Scottish Hybrid "Dealgan" Spindles and coming back from the dead...

Hello everyone! I'm slowly working my way back among the living from the black abyss I've been trapped inside since April 6th this year, after losing my Beloved of 34 years to a devastating Grade 4 Sub-arachnoid Brain Hemorrhage -aka- aneurysm - that was so SEVERE it triggered a heart attack at the same time.

My poor Beloved crashed a few hours later at our local ER and required total life support just before being helicoptered with two doctors on-board to Emory University's Neuro Sciences Critical Care unit in ATL only 30 minutes away by air. He valiantly fought to come back to me - but alas succumbed and died in my arms with his dignity intact, painlessly and peacefully 16 days after the initial attack in March.

 I've been stuck in a paralytic grieving fugue far too long, until these last couple of weeks when I decided enough of this,  I've cried pretty much ALL that I CAN, and I'm taking what's to be the rest of my life BACK while I still can. I've decided since I'm still here - there MUST be a really good reason for it - tho I haven't quite figured out what that is yet.

I've lost 50 pounds and three sizes down since his attack March 22 - and tho it's quite an effective weight loss system - not being able to or wanting to eat much at all - I totally would NOT recommend it! I'm told it will go away eventually, and everything will stop tasting of bitter spent adrenaline and that I'm "suffering from clinical PTSD" - Well hell - isn't EVERY ONE these days!?!??!??

I've been forced to rediscover HOW and WHAT I have to DO now to take care of myself by myself, and generate at least a little side income via my ETSY shop and sales of  my unique line of Spinning toys, tools, and Antique Reproduction Era hybrid Lace and Support Spindles, and several new designs such as those shown in the photo above, which are my interpretation of Scottish Dealgan {pronouced JELLL-EE-CAN} Hybrid Spindles.

Dealgans have been dated as far back as the 17th Century and are enjoying a very strong come back into vogue among today's Spindlers - Young and Seasoned alike!

I turn them in my little shop -aka- my former middle bedroom, in all sorts of wood species, and my current personal favorite,  multi-colored dyed and Laminated Birch Spectraply blanks that are finished and sanded down to 12,000 grit, sealed and hot waxed to a glossy shine while they're still on my lathe!

 Because of their traditional "criss-cross" carved X indention across the bottom, where you run your working yarn across after winding on your fresh handspun and before half-hitching the working yarn back up at the tip before spinning - they're so much easier to manage than more traditonal Beginner Spinner's drop spindles, which can be really difficult to master early on - especially for new Spindlers or those like me, challenged with some fine motor skill deficits, arthritis and neuropathy,  that complicate just how finely coordinated my hands can or WILL work together smoothly and in tandem!

I only WISH I had known about the Dealgans when I first began teaching myself to Spin!
Anyway - that's where I'm concentrating most of my turnings as well as creating more high end collectible writing instruments - that are works of art and too unusual to call "pens"!

What's New in the Dream Spinner New Product Pipeline?
I've created 3 new adaptive  PVC and Wheelchair wheeled Spinning wheels - Two are takes onmy  "UDS" or ©Universal Dream Spinner {universally adaptive to several types and Flyer / Bobbin models and styles including the hugemongous BULKY & Country Spinners - all on ONE treadle powered wheel frame!

One is a particular new favorite I created in one inch ID PVC Pipe, sporting a 26" diameter wheelchair Drive wheel. The prototype is a "high castle" mounted wheel, with right and left PVC side frame rails - that provide extra spinning stability, with a Right or Left Hand Forward MOA mounting arm, that employs a true "Tilt-Tension" adjustable Drive Band tension adjustment feature - and can be spun in Single or Double Drive modes!  It also employs my ©C.W.B.T.S. - Suspended Counter Weight Brake Tensioning System for ultra fine tuned Flyer/Bobbin whorl brake tension adjustments!

On the opposite side Rail of this UDS wheel's frame - there's also a tilt tension and right /left twistable  PVC "Special Tee" Plying Arm - that can be brought closer to the Spinner or moved a bit further away, and can also TILT in or away from the spinner to the perfect position for the most comfortable ease while Plying a 2 ply yarn from two suspended and free spinning bobbins at once!

Photos of this little gem will be provided in my next post which I SWEAR will not be nearly so long in coming. I have taken my Spinning Life back and I'm diving in head first into my new fulfilled Purpose in life as time permits while settling my Beloved's negative value "estate" and other legal issues. Oye!!!

Here's a little teaser for you too - I am SERIOUSLY considering making booklets with detailed instructions, photos, and parts lists for those reasonably handy DIY'ers out there who would like to save a LOT of MONEY building their own OOAK  ©Universal Dream Spinner-High Castle Treadle Powered Spinning Wheel and MAYBE doing a second one for my ©Electronic Universal Dream Spinner wheel - which are the same electronic ©UDS machines I'm still using today!  So stay tuned for new updates!

One LAST thing - Should you choose to post a comment - Please keep it family friendly and related to my post content only please. Of course if you just cant say anything nice - Please just DON'T.  Further, be warned that I will instantly DELETE and BLOCK any and ALL comments posted by "Anonymous"!!! You RAN me off my own blog for months and years with your purile garbage - but NO MORE!!!

 This is MY personal space on the web and I have ZERO tolerance for spammers, creeps, and perverts! It's just heartbreaking how much EVIL has been allowed to contaminate and spoil so much of what is GOOD online.

Finally Be Advised:  All content, photos, and descriptions of my OOAK creations are copyright protected - please respect me and my work,  and do NOT use my work to "backwards engineer" or steal it for yourself in any manner public or private. - Which if you didn't BUY it directly from me - It's absolutely still STEALING!

New Turnings from The Dream Spinner

 

Product Sampling of What's New at DreamSpinnerCreations-2013

 

Besides the line of unique turned Spindles & other Spinning tools I've been turning - I've added a line of stunning made-to-order wood, Laser Cut inlay, & a breathtakingly gorgeous array of acrylic & poly-resin lathe turned pens. Some recent examples are shown in the photo above & some are already listed in my ETSY shop. All my turned pens can be custom made to order!  

 

It all began in early January this year with the purchase of my JET-1014 mini-lathe, as a gift to myself to help speed up creating my intricately turned Supported Lace Spindles & shortly thereafter, my involvement, bordering obsession with The Freedom Pen Program 

 

Independent Wood Turners from all over the country are busily turning out gorgeous twist action wooden pens, completely at our own expense, for donations to The Freedom Pen Program who then redistribute & ship them overseas via various direct U.S. military unit P.O.C.'s {Point Of Contacts} as free thank you gifts with the goal to gift a handmade pen to every active duty American Serviceman & Servicewoman in Harms Way - serving in Afghanistan & the Middle East! The Freedom Pen Program & volunteer Turners do it all - absolutely GRATIS!

 

We include a short note with every pen, briefly describing the wood the pens are made in & include our personal contact information should the recipient wish to communicate with their turned pen donor.  It's a beautifully simple & lasting way of saying THANK YOU for your Service & Your Sacrifice & serves as gentle reminder to please use their unique gift pen to write a letter to someone who's anxiously awaiting their safe return home!

