Just a quick post to say how much I love the way this scarf looks. If I can find a slightly thicker yarn dyed this way, I’d be delighted to make myself a sweater. Yarn is Baah La Jolla in “Smoke and Diamonds.” Pattern is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s One Row Handspun Read more
I was, thanks to some weaver friends, able to attend part of the Florida Tropical Weavers Guild‘s annual conference this year. It ran from March 14th to the 27th (Thursday through Sunday). I was there for the first two days and checked out the morning of the third day. (I Read more
This morning I smiled at myself in the mirror while I was getting ready for the day, and I noticed something: when I smile, I have wrinkles under my eyes now. Maybe they’ve been there for a while — I don’t look in mirrors very often — but today was Read more
I have a really good example of how a yarn can make or break a knitting pattern. Both these pieces of knitting were made with the same yarn — Lorna’s Laces Multi in the “Reno” colorway — and using a size 6 needle. Both patterns are based on garter stitch. Read more
I am, if I may brag a little, a pretty good knitter and spinner. I wanted to show off two things I made recently. First, a sweater for my mom. The pattern is the Perseids Cardigan by Heidi Kirrmaier. I used a thinner yarn than the pattern called for, so Read more
I had Bobbin Boy, maker and fixer of wheel parts, make a distaff; three more bobbins; and a second peg to hold the flywheel in place. He did an excellent job, although saying the name “Bobbin Boy” makes me giggle. I stained them myself. Thanks to Adam at my local Read more
I had the idea that maybe the bobbins of an existing modern wheel might fit the JOS. My guild friend Jennifer collects wheels, so I thought maybe she’d have something the right size. She hit on the EEW Nano bobbins, which are 3D printed. They fit the JOS well enough, Read more
I tied the repaired footman on, watched a video on how to put on a drive band for a double drive wheel, et voila! The wheel spins very nicely. I’m working on adjusting the takeup for the sweet spot, as I’ve never used a double drive wheel before. A little Read more
Updated 9/14/24 after reading the Fall 2024 issue of Spin-Off magazine. There are articles on several historical spinning methods in it, including ancient Greece and medieval Europe. In my last Handspinning Technology post, I talked about spinning wheels. This time, let’s talk about spindles. A lot has been written about Read more
Links to previous posts in this series: part one and part two. Holy crap it’s so much prettier after a good scrubbing with Murphy’s Oil Soap, followed by a rubdown with tung oil. (Tung is what the makers of the wheel would have used to condition the wood.) Here are Read more