s just going faster than I can keep up with.  Of course as the twist builds this will slow down the spin.

Any expert spindlers have any advice?  I would like to make some of these to offer on the site, if I can speed the process up, and test them out for effectiveness.  I also have a few more problems to solve.  Mainly the beautiful little hooks I have made do not seem to stay put as well as I want them too.  I’ve tried super glue and elmers glue.  Maybe I should try hot glue that might adhere better.  I have also considered trying gorilla glue.  The hooks are made from heavy stainless steel straight pins, and nothing wants to stick to it really well.

So what do you guys think?

Rememeber than each time you comment on a post, you are entered in the contest for a really cool prize…

I wonder what it will be???? Trust me your going to see it and be really sorry if you didn’t comment to enter yourself in the running.

I must be getting old.  I have a few reasons for thinking so, and Issue three has pointed a few of the signs out to me.

4 hours of sleep is not enough, but it seems to be all I get lately, even if I go to bed early.

I remember when I got 4 hours, and I was normal.  Now I’m normal, but a little crabby.

I’ve gotten lazy, and deadlines, stress and all that, kind of weird me out.  I get all panicy feeling just thinking about what I have to get done.  Tonight I feel that way thinking about what I just finished.  LOL  That’s a first.

My bed is suddenly too soft.  I wake up achy all over the last few weeks.  I slept over at my Mom and Dad’s, who have a bed to share, and also personal beds, because they both have horrid back troubles.  We got to sleep in Dad’s spare bed lol.  It’s a rock with pillows on it.  BUT I woke up non achy at 4 am (after 4 hours of sleep) and drove 4 hours to Bethal Missouri to a fiber fair, and felt pretty normal.  Hmmmm

I find myself thinking things like “these kids today, why when I was..”  it’s sickening.

The moral of the story is, just wait, you will turn into your parents if you wait long enough.  sigh.

It might be easier if they were like multi-millionaires with a jet plane and a private island with a massage therapist, but no, I have to have parents who are crabby because they only get 4 hours of sleep, and have bad backs.  hrumpf!

I got my secret pal packet today, and I am so happy with my loot. Lookie here what Beth sent me. She wrote a lovely letter commenting on the beautiful gifts she sent, and now I’m scared to death…

“This skein is not my best work but… It’s Merino Top plied with silk I had from Henry’s Attic. About 176 yards. OK I looked at it again, and I hate it, so I’m throwing in some merino I dyed with easter egg dyes in my crockpot- Still not fab so here’s some gray Wensleydale.”

Well ok, we all look at our yarn and think, “I wish I could send something nicer”, but then I dug in the box and saw this…

“Not my best work” AAAHHHHH!!! “I hate it” EEEEEKKKKK! What am I going to send her??? I can’t do any better than this… My panic began to grow… Then I pulled out this-

OK, at least I can compete with this skein, feeling a little better lol. Then out came the Wensleydale-

This looks almost IDENTICAL to some cotswold skeins I spun. So closely matched in color and appearance, even weight, if I didn’t know better I would have thought she broke into the house, stole it, then sent it to me in the mail. I sent that skein to someone else, so unless she burgurized her house, these two fibers are just almost the same.

Well, so I was feeling a little better. I can’t spin so nice as the first skein, YET but I felt like I could make something up she would like. She wants to make a scarf in a lacy pattern. Plus I have some really unusual and nice fiber blends, which she said she had never seen or tried. I can send some of them, as much as my heart pounds to think of parting with it…. I can do this I can. I can just give her “bonus fiber” to make up for the yarn that isn’t as good as hers. And I can send some nice little goodies, then I won’t feel like I can’t send something as nice as I got…. Then this came out…

I WANTED some of this!!! Then THIS came out of the bag.

ACK! How adorable, useful and wonderful! My ability to “wow” her is declining again… Then THESE came out-

I so needed the little mini doffer, and the book is wonderful, all those words I don’t know, explained. Her shop The Spinning Loft with all her information on this nice little tape measure.

How did she know that certain little hands are ALWAYS running off with mine?

So now I have to top this somehow with my thank you gift, that’s going to take some serious doing, but even though I’m feeling intimidated, I think I can manage something comparable. I’m very crafty you know. Excuse me now, I must be going shopping for something special for my very generous and beautiful pal Beth.

So, we should have all sent out packages out.

Unfortunately there has been a lot of problems with missing emails, I assume this is due to spam filters. So we are adding some things to the next swap that will hopefully prevent this.

Being late with a package or something isn’t a big deal, but really by now everyone should have contacted their pals.  Please email me and let me know if you still haven’t heard from your pal. We will personally send out a package to you if necessary.

The next swap will be a sock swap. Thanks to the marvelous Donyale, a new regular writer, we may doing this swap this way. The swappers will be matched by shoe size/ sock size desired. So if you wanted to make a sock for your husband, or kids, then you might be able to be matched with someone else who wanted to do the same. Or it would be your sock size, if you wanted to swap socks for yourself.