 

To learn more about The Freedom Pen Program - Please visit their homepage at: http://www.freedompens.org/ or contact me directly. One hundred percent of the profits from my ETSY shop pen sales - will go directly to offset the expense of re-stocking my turning & finishing supplies, wood & pen blank stocks, not to mention pen hardware kits to make more Freedom Pens!

International shipping fees are fierce! Any help you might feel led to contribute will be greatly appreciated - or - visit my ETSY shop & just BUY a pen as a wonderful OOAK gift suitable for ANY occasion that also helps us to keep on turnin these gorgeous OOAK Turned Pens! Should you be interested in making a donation to this more than worthy cause, please contact me at Thedreamspinner@gmail.com

 

Now you know WHY I'm suddenly addicted to turning pens!

I will be soon listing specialty Pink Freedom Pens in my ETSY shop with 100% of their sales donated to The Freedom Pen Program staff - specifically to help offset their base out-of-pocket operating expenses & help offset international postage fees!  Our goal this year is 200,000 Freedom Pen donations & here's a sobering thought - That's STILL probably not nearly ENOUGH!

 

We're still at WAR folks & Our Best & Bravest deserve to be reminded that they are not forgotten or ever very far from our thoughts & prayers! Now you know WHY I'm addicted to turning pens!

 

 

 

 

Well I've been at it again & have been busy at my Jet-1014 lathe mastering turning Tibetan-Style "Steel Magnolia" -  Lace Supported Spindles! This 12" long beauty was turned from a single piece of Padauk kiln-dried stock. The amazing thing to me is that it will spin a reliable 30 seconds on a single flick when barely supported upright & resting in a shallow glass dish or ceramic piece like the little condiment saucer in the photo.

Paduak is an interesting new wood for my turnings, it's almost rather messy to work with since it throws off an orange muddy { very reminiscent of our Georgia red clay soil!} dust - everywhere when worked on the lathe & really doesn't show off the lovely wood-grain's character very much - UNTIL it's being finished & sealed in two coats of Turner's CA {super glue} followed by three more coats of Rustoleum prime semi-gloss polyurethane to harden the surface & seriously protect the wood from scratches.

The Turner's CA & Urethane finishes make her just shine up like GLASS & that wood grain just POPS at you in deep dark red-oranges to almost black runs that makes the eye think it just goes deeper & deeper almost into forever. Anyway this one will be listed in my ETSY shop shortly, along with another OOAK Paduak hardwood Tibetan Style "Steel Magnolia" Lace Spindle that's still drying on the lathe at the moment.

Stop by the shop often to see what else is new in Spindles & Spinning Tools w/ a uniquely feminine, old world look & feel for the discerning Spinner! They're are no two of my items made exactly alike & will make treasured gifts for the Spinner in your life. They're unique by design &  simply NOT to be ignored in any Spindler's collections!

Here's another little tool I'm turning lately on my lathe that's not only a functional necessity in any Spinner's Toolkit - They're just plain CUTE!!!

Made with to be suspended & worn conveniently as a pendant from any cord,  ribbon, or necklace du jour, or from a wristaff or hanging on your Spinning wheel for easy reach - These lovely lady-like Wraps Per Inch Gauge / Pendants will help your favorite Spinner keep a consistently even gauge to their spinnings while adding a bit of decidedly old world allure to their Spinning tool collection!

There are several WPI Pendants already in my ETSY shop just waiting to be added to YOUR Spinning collection! Thanks for the read & Happy Spinnings! Teri

 

As promised, here are my latest  ©Whirly Girls - OOAK - Russian Lace Support Spindles by ©Dream Spinner Creations-2013.  These first nine offerings, are currently available in my ETSY shop.  I wanted something with a definitely more feminine flair to them than I see offered anywhere else. The gentle curves on these ladies just make them more comfortable in a Spinner's hands whether loaded with Lace singles or empty & on display in a Spindle collection.

I leave the different wood stocks to "tell" me how to turn & design them on my lathe - So each one is definitely OOAK & simply cannot be reproduced exactly. Please READ their listings carefully to make sure the Spindle you might be interested in is still available. I'll annotate & update this posting for Spindles are sold & are no longer available.

Every Spindle's hand-turned on my Jet 1014 mini-lathe, with custom hand-carved detailing & finished with multi-grit sandings & hand-rubbed with a secret hot Carnauba wax process & finally sealed in multiple coats of Wood Turner's C.A. for extra strength & durability.

They've all been personally test-spun & hand-balanced for excellent spinability! Perfect for the Russian Lace or fine gauged Spinner on your list. They hold approximately 325-400 yds. of lace singles, at least they do for me. : } Referring to the photo above - here are the Spindles & their vital statistics.

A. "Slenderella" - OOAK - Is 12" long x .75 oz. Hand-turned in oak hardwood - Orenburg Russian Lace Support Spindle spins beautifully & faster as your yarn cop builds on.

B. "Simplicity" - OOAK - Is 7/8th oz. x 12" long. Hand-turned oak hardwood. Orenburg Russian Lace Spindle with a simple design & shape & is an excellent fast Spinner!

C. "La Bomba" - OOAK - For those wanting a more feminine curved Spindle - is 12.5" long x .75 oz.

D. "Mega-Bomba" - OOAK - This one's a monster - but she spins like CRAZY & holds a LOT of lace yarnage! 1.25 oz. x 15" long - Perfect for a Beginner Lace Spinner! Hand-carved & lathe turned in Oak hardwood.

E. "Le Questa" - OOAK - Is 7/8th oz. x 13" long - Hand-carved & turned in oak hardwood, in a more common Russian Orenburg Lace Spindle design & style in a median weight & length. Just perfect for a Beginner Lace Spinner!

F. "Imperfecta" - OOAK - This one just makes me smile & is 13" long x 7/8ths oz. She's made in aged oak & has an obvious "fault" in her that no self-respecting Turner would probably have used - but sure enough - she Spins like a TOP! Simple in her design - she spins so well, I almost hate to give her up for sale! Lovely  Spindle!

G. "Lady Finger" - OOAK - Ornately turned with deliberately feminine curves - is .50 oz. x 12.5" long. Pretty to look at & lovely to spin! Hand-Turned in lt. oak - A lovely ornate Russian Lace Spindle to add to your collection!

H. "Delica" - OOAK -Weighing in at .75 oz. x 12" long - OOAK - Lovely oak hardwood Orenburg Russian Lace Supported Spindle.

I. "Gravitas" - This one just swirled off my lathe! A truly ornately turned beauty in a lovely oak hardwood. She is 12/5" long x 5/8th oz. Truly a lovely addition to any Spinner's collection!

Will soon post several new Spinner's Orifice Loop Threaders with a WPI {wraps per inch} gauge built into the handle - or not... : } Wait till you see the new ones in Purple Heart wood!

 

Welcome 2013 & New Spinning Adventures!
 

 

I've decided to significantly speed up my new line of Russian Lace Supported Spindle

production & detail work by investing in a new JET-1014 Mini-Lathe & {gulp} teaching myself how to actually USE one in my usual by-the-seat-of-my-pants manner. You know the one: Hands-on Full Speed Ahead & when all else fails - READ the Destructions!

