Help with wool.

[Retired Member southey]

Wifey brought back some washed,dyed and carded wool from the Falklands, and I was just trying to find out wheather we could spin it with our hands? if there is a good tecnique? any help would be great, we've about enough to make 100g ball.
Mukwa used for scale and contrast.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

LoL @ piccy... cant help with the wool, although my mam knitted everything, teddy's, blanky's, you name it!

Mukwa looks very, very comfy

 

[badgeringtim]

The short answer is yess you can.

You can use a small spinner which is a little like a long spinning top (or a length of dowel with a toy wheel knocked on and hooks in the ends).
I understand it takes a pit of practice though, i have a friend who is most proficcient and makes lovel eaven thread, however most people that buy shanks appear to go for ones that fluctuate in size on purpose. Which i am sure would have been frowned on back in the day as poor workmanship

I'd Just use a search engine - there are many many sites covering this here is just the first example i found;

http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/

Hope that helps

 

[Paul_B]

Go to WHSmiths and find the latest copy of Bushcraft magazine. Read the section on spinning wool then put it back as it is £4 and is no better than the advice you can get from here. They had a dowelling with what looked like part of a drinks bottle on it. Only saw it skimming through and went back to see what it was about so a bit vague about it.

BTW I think the blue is more Mukwa's colour. Suits better I think. The green at a push but don't thin Mukwa carries the prange off too well.

 

[Toddy]

Falklands wool is lovely stuff

Yes, it can be spun quite easily.
If you send me your address by pm I'll send you a copy of the print out I make as a handout when I'm teaching spinning, and send you some British tops to practice on first.

Spindles are easily made, but good ones, that actually keep spinning for you, are a matter of getting the balance of whorl size and weight to spindle, right. I can recommend a few makers though and you can get one that will work well for about £6. If you want it with more roving and instructions it's about £9.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Retired Member southey]

Cheers guy's, thank you for your reply's and PM inbound Toddy.

 

[Eric_Methven]

PM on it's way Southey.

Eric