Then the two pals would exchange yarns, so if Donyale was my pal, then she would send me enough yarn for her socks, and I would send her yarn for my socks. Then we would each make the socks in the size needed, and send them back. The knitter chooses whatever pattern they want to knit the socks in. So it should be very very fun.

I had wanted to do it differently, I wanted to have one knitter make one sock, and the pal make it’s mate. So you would each make one sock, then exchange for a pair. Donyale thought there might be some trouble with gauge and socks being too big or too little. However, since we could all measure our own feet, and make the matches by foot size, then they could be tried on. The other way we could around this would be to make our own sock first, then mail it off to our pals, with the yarn for the second sock. Then we could use the sock made by our pals as a guide to get a good fit. Then we would send the pair back after we completed our sock.

So what do you guys think, are you up for the challenge? We may do both swaps, one for the easier swap of making a pair of socks and exchanging, and another one where you each make one sock. That would be for more advanced/persistent sock knitters lol. This swap will be a very serious swap that will require the participants to FINISH everything and participate fully.

So do you guys think we should do both options or just one? Which would you like to do?

Drum carding, rug making, and silk, beautiful marvelous silk.  I’ve been playing with the regualar kind and also soy silk.

The next issue is due to publish on the 15th.  We have sort of scaled back a little, I’m just one person, and I’m tired.  Still we have put together some really interesting stuff, and I think you will all be pleased.

Here’s a sneak peek…

Ok, so it isn’t spinning, but it IS fiber arts, and I had a blast making it.  This might be all my Christmas gifts this year.  I can complete one in a couple of evenings.  That is IF someone would put the scissors down where I can reach them instead of 4 feet away…

I have also been playing with the new drum carder, made by Fancy Kitty.  They also make a whiz bang spindle, crochet hooks, nostepinnes and more.  I LOVE this guy… Ron Anderson is just the nicest feller you could ever want to meet.  He’s already high on my “Nice people I know” list.  Check it out www.fancykitty.com

The carders are georgeous! What suprises me is that they are also extremly high quality, and a reasonable price.  I love the little spinner, I’m going to have one someday…  The carder will be reviewed in the next issue, along with some other models he makes, and his other equipment.  I am very impressed with this company though, they are really great!!! I had a problem, and I have to say, when they say guaranteed… they MEAN it.  Over all I am VERY VERY pleased.

So I have been blending soy silk and merino into bats for the shop, trying to figure out what people would like to buy to help pay for supplies for the projects and labor on the site.  Anyway, it was really fun and lookie what I got now!!!

So pretty, bombyx (sp?) silk in purple and creamy white merino.  Very pretty, I would like to try more colors in the mix, but I would need to be dyeing first, and I don’t have time.

This one is lovely too, and I am pretty sweet on it.  Luckily, if I sell it I can make more, otherwise y’all might be outta luck.

So I have four of each made up, and I am very pleased with them.  The batts are super lofty and purty!  I like this one, and I may have to just spin some up for my other secret pal or something.

Well, back to work…

PS, I am starting a little contest, each time you comment, you will be entered in a drawing for some nice prizes.  We will draw a name randomly each month….  Only one comment per post counts lol.

Well, we had a wonderful time at the fiber fair. We almost didn’t go, because it was so far, but I’m glad we went despite the fact that we came home with probably about $60 less than we left with. After gas, and food and all that, we didn’t quite break even. At first we were a little disappointed, however I have come to realize that it was worth the money we spent after all, and here’s why.

We sold about 25 spindle kits in one day. We sell the spindle, an ounce of fiber and a lesson. So I spun my little CD spindle all day long, and brought over 20 NEW spinners, those that had never tried before into this wonderful craft. Most of them were children, ranging in age from 4 to 14. These are the spinners of tomorrow, and how lucky am I that it got to be me that gave them a new experience, and maybe even influenced their future. Perhaps many of them will go home, and never spin anymore, but one or two really took to it, and who knows what they may contribute and invent in the future.

I taught little kids, just four years old, on up to several elderly ladies in their 80′s and 90′s. They all tried with that same determination and cheerful disposition that spinners just seem to have much of the time. In short I didn’t make any money, but I had the time of my life, sharing something I love very much.

That got me to thinking, (waxing theological for a minute) why do we do things? Why do we do things especially for others. In the services we do, and the acts of love we show to those around us, do we do them for them, or more for ourselves? If we are truly doing it for others, then consolations or gain is irrelevant and doesn’t seem important. I started out thinking that we had “failed” because we came back in the hole, but on the other hand, we came back with much more than a few bucks.