 

So far you can see how bizzy I've been learning the lathe & making up wonderful whirling pretties that are just PERFECT for Spinning those traditional ultra - fine gauged Russian {Ornasberg} Lace yarn singles! I figure there's no rule that says they can't be decorative as well as functional - so I'm making my whirling pretty ladies with lots of sultry curves & decorative details! Someday - I'll teach myself knitting skills well enough to actually Knit an Ornasberg Russian Lace Shawl por moi'!  At least that's my ever recurring knitting dream anyway!

 

The next two photos detail how I'm also coming way outta my personal Spinning Comfort Zone lately & dare I say it - "experimenting" with some of the finest & most beautifully seductive hand-painted fibers in the world!  I've recently discovered my latest Dyeing Maven / Fiber-Crack Dealer - Rickie from RavenRidgeFiberArt on ETSY  & her stunningly brilliant & seductive colourways! NOT your usual wunder fluffs I can tell you! The colours are simply TO DIE FOR { no pun intended!}.

 

The new Spinning experiment I'm working on is spinning a LESS specific colour banding yarnage & creating more of a tweeded effect - by stripping these lovely tops lengthwise into halves. Then gently carding them into fluffy open batts on my Louet Jr. Roving Carder. Then - layering several different fiber batts dyed of course in the same colourways - & wrapping them very loosely onto Distaffs that I can rest underneath my {non-dominant} spinning arm - behind the knee or underneath my ummm hindparts & draw the fibers directly off the Distaff. Finally, spinning them in what can only be called a "demi-woolen" method that not only blends all those wonderful different property fibers but also creates a lovely  "tweeded" effect in the lace singles vs. pooling or uneven color 'banding" that happens when spinning tops end to end to maintain the separate colours. 

 

Anyway - You can see how that's working out in the next two photos! I plan to most likely Navajo 3 ply these singles so there will be some slight tho a bit muted color banding when knitting the finished fingering / light sport weight yarnage once the steam-fulling is done to set the twist.

 

So now you know what I've been up to lately & this will be the year I deliberately spin OUT of my usual dead stubborn auto-worsted yarnage spinning styles & learn to use Distaves properly! They're a bit daunting at first - getting used to angling them comfortably so you can seamlessly spin & draw off the fibers to be spun from them - but well worth the effort to TRY them! So far the fibers seem to pull easier & spin up in much finer gauged singles than in my old wrapping a length of opened top around my wrist & forearm method did!

 

I'm making Distaffs from simple 1/2" diameter oak dowels cut just shy of 2.5' long or so, for everyday spinning & will try out a bastardized - I mean "repurposing" a cherry finished carved wood hall tree into a free-standing decorative Distaff - that can be set up at either 40-odd inches high or full out at 73" high & sports 5 wooden pegs at the top to hold spinning fiber batts - vs- coats & hats n various clothing stuff! Will let you know how that works out when I get it later this week. NOTE: I totally lucked up & found several on eBay for well under $30 - Search "hall tree" to find them!  Wishing us one & all a happy & healthy 2013 & as always - Happy Spinnings! Teri

 

 

Here's a closer look at the sampler of my new Dream Spinner - ooak - ©Whirly Girls 

Very ornately hand-carved & hand-turned Russian Lace Support Spindle Collection for 2013 that are in my new Spinning product pipeline for my ETSY shop & will be offered there! 

Each uniquely ornate "©Whirly Girl" fine lace supported spindle has a uniquely grooved &  customary sharply tapered tips for easier, more comfortable grippage & incredibly faster, more prolonged spinnability! 

 

Fresh off my lathe, are Spinner's Orifice Tube Nylon Loop Yarn Threaders w/ a built-in WPI or Wraps Per Inch Gauge in their handles. Hand-turned in hardwoods in OOAK designs, the hardwood handles average about 5-to-6" long,  w/ a 3.5" - 4"  heavy-duty nylon monofilament "Loop" & a handy brass hanging loop.

 

They're simply the perfect gift for your favorite Spinner that are so much easier to use than metal hooks that can damage fragile antique or narrow fiber feed tubes! The Orifice Loop Yarn Threaders w/ WPI Gauges are only $25.00 + $5.00 S&H {in the lower 48 USA} & can be custom made to order for those wanting a custom lengthed handles, nylon yarn threader loops, or changes with their basic hand-turned design. Orifice Threaders are also available without the WPI Yarn Gauge for $20.00 + $5.00 S&H to the lower U.S. 48 states.

 

Just click the photos below to see a full sized previews!

 

My homage to Betty Roberts - Accelerated Spinning Wheels..

 

 

Updating my homage to reknowned Accelerated Spinning Wheel Maven - Betty Roberts:

"Steam-Punked" was just screaming for COLOUR & COLOUR she's now GOT! I painted the nylon 12" & 22" diameter wheels in a metallic FolkArt paint called "Amethyst" which is more purple than the blue-ish cast that my monitor is throwing & an actual DARKER purple as seen in the photo above taken with a flash in a darker room background than the gorgeous softer pastel purplish lavendar colour as she appears in normal daylight. Click directly on the pic itself to jump to a much larger version of "Steam-Punked"! The yarnage on her treadle are laceweight singles spun on the Louet WooLee Winder & more on my new ©Dream Spinner Creations - 2012 -  Russian Lace Support Spindles I'll be releasing on my ETSY shop - just in time for Christmas giftings!

 

IMAGINE "Steam-Punked" with my all-time favorite new spinning wheel "toy" - those way too cool 16 light LED Lightshow sticks, that I attach directly to my wheel with twisted cording made from clear 1mm beading stretch cord - so there's enough normal "vibration" to set the light stick off & scrolling continuously when spinning thru the 32 different lightshow patterns,  ranging in mixes of brilliant RED - BLUE - GREEN & YELLOW - so the images cast fool the eye completely & seem to "chase" round the entire lower wheel with indirect very dim lighting or in darker settings.

 

She definitely gets extra points for COOL now!!! And OMG - is she a FAST Wheel!!! Gotta get someone smarter than myself to figure out the actual spin ratios for me - with both the large & smaller Lace spinning whorls on the WooLee Winder bobbins! 

 

Here's a photo example of what some of the lightshow stick patterns look like - shot with my Fuji FinePic HS10  digital camera - all while treadling like mad - at a 400 ISO very fast shutter speed to "catch" & capture the entire "chase" in my spinning studio / office / computer / mini-shop / tea room - forerly known as my former LR & DR! It was a very cloudy overcast late afternoon! The light sticks are triggered by vibration & auto-detect low lighting conditions & will turn on & OFF automatically to conserve their AAA battery power - that seem to run forever on a charge - Per usual - CLICK directly on the pic to jump to a larger version!   Enjoy!!! : P

 

 

 

 

While I'm a Lady In Waiting for my new Jensen 30" Ashley Scandinavian double-table wheel to be built & shipped... I was busying myself with a combined spinning wheel design theory. Remember that I'm horribly dyslexic & have the double-whammy of having an analytical mind that NEVER shuts the hell up - EVER!

