Picking a spinning project for my new wheel

[Deleted]

I took part in the Electric Eel Wheel kickstarter, and I have a notice that my package is out for delivery!  I don't have time to use it right away, but I should be able to sneak in some time this weekend.

My best spinning to date has been on the Navajo spindle.  I'm worsted spinning top off one of my own Cotswold sheep fleeces.  I'm trying to learn to draw thin and evenly.

I have tried using my cousin's foot pedaled wheel before, but I always over-spun it while I was taking too much time drawing thin.  I'm hoping the electric wheel speed controls will help with that, but I'm pretty sure the first batch won't go easy.

A piece of me says go ahead and use the top, as it is the easiest thing I have to spin, but most of me finds that fiber rather precious and doesn't want to sacrifice it to the learning process when I could eventually finish it with the spindle in a consistent manner.

I have lots of small lots of other fibers to play with, and a couple bins of the "short" (~5" staple) fibers combed out of the Cotswold top.  The Cotswold seconds bin still has a bit of veg matter in it, and is not combed properly for worsted spinning so I'd have to switch to woolen style...

[Deleted]

I decided to go with the Cotswold seconds. This is my first wheel, so I have a lot to learn. Point one is to loosen up, need to feed the finished fiber into the machine and not expect it to take it from me.

[Callie]

One thing I've learned is that the closet is full of fleece....and here I sit trying to decide what to do with it. i'd be better off to spend my time spinning rather than stewing over what to do. The rate I'm going, my alpacas will grow a lot more fleece before I'm close to using up this year's fleeces.

If your yarn is over spun, you need to tighten the take up so it moves onto the bobbin faster. OR...put it on a slower (larger) whirl so the flyer won't go around as fast...OR...pedal slower. You'll get the hang of it.

[Deleted]

It's electric, I have the speed setting pretty low while learning. Gotta figure out the tension knob, but I don't think you could fit a different flyer on.

[Deleted]

Things are going much better with the wheel now that I've sanded all the rough edges, so nubbins in my low grade yarn don't snag and stop the yarn from feeding in. I'm also getting the hang of the tension knob to adjust twist ratios. I'm using it directly off the spool to crochet a shawl, pics later.

I will probably still use my Navajo spindle at spinning club meetings. There are only so many seats near an outlet.

[Muller's Lane Farm]

There is always the option of turning off the e-spinner completely and letting the twist go up into the drafted fiber, then turning the e-spinner back on & feeding the yarn on to the bobbin.

Go ahead! No one is looking!

[Deleted]

I've been enjoying my spindles more than my new machine of late. Perhaps it is time to risk the nice fiber on the wheel. I'm considering sending the seconds fiber to the mill to be conventionally processed into roving. The long fibers that give the machines trouble have been removed by the combing process and saved as my best grade of fiber.

Is the combed out long fiber properly called "Top"? I usually see "Top" sold in pin drafted roving form...

[Callie]

Yes, combed fiber is generally sold as "top". I have only seen the top at fiber festivals and see the pin drafted top online.