# Passing on a fine tradition!



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Finally tracked down the grommet for the CD spindle. Made one for each of the girls and my mom for her birthday. I got Anna started yesterday, did her Mama proud. She took to it like a duck to water. We spend the afternoon tending the burn pile and picking wool for the carder...so that's on today's to do list. 

Video: 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Ds2TY5Gi4[/ame]


----------



## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

Great job!!!!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Oh my gosh, you even got a video!
Wow Lana, she is beautiful and a heck of a sport to let you film her. 

I am not surprised that she is good at it. Spindling seems like a perfect kid thing to me.
Does she knit/crochet yet?


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

She is NOT camera shy. 

So far it's just the knit in knitting. I did get her a knitting loom and she's doing better with that. I tried her out with crochet (my first love) but it wasn't her thing. She's really wanted to learn to spin, knitting will pick up once she has her own yarn to work with. For now she sits with me while I knit. She's getting pretty good at recognizing the stitches and pointing out the pattern. 
One of my sons crochets. The oldest has discovered woodworking. Should have seen him when I was getting the spindles made up...kinda like a chicken eyeing a big fat worm. 
"You know Mom, if we had a lathe..." 
and I thought their dad's military weaponry/gun collecting was expensive.


----------



## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Lana I think it is great that your kids are really talented. Great video too!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Hey Lana, have you given the spindle a whirl yourself? 
Is portable spinning cool, or what?


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Hey Lana, have you given the spindle a whirl yourself?
> Is portable spinning cool, or what?


 Are you kidding......of course! I mean, I had to get them started for them...you know....so there was plenty of lead for mistakes......yeah......that's it. 

I played with my mom's for most of the evening, enough to ply up some leader yarn for all the spindles. Enjoyed it more than I was expecting. Different experience than with a wheel. I just need one more grommet (or two, one of the boys wants to try it out) and I'll have one that I can use. 

I'm doomed. It will be perfect for taking to the Farmer's Market though, far less hassle than the wheel.


----------



## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Wow! She makes it looks so easy...


----------



## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> My daughter can't pour milk and actually get any in the glass -and she's 28 years old and she's a doctor.


I'm hoping here that she is not a surgeon!!


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Great video Lana! She's a hip spinner too. I haven't gotten brave enough to try that move yet


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks guys! Your responses gave her a boost (beginner frustration). 

WIHH: She's not the most coordinated person either. Trips over air on a regular basis.
*thump* "I'm alright!" 

One of the reasons I'm just pleased as punch right now. This is one thing she's been good at from the get go and she needed that.


----------



## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Lana, I love the video! I think your daughter is brilliant (and just lovely)!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I discovered that you dont really need a leader for top-whorl. Just wrap a bit of fiber around the hook and start.


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Surrrre, thanks GAM. I needed a viable reason you know.  

Really, thanks. I'd forgotten about that. My mom's got hers full and coming over today to learn the Andean Ply. I should probably get some more wool through the carder for her, huh? LOL


----------



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Lana, your daughter is doing great!!! Would you and her like to come over and do a demo for our girls class? We are between Tonasket and Colville..... We just made those spindles, last week washed the wool for a number of projects. I would love to see the Andean ply- if you are ever going to be in this area, let me know- GAM, that is good info on the lead.
here is a link to our 4-Her's in the news bulletin from our last meeting.... 
http://ferry.wsu.edu/4-h/NRFirmFoundationCardingAndHay.pdf


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Oh, another spindling trick that I plan to try is to make a 'quill' out of a drinking straw or bit of rolled up paper and put it on the spindle before I start. Then, you can just slide the single straight off of there and onto something else, to keep it under tension w/o stopping to rewrap or unwind it. Seems like it would work as long as the yarn doesnt get bigger than the paper.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The only problem I see with that GAM is how would you be able to wind the yarn onto the "quill" without it slipping? I have seen it mentioned but not done.


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Marchwind, I suppose it would have to be a snug fit.  

I see where people use post-it notes, or you could just tape the paper into a tube. There are even spindles that have a conical shaft. They say you can just slide the little cones off and ply from them, but that kinda scares me. I know my singles aare over/under spun still. They would probably just twirl into a snarl, LOL.

Spindling already has enough challenges w/o THAT.


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

I frequently use a straw on the spindle shaft. The only problem I've had is wrapping the yarn too high on the spindle so when you slide the straw off the yarn falls off the straw. Otherwise it's a great trick; you can slide the straw directly onto a Lazy Kate for plying.
I usually have to split the straw so it fits the shaft, but plastic straws don't lose their shape so it just grips the shaft, split or not.

Lana, your daughter's doing a great job. I can't believe she just learned to spin. She's a natural!
Pa


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

InHisName said:


> Lana, your daughter is doing great!!! Would you and her like to come over and do a demo for our girls class? We are between Tonasket and Colville..... We just made those spindles, last week washed the wool for a number of projects. I would love to see the Andean ply- if you are ever going to be in this area, let me know- GAM, that is good info on the lead.
> here is a link to our 4-Her's in the news bulletin from our last meeting....
> http://ferry.wsu.edu/4-h/NRFirmFoundationCardingAndHay.pdf


Sure, it sounds like fun! Send me a pm and we'll see what we can work out.


----------



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks! Will pm and see what is a good time for you. We generally have our meetings on Friday afternoons.


----------