Sooo - I just spent the last 3 days or so whaling away on PVC & gutting a couple of older BABE wheels I had round the house mostly scrapping them for spare parts these days... And after seeing the incredibly gorgeous tandem-driven "accelerated spinning wheels" of modern day Wheelmistress Betty Roberts - And not really having ever paid much attention one way or another which SIDE of my wheels my Flyer is mounted to the wheel...

And finally - knowing that my Jensen Ashley is being made with the wheel on the RIGHT which will be a first for me... Herewith came the following result... I give you my brand new ©Dream Spinner Creations-2012 wheel design creation called "Steampunked" - a PVC & Nylon dual wheeled Tandem Driven spinning wheel! Boyyy is she a FAST wheel tho! Whooo!!!  CLICK the PIC to see a larger view.

The lightshow stick mounted to the lower 22" diameter nylon drive wheel runs on 3AAA batteries & randomly flashes thu 32 different patterned LED brilliant color arrays - that in nearly dark - appear to "chase" round & fill the entire wheel! Going to be major-league FUN on Halloween I can tell you & extra points - for Cool too!!! This is what happens when I have a creative URGE hit me that will NOT be denied! I think I'm in LOVE with my new "Steampunked" PVC Accelerated Spinning Wheel!

Happy Autumnal Spinnings Ya'll! Teri

A Lady In Waiting... For My Jensen 30" Ashley wheel!

 

Isn't she STUNNING tho??? I've wanted a 30" diameter wheel forever! This will probably be the last addition to my collection / spinning wheel stable! I'm a Lady In Waiting & not so patiently I must admit - for this GORGEOUS Jensen 30" "Ashley" Scandinavian Double-Table wheel to be custom made unfinished for me by Mr. Jensen himself before he retires from the spinning wheel business entirely! 

 

This is what mine will look like only unfinished after the average 2-3 months it will take for her to be artfully hand-crafted. I get that works of art like this take TIME & simply cannot be rushed - But Ohhh I am SO itchy to get my spinning paws on her! I figure staining her will take about 2 weeks to let her properly dry between coats & finish oilings etc etc ... She's being made in 100% Cherry wood so I may not stain her at all & just give her a natural Tung oil finish that naturally hardens, seals & protects the wood - then just treat her as I do all my wheels with routine oiling treatments of "Ballistol" - a gun cleaning oil that feeds, conditions, restores & protects - EVERYTHING you can think of!

 

Just thott you might enjoy a peek at my new baby while I wait & ponder, & dream of Spinning beautiful lace yarns on this jaw-dropping beauty of a spinning wheel! I have to think of a suitable name for her before she gets here too! Kind of leaning towards Greta something or other - or "Evangeline".

 

Admittedly she's going to be the MOST EXPENSIVE wheel I've ever owned & probably worth MORE than all the rest combined! I keep telling Honey that the Good News Is - that when I finally kick the bucket these lovely spinning wheels will STILL be worth every penny we've paid for them or at the very least, more than enough to cover anything resembling post-mortem "Buyer's Remorse".

 

WISH someone in my family was a Spinner to inherit these treasures one day - but afraid that Spinning only lures & romances moi'! I imagine they'll still all find excellent loving homes & countless useful years of happy spinnings with fellow RAVELRY members who know how to use & care for them & would absolutely CHERISH them as much if not more so than I do.

Can ya say - Vrrroooommmmm!!!

Ya'll KNOW what a total 5 y/o CHILD I still am even at 60! I got this amazing LCD bicycle wheel lightshow stick in the mail yesterday & mounted it to the 24” wheel on my Kromski Symphony spinning wheel with harmless interlinked rubber bands so as not to damage my precious & expensive wheel. It could just as easily be mounted between two BABE wheel spokes with interlocked rubber bands. Click ON the pic above to see a hugemongous version of it & those amazing designs!!!

I had to treadle like a crazy person to capture the entire 360* design effect with a slow 400 ISO shutter speed to get clear images in the dimly lit, overcast daylight in my spinning studio yesterday late afternoon. It randomly cycles through 35 different patterns & is purely addictive to WATCH! Good thing I spin mostly by "feel"!!!

The colors are gorgeous pastels in indirect dim daylight & VIVID RED - GREEN & BLUE in darkness! Definitely gets extra points for Coolness & stunningly inexpensive too! : } More fun than less than $15 oughta buy ya - but shhhhh… don’t TELL anyone they're THAT affordable!

You CAN spin at a fairly slow clip & STILL clearly see the designs flashing… I just had to practically FLY while trying to capture the full 360* effect with a really slow shutter speed! Happy & VIVID Spinnings! Teri

Please permit me introduce you to my latest antique spinning wheel acquistiton & rescue/restoration, "AnnaViktoria" - a 24" Norwegian / Scandinavian inspired "Double-Table" spinning wheel! She's quite a grande old dame dating back near as I can tell, circa late 1800's - early 1900's for as much as I've gleaned so far about her history. She was very probably a OOAK wheel, built perhaps as a wedding present for a new Bride's homestead & was obviously painstakingly handcrafted by someone with a keen understanding of the basic mechanics & nuances involved in creating a perfectly smooth Spinning wheel.

She had been lovingly passed down thru the generations within the same family - tho in pristine condition when she arrived from Colorado her to Georgia USA, especially for a lady of her advanced years - she had been unfortunately {for her} apparently rarely used to actually spin yarn. All the BETTER a find for ME!

It took a couple of days of heavy Ballistol {gun cleaning & lubrication oil} intensive care treatments & multiple cleanings with Ballistol soaked tooth-brush & soft rags scrubbings to get her long decoratively carved & slender threaded wooden upper table {drive wheel angle} adjustment rails unstuck & unlocked enough to physically tilt her wheel angle enough to align with her Flyer & Bobbin whorls.

I was becoming quite concerned that she might not ever be spinnable again, because without being able to align her Drive Band with the drive whorls on her Flyer & bobbin & the track on her wheel - she wouldn't turn 360* even ONCE without throwing off her cotton doubled Drive Band! She came to me with her Maiden & MOA {Mother of All} screwed onto her frame backwards - which still couldn't nearly line up with her flyer & bobbin & the wheel itself & of course her right angled treadle wouldn't have been useable with the Maiden on backwards either.  I was afraid she'd have to remain a lovely but unspinnable piece of living history, tho she would STILL be a priceless treasure for me just as that.

Finally - after three days & several coats of Ballistol - the poor ol' girl was really quite THIRSTY after all. I gave the last locked up wooden threaded adjustment rod one more try & while gritting my teeth, & mentally crossing my fingers - with both hands - I gave her one more mighty make it or risk breaking her TWIST - et voila'! She was MOVED!

Her wheel tilting adjustment rods finally allowed her doubled up cotton kitchen twine "Drive Band" to align & "track" on her drive wheel in absolute perfectly even & secure trips round her 24" diameter turning radius, keeping each side of the cotton twine Drive Band's doubled loops tracking independently in the top of her drive wheel's indentations. And she "tracks" perfectly in BOTH spin directions without "tossing" her Drive Band off the wheel & abruptly stopping any spinning progress.