If someone doesn’t give the new people a cheap, easy way to try, then who is going to try it out? Most people aren’t going to spend 20 to 70 dollars for a nice spindle and some fiber. They will spend $5. So how many of the 25 people who learned to spin wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been there? More importantly, how many of those kids would have had the chance? I think I learned that I like to help kids, and I like to teach them something like this. I like it enough, that I don’t think I care anymore if I break even, make money or even come back in the hole. I don’t know if I’ll make a 5.5 hour drive to do this one again though LOL!

So here’s the fun part of the fiber fair, the pictures and goings on.  First of all I was thrilled to meet up with my very first spinning istructor, Mrs Judy Crouch.  Isn’t she beautiful, I have met very few people that are as sweet, kind and patient as she is, and was in the class I took.

And the yarns, fibers and spinning stuff to see, touch and enjoy…. Ah, this could be part of why we came back $60 short of what we should have, look at all the beautfiul stuff.  Still, I was very conservative, and only bought a few things, AND I would like to point out that half of it was for someone else.  sniff  no silk for me.

I also met up with Mr Ron Anderson of Anderson Originals.  He makes custom built drum carders, BEAUTFIUL crochet hooks, and also really neat-o spindles and I wanted one, but I didn’t get one, because I don’t need another spindle, and even though the price was really really good, and he let me try, and I wanted one really really bad, and I didn’t get it right off, and Beau laughed at me because I couldn’t use it, and I hate that, so I wanted to prove I could learn to use it and do really well, I didn’t get one, because I don’t need one, and also because I was already $60 in the hole.  Aren’t you proud of me?  Who says I don’t have strong will power.  Besides, I bought a drum carder from him to review on the site, and I couldn’t really say I NEEDED a spindle, but I DO need a drum carder, so let’s be happy with what we have huh?

Check out those nostepinnes… scuse me while I wipe the drool off the keyboard.  I did ask him if he would make some that had a nice little wpi tool in between the handle and the nostepinne part and guess what?  HE WILL!  YAY, how cool is that?  All of his stuff is beautiful, and so nicely made.  I love the carder, and already have processed a shetland fleece, mixed with alpaca with it.

I didn’t really get out and about just to look around until later in the day, by then it was hot and everyone was feeling worn out, some of us more than others.

This is Judy’s little dog who was holding the ground down so we could all walk around in safty without it floating away.  He’s a hard working little cuss.  I made a lot of animal friends, and people too.  We got to see some sheep getting worked by sheep dogs, who are very precise, and obeidient to the commands.

And of course there were sheep of all kinds there, since it’s the World Sheep Festival.  I liked this little girl, dispite her lack of wool growing capability, she’s a hair sheep.

LOOK at that face, is it not the sweetest?  Well I thought so, looking at the sheep that this was the cutest one I saw, and I was amazed at the GIANT Columiba ram I saw, it was as big as a small horse.  It’s back was about as high as the middle of my ribcage.  Only a few inches shorter than Candy, my HORSE!!!  I grant you Candy is a short horse, but I kid you not, I could have ridden that fellow.  I took a picture but it just didn’t turn out, and you couldn’t tell how HUGE he was.  But I did snap this little guy, having a walk with his Mama…

Is he not so adorable?  I entered a raffle for a free bunny, telling Beau that if I won, it would have to be a divine intervention, and he would HAVE to let me have a bunny.  Apparently the good Lord agrees with Beau, I didn’t win the sweet little bunny for my own.  I also couldn’t get away from Beau long enough to give the woman $35 bucks, and have her let me win a second “bonus” bunny.  He knows me so well, and kept a close watch… oh well.

The highpoint, was the executive outhouse.  This aint your ordinary porta potty here, this here’s for the sophisticated porta potty user, when closet with a seat just aint gonna do it.

Baby, it just don’t get no better’n that!  Actually it’s made for those people in wheelchairs.  But I enjoyed it immensly, and I promised myself, if I ever host a fiber fair, we will have executive porta potties, cause only the best…

On one last note, I entered three skeins of yarn that have been hanging around waiting to be made into something, and low and behold wouldn’t you know, I won me a ribbin or two…

The left skein won first, and although it isn’t as pretty as the other, it does have a higher technical quality.  The other is three ply, and my plies weren’t as even as desirable.  I thought the judging to be quite good, except that they didn’t give us any feedback.  Judy was nice enough to explain what I should do different for two blue ribbons next time.  One skein didn’t get any ribbon.  The grand Champion skein was a novelty butterfly yarn type thing.  I didn’t like it so much as a beautiful 100% mohair one that was there, I really thought it was better spun.  It could just be my bias against novelty yarns.  I just don’t like them much.  Still, it was very well spun, and quite nice, I just thought there were a few others that were better.  I want to point out here, that none of them were mine, I didn’t deserve that ribbon.  But I didn’t really agree with the choice of Grand Champion.  Oh well.  SO now I need to get some more spun for Warrensburg at the beginning of Oct.  Maybe I will do even better there, now that I got some great pointers on my technique from the spinning expert…