# Anyone use an Ashford Trad? Questions-



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Need to get a new flyer for the Ashford SD traditional- looking at the bulky flyer head and bobbins, and they have a new sliding thing a ma bobby- instead of hooks. (freedom flyer?) Anyone use try these? Also, what about the lace flyer attachment- wondering if it is necessary- the regular Trad makes some pretty fine yarn... your input appreciated!
Edited to add: What about an Ashford DD Traveler? There is one on Raverly for a good price, but have never used DD.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yep, I have a Traddy but I have the high speed flyer not a jumbo. I don't know the thing of which you speak. I think I've seen them but never used one. I doubt it is necessary, hooks work just fine. MullersLanefarm has a jumbo flyer on her Traveller and I think she has what you are talking about. She may have your answer.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

I have a traveller with the sliding hook flyer the bobbins are larger then standard but smaller the jumbo. I used my standard flyer for about 2 hours before putting on the sliding hook, you get smoother wind with the yarn on the bobbin with the sliding flyer as you can adjust by very small increments. The bobbins from the standard flyer work with the sliding flyer so I use these for my singles then ply onto the larger sliding hook bobbins, I really love my sliding hook flyer and if fir any reason I wanted to use the standard no maiden parts need to be changed out. If you get the jumbo make sure it has the new front maiden or just the plastic part that needs to be changed I have seen them both ways. I get pretty fine with my flyer I am thinking the lace flyer not so necessary as I have not even gone to my highest ratio. I am not 100% but I believe the ratios are the same from standard to sliding flyer.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Luvz, On the Halcyon website, it says you need the sliding bobbins to use with the sliding hook flyer, http://halcyonyarn.com/spinning/spinningbobbins.html
Does the special bobbin work better? I had almost decided against it- because who wants to replace all their standard bobbins? (but it did not mention that at the Woolery)so glad to hear you can use your regular bobbins!
I wonder if you can make "lace" on the jumbo - I am not sure how to read it. I can make some pretty fine yarn on my Trad- http://www.woolery.com/pages/ashwheelsfr.html Maybe someone who understands the ratio numbers better can enlighten- says SD Trad ratio (highest #) is 12 or 18- not sure!, the Jumbo SD is 9.5. If I got just the Jumbo flyer (this is the sliding hook) would a 9.5 work for lace? May be a challenge....
Thank you all for your help! The spinning wheel store is 3 hours away. 
IHN
About the Wooly winder, I hear good things, too WIHH- maybe someone here can start a new thread and let us know why we must have one. Aren't they for plying?


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

I checked InHisName, but Paradise Fibers is in your neck of the woods and they carry the sliding flyer for the AT. Their shipping is very reasonable and super fast! Would cost less than a trip in. So far I've gotten all my orders within 2 days. 

Funny you should bring this up, I just tripped across this the other day and have been thinking getting one about myself.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks for the reminder, Lana! Have you been to their new location? Rarely are there, but would love to go- 
will check them out.....


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

I have an old Traddy with both jumbo flyer and lace flyer. I also have a Majacraft Little Gem with the sliding hook. I think the hook is a huge improvement over individual hooks as you can get a smoother wind-on. The jumbo flyer is wonderful for plying (which is mostly what I use my Traddy for) because it holds so much. It will also hold lots of lumpy bumpy art yarn. The lace flyer is really high speed but not really necessary. You can spin thick or thin on any flyer; it's just a question of how fast or slow you treadle and feed in the yarn. The lace flyer comes with bobbins with a thicker center corel which makes winding on easier at first, but you can duplicate that in any bobbin by just winding on some waste yarn first so as not to start with an empty bobbin. HTH


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> okay - this is where I get confused
> 
> 
> *there are regular flyers with hooks* (you manually move your spun fiber from hook to hook to fill your bobbin smoothly/evenly
> ...


Yep you are right, the sliding hook flyer has the thing you squeeze to move the yarn similar to you new wheel.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

:


InHisName said:


> Luvz, On the Halcyon website, it says you need the sliding bobbins to use with the sliding hook flyer, http://halcyonyarn.com/spinning/spinningbobbins.html
> Does the special bobbin work better? I had almost decided against it- because who wants to replace all their standard bobbins? (but it did not mention that at the Woolery)so glad to hear you can use your regular bobbins!
> I wonder if you can make "lace" on the jumbo - I am not sure how to read it. I can make some pretty fine yarn on my Trad-


. 

There are 2 different sizes of sliding hook flyers the regular and the jumbo the regular bobbins are larger then standard bobbins bu smaller then jumbo bobbins. I am not sure about the jumbo sliding hook flyer but I know on the regular sliding hook that the bobbins are interchangable. I made sure of this before I ordered because I thing I may be a litle ADD and sometimes working on one project for too long burns me out so total I have 8 bobbins 4 of the standard ones and 4 of the larger sliding hook ones. This post on Raverly might help. http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/ashford-spinners/1323276/1-25


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks for the info, and the Raverly link (joined that group) Went ahead and ordered the standard- with extra bobbin (ply here on a Louett, which has large bobbins) Looking forward to trying it out! If someone is looking for an Ashford Traveler, there is a great deal on one in the Portland area (pickup) on the Raverly Spinners Marketplace forum.


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

InHisName said:


> Thanks for the reminder, Lana! Have you been to their new location? Rarely are there, but would love to go-
> will check them out.....


I've never been to their physical store. Don't get into Spokane much, takes me over 3 hrs to get there from here. They have videos online that I've watched, but it's the closest I've gotten.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Ya'll know so much about all this! I know just enough to be dangerous.
I can say, I like my Ashford.


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