Spinners will appreciate that perfectly even Drive Band "tracking", that along with her unique wheel's solid axle & metal-lined block wheel upright supports - make for silent & friction-free smooth treadling action - except now of course for the happy "chattering" sound of her whirling flyer & Bobbin, "AnnaViktoria", so named after my German birth mother who I never had the pleasure to meet or reconnect with - is joyfully useful & blissfully Spinning away again as every spinning wheel wants to BE! She spins fine laceweight singles for me as tho she was borne to spin them!

My "AnnaViktoria" is also what we call a "one bobbin wonder" & has the smallest wee tiny bobbin I've yet seen on any spinning wheel. That said - I think I can use an Ashford Double-Drive Bobbin as replacements on her Flyer once I've cut off one whorl flange end of the Ashford bobbin - shortened the bobbin core a bit, drilled out the original core stub from the whorl end cut-off piece & finally glued it to the shortened bobbin core.

Anyway - You can see what a unique wheel AnnaViktoria is & how well she's been taken care of & protected over her long life. I hope to be spinning miles & miles of yarnage on her for many more years to come!

Well - I've finally gone & DONE it! I JUMPED into the "Rabbit Hole" & bought a 24" Kromski  Symphony Saxony Wheel as a milestone gift to myself for my 60th Birthday! I bought her unfinished to save myself $100 for pre-finished wheels & after an initial oiling the alder & birch woods, much to my chagrine din't absorb the oiling or stains uniformly or colour very prettily from an unfinished state with just a conditioning oiling. YIKES! It was a very uncomplentary shade of icky orange-ish.

Armed with my trusty art brush & steeled & fortified by several strong cups of my herbal blend tea, "Cabernet" & extremely DARK "Black Cherry" stains - I thinly brushed on the Cabernet first - which immediately turned my poor "Caliope" into a bit darker but orangey RED - Eeewww - even WORSE! There was nothing left to be done now - but TRY a thin over-stain sponge brushed layering of the uber-dark "Black Cherry" stain, et voila'!!!

The PERFECT Deep Cherry colour I was after to begin with! You can see Kromski's closest finish they call "Mahogany" on Caliope's JUMBO Flyer / Bobbin & the JUMBO DD Whorl plate on her "table".

The difference isn't quite that glaring in normal room lighting - but this was shot in direct sunlight streaming in from my front triple picture window. I'm truly in LOVE with my new Symphony wheel that spins so effortlessly easy she practically spins HERSELF & in dead silence too! Now THAT's truly a FIRST on both counts for me! So Happy 60th Birthday to ME! I'm absolutely in LOVE with my new "Caliope"!

Ohh yeahhh - I almost forgot to tell you that I've also discovered the very BEST KEPT SECRET to oiling / polishing & lubricating my wheels - ALL of them!!! It's a gun cleaning / lubricant oil product called "BALLISTROL" - You can get it from gun shops or major sporting goods shops or of course online. It's bio-degradeable & has no carcinogins. It feeds & conditions the Leathers of your wheel Maidens & does the same for all woods & when used as a polishing medium makes your woods shine like new money! It also lubricates & prevents rust on metals & of course - STOPS anything that SQUEEKS on contact too! When you buy some for YOUR wheel - get TWO 16 oz cans - Since your Honey will STEAL away with one of them!

I wish you all Happy Spinnings & Hoping to see you on:  RAVELRY!
Teri -aka- The Dream Spinner

NEW - OOAK - Dream Spinner "Chameleon" - 22" PVC Saxony Wheel!

A sneak peek at my latest creation prototype - A uniquely adaptable OOAK - PVC - 22" O.D. Universal Dream Spinner  "Chameleon" - Saxony spinning wheel! It ADAPTS to fit just about anything in Flyers & Bobbins! Even - the crazy huge BULKYS! The ©Dream Spinner "Chameleon" Saxony Wheel Features: "Tilt-A-Wheel" Tension & unique "Floating Maiden" system that adjusts the MOA Upright Posts for length & width to fit just about ANY type or style in Flyers & Bobbins. Easily adjustable Orifice Height & the "Chameleon" wheel comes pre-mountable either left or right side of the frame & Orifice. She has a convenient large Footrest Plate & padded "Featherlite Toe-touch" flex-action Treadling Rod. There's plenty of room for 4-6 Onboard Steel Lazy Kates as shown with my Louet WooLee Winders, flyers & bobbins {not included w/ the wheel of course!} And she can spin in either true Single or Double-Drive modes too! The Dream Spinner Chameleon's 22" wheel comes in black & the PVC frame is available in white only.

Hopefully - She'll be ready for release on my ETSY shop or email direct - for Custom Orders only. Still debating whether or not to make the wheel available for sale - or - Just the plans for the DIY'ers out there... Stay tuned for more news & unique Spinning creations - Happy Spinnings!

My Aussie Sister Sam - Spinning with her ©Universal Dream Spinner!

This is my adopted Aussie Sister Samantha e-spinning  with her own electronic ©Universal Dream Spinner spinning wheel, using an Ashford Bulky Bobbin &Ashford Jumbo Flyer w/ a slide ring fiber guide, in a YouTube video from the Land Downunder. She's literally on the other side of the world from me, here in central Georgia USA,

So much for those totally BOGUS claims made by those who have never even SPUN one of my ©Universal Dream Spinners that the 7,000 rpm "sewing machine" motors I use on all of them are annoyingly "noisy"!

I've actually HEARD Sam's sweet Justin peacefully snoring while she & I e-visited via Skype till HER wee hours of the morning! Australia's 14 hours AHEAD of us in the states - so SKYPE visits mean that ONE of us is always in the DARK! THANK YOU both for making this video & special thanks to Justin for shooting it! Funny how the Ashford JUMBO Flyer & Bobbin whirling round are far "noisier" than the motor that powers it isn't it? : }
Just think - Samantha has only been spinning just over 5 months or so now & self-taught at that, with only a wee bit of really long-distanced Co-Piloting via SKYPE. Just wish you could SEE the lovely SMILE that comes over Samantha's face when she's spin-spin-spinninnnng all her cares away! With FOUR gorgeous kids - one a brand new two y/o toddler running her about the house AND Sam home-schooling her brood on TOP of it all - She really NEEDS to spin to decompress at night!!! WOW!

Thanks again for making this ©UDS Video of your "DIVA" Sam! It's a wonderful see it for yourself demonstration that I couldn't have done any better if I'd shot it myself!  Wishing you & "The DIVA" years of happy spinnings! Teri

Restoring "PANDORA" - Lithuanian Spinning Wheel

The photo above shows my newly restored "PANDORA" spinning laceweight yarn singles! This after 4 days of near-constant swearing, scraping, cleaning, researching, UN-GLUEING {GAHHHH!!!} & making a few little not-so-spinning Kosher bits & alignment pieces to restore her back to being merrilly spinning again as she'd probably been sadly longing to DO for quite some time!  

The photo below is a close-up view of PANDORA's lovely hand-turned Maiden & her Flyer & Bobbin set-up. It's very obvious that she has been repaired several times over the years & was created with all hand crafted parts & pieces. I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover if it were possible to retrace her exact timeline - that her maker used a foot-treadled lathe & handforged chisels to create her intricate turnings. I never could find a "maker's mark" on her & being at least a circa late 1800's Centurian - suspect she is indeed & has always been a one-of-a-kind "one-bobbin wonder"!

The NEXT photo is of PANDORA restored to her gleaming glory once again! STILL have more research to do for more detailed tweaking & re-feeding on her - since she is quite "thristy" & enjoying being "fed" healing & rejuvenating oils again! Ain't she a PRETTY thing tho?!

Spinning Purists will notice the not-so-Kosher repair bits on her & that I did indeed use TWO separate Drive Bands - I HAD to in order to get PANDORA to STOP thowing off the Bobbin's cotton twine Drive Band! So I made an elastic polymer Drive Band for the Flyer - since it needs constant & consistent traction while the wheel "drives" it round & round & the Bobbin needs to be able to "SLIP" on it's cotton non-elastic Drive Band so the spun yarn will consistently be wound onto the bobbin core as it's spun twist into it while being drawn into the Flyer.

There was a LOAD of "Grinding Paste" to be removed - scraped, filed & sanded OUT & off of everything that MOVED on PANDORA. Grinding paste - it the awful thick sticky black goo that forms from ground up wood bits, dirt, minute fibers & forms an abrasive schmutz that accumlates in the works of the wheel, Flyer, Maiden Leathers & the Bobbin when not properly maintained, oiled & cleaned over time. It is also a mother BEAR to get OUT of the Wheel upright support "Forks" - OUT of the Bobbin core - OFF of the Flyer's metal bits & Orifice fiber feed tube & other places it migrates to & renders the wheel unspinnable.

For some reason - one of her previous restorations involved GLUEING her Mother of All {the thing that HOLDS the Maiden {the thing that holds the Flyer & Bobbin} into the wheel table & is SUPPOSED to MOVE backwards to TIGHTEN the Drive Bands & TENSIONING on the fibers while they're being spun - OR using the rounded Tension Screw handle {at the FRONT center portion of the wheel's table - Unscrewed to MOVE the Mother Of All -aka- MOA- BACK towards to wheel to make LESS tension on the Drive Bands AND lighten the DRAW or PULL in of the fibers being spun & wound onto the Bobbin's core... That's basically how you adjust & DRIVE a Double-Drive spinning wheel.

Anyway - her MOA had been working loose over the years & a previous restorer had used something that shot me RIGHT back to my own Grandparent's little house in Charleston, S.C. - where I immediately recognized {once I got the bugger LOOSE & unstuck underneath the MOA wooden bell "cap" & freed it from the wheel's table - was the very identical 30's & 40's counter top laminate with an off-white top & metallic gold flakes in it!!! I think all our grandparents' homes had that VERY same laminated kitchen counter material! Realize I'm pushing 60 here myself - so MY long gone Grands would have placed that material circa 1930's -1940's vintage.

Ohh WHAT to USE to make a NEW set of MOA "flanges" to fill that nearly 1/4" gap - underneath the MOA that prevented it from aligning the Maiden - Flyer & Bobbin grooved Drive Band "Whorls" now??? Well - Ya USE what ya GOT! I happened to look round my former guest BR now mini-shop & caught quick glance of an old clipboard! I mean the ones that LOOK like wood-fiber & HARD as ROCKS! It's really more thin compressed layers of paper & glue slurry that when dried & cured - made that rock-hard near-wood - that was so popular during the Great Depression era when hard-woods & materials all went to the war efforts & no one had money to spare for such luxuries as solid hard-woods!

So - I nearly burnt out my poor Dremel trying to cut - carve & hand-file two of the former "clip-board" rounds into perfect fitting slots for PANDORA's tilted MOA to rest upon & center herself with the wonky spinning WHEEL...

It took me most of the 4 days to clean - scrape - swear & gouge out all the "grinding paste" from the wheel's utpight support "Forks"... This after oiling - cleaning - more oiling & more cleaning. Finally ended up having to hand file down to "clean wood" - then re-oil & finally BASH on the forged iron  "crank" side's axle that was anything but TRUE & caused PANDORA's wheel to spin wonky at ONE top of the wheel's movement pitch - where the wooden {Pitman} hooks into the crank to SPIN the wheel when the foot treadle is toed down. JUST at the pivotal {pun intended} moment & forward drive motion!

So - I figured by now - I'd either end up with $140 worth of FIREWOOD - OR - By God - PANDORA would be Spinnable - or BUST! Suffice to say - The Spinning Faes were WITH me on that one - And - PANDORA is spinning beautifully now. I just need to tweak some more to get the tension PULL a bit looser without throwing the Drive Band off the Bobbin every few rounds of the wheel.

For NOW - I don't think I could be much more pleased with how well PANDORA has lived up to her NAME during her mini-refurb despite of her decrepitude and is once again rather like ME - Wrinkled, sagging in places, marred a bit here & there from earning her Battle Scars of Living & moving just a bit wonky... All of which only ADD to her alluring charm!  I think this is the beginning of a long & beautiful new relationship together!!!

I have the distinct feeling that PANDORA will NOT be my LAST wooden Double-Drive spinning wheel! Tho SHE was the very FIRST wooden spinning wheel I've ever touched - much less a Double-Drive spinning wheel - Kinda THREW me at first - Cuzzz I couldn't figure out - WHERE the heck to PUT on a BRAKE BAND!!! Sorry - Only experienced SPINNERS will completely understand that one & WHY my PANDORA just LAUGHED at me until I finally figured out WHY she doesn't USE one!

You can see she is much happier all cleaned up & shiny compared to her former piteous dust grimy unspinnabe condition in the previous posting below where she was a Lady In Waiting quietly hidden away in a dusty little corner of small Montana antique shop where my son {THANK YOU Michael} found her there just waiting for me!

Look Who's Coming To My House...

I can hardly STAND the wait to get my paws on this wheel - I've already named "Pandora"! My Son & his little family were out antiqueing the other day & suddenly - My cell phone alert went off  with an IM alert & Ohhh Myyyyy... Look at what he FOUND for Mom!!!

It's a wonderfully preserved Lithuanian style antique spinnng wheel! She was purchased at an estate sale of a very dear older lady who got it as a child from her Great-Great-Grandmother - It dates back somewhere between the late 1800's - early 1900's

There was no maker's mark of any sort on it anywhere - And it has been very obviously hand-tooled & turned since none of the turnings are precisely the same. All the more valuable in my book! Anyway the nice lady at the antique shop wanted $160 for it & Michael walked away with "Pandora" in his hands for only $140!! And he asked me IF I was interested in this wheel??? Ohhh Yahhhh Baby!!!

So now I have only to wait for her to be CAREFULLY packaged and shipped from Montana to central Georgia! Here's hoping those who handle this sweet package do so with ultimate care! More pics to follow once Pandora is home & fed & cleaned up a bit. 

Autumn Jumble - SAL Challenge

Welcome to our Autumn Jumble - Spin-A-Long Challenge on RAVELRY!

Runs September 1st - thru November 30th - 2011.  All BABE wheel owners, friends, & cheering section members are welcome to join in the fun on this one! Each entry must be an original BABE Spun  yargage in 3 oz lots or better. No previous entries or finished object please!  So grab some pretty Fall colours & c'monnn over!  You'll have a wonderful time with our merry forum members! Happy Autumnal Spinnings Ya'll! Teri -aka- TheDreamSpinner on RAVELRY! 

RAVELRY - "Sum-Sum-Summer Time" - SAL Challenge

Welcome to our first 2011 Sum-Sum-Summer Time - SAL Challenge on RAVELRY's - I Got Ewe Babe - Owners' Forum! Come & Spin Along with us or feel free to join our raucous Cheering Section! You'll have boatloads of Summery Spinning Fun! Entries must be personally BABE wheelspun finished yarnage, 3 oz. minimum each per entry. No finished projects please or entries submitted to other SAL challenges. Enter as often as you like. Prizes are drawn at random at the end of our SAL.

Meanwhile - Enjoy my favorite 60's music playlist, and remembering your Endless Summer Flashbacks!  Hope to see Ewe there!  Teri - The Dream Spinner
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Welcome to our RAVELRY - "I Got Ewe BABE" Owner's Group "Spring Fling"- Spin-A-Long Challenge - 2011! We're celebrating all things Spring at RAVELRY - which as you may have heard - is The "Facebook" of FiberCraft Enthusiasts! Spring on over & Get in the Spin with our newest "Spring Fling" Spin-A-Long Challenge!

Cupid's Arrow - SAL Challenge

And my second entry into "Cupid's Arrow"- SAL Challenge! It's called "Candy Hearts". It's probably the softest shiniest silkiest stuff I've ever blended together & handspun!

Finally - Here's my entry in our "Cupid's Arrow" SAL Challenge for Valentine's Day! It's called "My Purple Heart" named in honor of friends & their families who are courageously battling cancer. It's 9.25 ozs of 2 ply DK yarnage - yielding about 760 yards worth! Just call me an Over-Achiever!

Welcome to the first Spin-A-Long Challenge of 2011! Our Ravelry "I Got Ewe Babe" spinning wheel owner's group is at it again! Spinning up Sweet Nothings inspired by Romanza, Long Lost Loves or New Loves Found. This SAL challenge is open to BABE Owners & Fans - Come and Spin-A-Long or join the Cheering Section! Sure to be lots of FUN for all! "Cupid's Arrrow" SAL Challenge graphics by Gine Jane Johnson & Scrap Orchard. Happy New Year & Happy Spinning! Teri

RAVELRY - "Holly-Dazed" - SAL Challenge

Happy Holly-Daze - From The Dream Spinner & News from our RAVELRY - Holly-Dazed SAL...

“Holly-Dazed” SAL Challenge Entry number two - “Daddy’s Little Girl”… I chose the grossly expensive {$6 an oz. is grossly expensive for ME anyway} "Orchid Pinks" rovings I’d been saving for three years JUST for something like this! It reminded me of Christmasses at my maternal Grandmother’s & Papa's. It was a tiny little house at the end of a dead end street, abutting mosquito-ridden brackish salt marshes in North Charleston S.C. Both Grandparents are long since GONE & their precious little house & the entire street, swept away entirely by Hurricane Hugo's "party favors".

That particular Orchid pink blend - reminded me of the STUNNING collection of long flowy movie star Peignoir sets my Grandmother had “ONLY for the hospital” dont you know! Such a special treat, I got to wear when I’d grown SO TALL way too soon, that they sort of FIT me with a bit to spare at the still too long hems, serving as a glamorous "train" on those magical gown. I vividly remember feeling very like the Max Glam “Madam Queen” my Beloved Papa {Grandfather} called me while wearing it & swishing around as glamorous as a tall & twigly 5’7” 12 y/o Tomboy possibly could.

Those are about the ONLY happy memories of my entire childhood. Holidays & brief summer vacations whenever we were stationed close enough to GET there, in time spent in that tiny little house with HUGE roiling bright HOT bubble lights, intricate hand-blown German glass ornaments that looked like glittering candies & far too much silver tinsel & itchy "Angel hair" everywhere! I can still "memory taste" the GROSSLY awful, but beauteous ribboned & filled hard candies in Grandmother's fancy antique glass dishes, so carefully scattered about on the buffet with HARD as diamonds in-the-shell mixed nuts & their dangerous nut crackers! Sighhhh - I do SO MISS those sweet innocent Holly Daze! sighhh… holding chin, cupped wistfully in both hands…

Anywayyy - The yarnage is my own custom Louet Roving carded blend of “Orchid Pinks” 50/50 Merino / Silk hand-painted by Material Whirled carded equally with “Pinks” 100% Bamboo by Whimzy Pinzy - then topped off with Paradise Fibers’ nylon “Faux Cashmere” {to DIE FOR by the way!} & brilliant irridescent Icicle Sparkles.

It worked out to 274 yards & 8.75 ozs, finished navajo 3-ply in a heavy "THICK n THIN" WW yarnage - destined for Holiday hand-knitted hats for my precious DIL & Baby Grand - Amara Grace’s second Christmas. WHEEWW!!!

I've been steadily carding & spinning batts like a mad-woman possessed here of late & LOVING IT! If you haven’t TRIED Paradise Fibers’ nylon Faux Cashere - YOU JUST HAVE TO TRY IT! I have NEVER ever put my hands into ANYTHING soooo cushy soffft in my spinning life! It blends like a dream & spins sooo sooo soft & easy! So much for nylon blending fibers! Move UP to the FAUX Cashmere nylon! It’s SO worth every single penny! Come JOIN the now One Million PLUS of us on RAVELRY! Hope you enjoy it & Carry on Spinning Ya’ll! Teri

We're at it again - The BABE Owner's Group at RAVELRY has only JUST ended the Autumn - Back-To-School Spin A Long Challenge & we're already thinking about those crazy Holly-Dazed celebrations coming right around the corner! So grab whatever fibers evoke vivid Holiday memories for you & Let's get bizzzy Spinning Yule... I mean - Ya'll! : } RAVELRY - It's "The FACEBOOK" of Fiber Art enthusiasts! Come JOIN the fun in our "Holly-Dazed - SAL - Challenge"!

2nd Autumn - Back-To-School - SAL Entry

In our ongoing BABE Owner's Group's - "Back-To-School - Autumn SAL" {spin-a-long} challenge mentioned in the previous posting - THIS lovely stuff is "Woodland Viola" - 100% BFL wool, hand-painted by Miss Babs Fibers. Navajo Plied into a 3 ply lite Bulky gauged yarn - 4.5 oz. skein of Squoooshy Heaven! If you haven't joined RAVELRY yet - "The Facebook for Fibercraft Fanatics" - You really SHOULD! Wait till you see this colourway's cousin - also by Miss Babs Fibers - Called "Iris" - Another gorgeous BFL wool hand-painted in deep purple to violet - to all woodland forest shades of mossy greens! Have more than a POUND of it spun in near laceweight singles to be 3 plied navajo style too! Come JOIN the FUN at http://ravelry.com/ & get your daily dose of fiber fun too!

RAVELRY - BACK-To School - SAL Challenge

Here's my first entry in the Ravelry - Back-To-School-Autumn SAL Challenge. Aptly named: Early Harvest" - Bluefaced Leicester & Silk blend - handpainted fibers by http://knittyandcolor.etsy.com/.
Yarn sampler skein is 3 ozs. of Navajo 3 ply - DK yarnage. Doesn't it just scream AUTUMN?
Come join us on RAVELRY - It's the "FACEBOOK" of all things fibercraft!

Who's up for a Back-To-School - Spin-A-Long Challenge??? Tho it's still hot as HADES here in Central Ga. the kids have gone back to school again already & we're dying for a cool crisp SNAP of an Autumnal chill in the air! So at RAVELRY which has been referred to as the "Facebook for Fiber Crafters"... we're hosting an Autumn-themed "Back-To-School - SAL Challenge" thru October 15th - 2010. With tons of Spinning, Fibercraft fairs, & Fiber shows coming up soon all over the country - what better way to inspire others to TRY the timeless gentle fiberart of Hand-Spinning than by spinning up brilliant Fall coloured yarnage & Spinning it in public if possible? Imagine crisp brilliant leaves waving wildly on bool Fall breezes, or crunching underfoot in damp mossy woodlands. Dream of crackling firesides, snuggling underneath handspun cozy afghans with steaming hot spiced Apple Cider & a brand new BOOK & lose yourself in the stolen hours of Autumn evening respites... Are ya feelin me here yet??? Grab some incredible Fall coloured spinning fibres du jour, that bring it all home to your heart & mind's eye. Tweak & tune up up those spinning wheels & snap up your favorite Spindles or inertial fed ©Sling-Blade Handspinners & Let's spin up some spicey Autumnal majick ya'll!

At her suggestion I give you - Sarah's own http://www.knittyandcolor.etsy.com/ - "Jelly Beans" - custom-dyed in both a 100% Merino wool top & "Jelly Beans lite" - Merino & Bamboo blend! Sarah has been an ANGEL about dyeing up my picky ticky colourway requests - So when the 100% Merino “Jelly Beans” 4 oz. roving arrived in the expected usual retinal fusing brilliant colourway - I was THRILLED to no END! Then came the {gullllp} really tricky part… Trying to reproduce the very same deeply brilliant vibrant retinal BURN “Jelly Beans” in a Merino-Bamboo blend… It’s STILL quite amazing as you can SEE in the lower handspun yarnage it produced in the photo. But it wasn’t QUITE that retinal scorch I was really hoping the blended fibers would produce. But then Bamboo won’t absorb dye in the same dyeing processes as wool or nearly as deeply… So = the paler Jelly Beans-Lite version was the result. Still HAPPY - but it lacked the BURRRNNN... The dyed tops were PREPPED prior to spinning a bit differently too. The 100% vibrant Merino JB - was spun after splitting the roving into 4ths lengthwise, & spinning the entire solid colour sequence straight along the {1/4 width}roving strip length. Thus the specific clearly defined vibrant hues of the Navajo 3-plied lace weight singles yarnage it produced in the top of the photo above. The Merino-Bamboo "Jelly Beans - Lite" blend - was spun after layering on each single colour - of the intact roving width array. IE: a single roving strip of each of the five colours - layering one colour over another - while using my Louet Roving Carder to form lofty open blended Batts. That really fluffed things UP & made for a far more diffuse colourway in my laceweight singles - which I then used the Navajo 3 ply finger-chaining technique for a perfectly balanced 3 ply yarnage, as shown in the lower mini-skein sample of about 2 ounces worth after spinning TWO of the first carded four batts from the initial 4 oz. of "Jelly Beans-Lite" roving. We're calling it "Lite" only because the brilliant identical Jelly Beans hand-painted dyeing - resulted in a paler version of the dingle Merino fiber roving - vs. the Merino & Bamboo blend. Both yarns were spun using my ©Sling-Blade Handspinner - that I can wind on about 450 yards or so of laceweight singles with a single “blade”. Way more capacity than any other comparable hand-spinner like it’s design.

The finished yarns are BOTH sofffft to the skin & have that incredible soft lofty SQUOOOSH factor I only seem to be able to spin & ply using the finger-chaining Navajo Plying method. Otherwise - I consistently end up with a fingering to lite sport weight 2 ply yarnage that feels wonderful & has the elastic fiber “memory” once steamed & fulled - but is a bit more tightly spun & makes for a very uniformly bumpaged yarnage - More of a worsted look & feel than the lofty woollen handspun I get with a Navajo 3 ply method that will produce a DK sportweight to a light WW yarn gauge after steam-fulling to set the twist. I’m in the process of spinning up the last two of the initial first 4 batts of the Jelly Beans lite on a DIY supported hand-spindle. I plan to ply 2 singles together to see how that colourway & yarnage comes out. More pics to follow & further experimental results.

Sometimes -Ya just GOTTA bite the bullet & PLAY with your luxury fibers to SEE how using different fiber prepping & varying your spinning methods looks firsthand! In other words - It ain't comin' from someone else's how-to "book".

Sorry for the long-winded story saga - but Sarah kinda asked me to splain the differences & methods used in this experimental Jelly Bean Saga we’re working on togther. Hope you enjoy it - Teri

Join us at http://www.isupporthandmade.com/ Help support Independent Designers, Teachers & Artisan Crafters share their creative passions, keeping nearly lost ancient arts & skills alive & thriving while offering first quality handcrafted goods. Make your Pledge to BUY HANDMADE & support Independent Artists & Handcrafters!

Latest Spindlings & Resultant Yarnage...

Just finished spinning these two lovelies from http://greenwoodfiberworks.etsy.com/ - The top colourway's a 60%/40% Merino / Tencel blend called "Enchanted" the lower colour is an extraction called "Amethyst" Carolyn custom dyed for me. They're just shiny as silk & ultra soffttt! Finally decided to ply them together & the resultant yarnage is stunning!!! Worked up to about 845 yards of a DK 2-ply & is drying on my skein dryer as you read. Carolyn says she now has the ability to offer them in a BFL-Bamboo blend. Do yourself a favor & try some of her lovelies soon! More pix coming later... Happy Spinning!

New from ©TDS-Creations - BABE - Treadle-Locks

I've come up with the CURE for BABES Fiber Garden's Fiber-Starter - Production & BABE Bulky series {round pvc pipe frames only } treadled spinning wheels, suffering from annoying "Wandering Treadles Syndrome". That acutely PAINFUL surprise problem, when the treadle pedal base clamps on BABE round piped frames, abruptly JUMP OFF tiny panhead screw "tracks" or treadle channel guides - all but DISLOCATING your HIP joints, slipping suddenly & violently LATTERALLY or completely OFF the wheel frame base entirely! A picture paints a thousand words & this one has far less than half that! Custom made to order, simple, nearly invisible - They just plain WORK - You'll wonder WHY you ever put up with side slipping treadles when you try my PVC "Treadle-Lock" clamps! Works with Single - Double-Treadle or the wider BABE Two-Footer Treadles.