Knitting

[Tranzdog]

I have decided that I want to learn to knit, SO I went out and bought a "hank" of 100% wool, its about 2.5 pounds and it was 10 bucks-Good deal??

Its 2 ply and rather thick so I thought I would UN-ply it as I rolled it in to balls.

I will try the knitting thing but i think it might be better to make a loom and make "stuff" that way.

[motherearth]

Hi Tranzdog,
Fellow knitter and spinner here. Sometime weaver.
Bulky yarn is 'easier' for beginners as it knits up into something faster and you can see what you are doing with your stitches more easily.
I think you got a good buy. 2-ply is 2-ply for strength, so if you were to knit socks, for instance, you would want the strength. Most weaving is done with one ply. un-plying is a pain in the ass, because once plied, the yarn is put into scalding hot water to 'set the twist' so that it doesn't unravel. If you can get it unravelled, make sure that you wrap it around something firm ( I use a niddy noddy, the tool designed for the work), wrap it like a big circle, tie it in at least four places, so it doesn't tangle and put it into the hottest water you can stand. Squeeze dry, never agitate or you will felt your yarn, and hang to dry.
Weaving gets you more fabric for your yanr, but it is good only if you want fabric. Knitted material is stretchy, so socks could never be woven.
There are some great books, dvd's and classes out there. Several magazines, also. Spin-Off is my favorite.
If you can, take a class at the store where you bought the yarn. A sock class is really fun.
Have a great time!

[Tranzdog]

I left it 2 ply, it would have been a pain to undo, and after reading what you wrote Motherearth I am glad I din't " I got it rolled in to a "ball" OMG its huge, bigger then my head. I then sat down and took the little book I had and "cast" on 2 or 3 time till I got the hang of it then knitted a couple of rows, no pearls yet. Its rather easy and I think, one I get the hang of it, it will be very fun.

[Grower]

Knitting is a blast. Very zen. And you get cool stuff. I do it mostly in colder weather, since when it's nice I want to be outside. I'm going to take a sock class this fall. A friend sold me some wool yarn she spun and I think I'm going to try my first basic sweater with it.

Yarn is getting more and more expensive, though, like everything else. And like everything else, with yarn I have champaign taste and a beer budget.    A knitter in a yarn shop is like a chocoholic at the candy store.

[motherearth]

Grower... : definately like chocolate!

You could think about spinning. It is very easy, not too expensive to get into and then your caviar tastes are more easily satisfied.

I am a fine wool kind a girl. So I usually pick merino and targhee wools which are ever so soft. I get them from my spinning friends who coat their sheep and really do a nice job cleaning them. Or you could get roving which is like a long rope of combed wool. Very easy to spin, comes in an incredible array of colors and breeds. For rugs and outer wear, you head more into the corriedale, lincoln and merino, although each person has their own tastes concerning coarseness and what they can tolerate.

Google local flocks and you might hit the jackpot. A pound of merino is $20-$40 dollars depending on dye pattern and that is about enough to do a sweater.
You can get either a wheel or a drop spindle. Spindles are under $40 +/- and a new wheel starts around $350. If you think in terms of the lifetime of the wheel, its about $15 bucks a year. And you can be so versatile about what you make then. Thick yarn for bulky hats to felt, thin and delicate for a shawl, tight spin for socks, singles for weaving.
It is a very fun, calming activity, best done beside the woodstove  .

[Grower]

I COVET a spinning wheel. I can't really justify the expense right now, but your $15 argument is a good one.

I do have a drop spindle and have spun roving. It's good practice for having a wheel, I think. Thanks for the source suggestions. I'll check them out.

I heard about a book by an organic farmer who wrote "Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal." I think mine should be "Everything I Want to Do Is too Expensive."

[hippieinthehills]

I have taught spinning, knitting, dyeing, and I could teach weaving if I had enough looms 

Grower, you're on the right track with the drop spindle. I think it's good to start beginners on the drop spindle. It's so much slower than the wheel - a good thing.

"hank" of 100% wool, its about 2.5 pounds and it was 10 bucks-Good deal??

You bought 2.5 pounds of pure wool for ten bucks??? That wasn't a good deal, Trans, that was the deal of the freakin' century. I couldn't buy 2.5 pounds of craptastic acrylic ickiness for ten bucks, let alone pure wool. I am deeply envious.

I second what Mother Earth said - don't try to "unply" it. If you don't do it just right, most likely you'll up with an ugly mess.

Right now I'm working on a 50/50 merino/angora sweater in fingering weight yarn - 8.5 stitches to the inch. I plan to have it finished by winter. (Note that I did not specify which winter - may well be 2012 the way my hands are behaving  )

[Tranzdog]

Pic of the Ball-0-Yarn..
http://tranzdog.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album02&id=Knitting_002

The quilt is one my Mom just made for me

[annawolfsong]

Start checking Craigslist for spinning wheels, I suspect with rising prices a few might be destashed.  As for me, I'm jonesing for a Union 2 harness Rug Loom.  None in my area but there are several in Ohio on Craigslist so as I drive on by (soon, hopefully) I might grab one. 

Drop spindles are fun but you have to realize they just make you crave a wheel all that much more.

[hippieinthehills]

Hi anna!

I like my drop spindles for portability. Also, it's occasionally fun to make a spectacle of myself - I don't think I've ever used a drop spindle in public without drawing at least a small crowd 

[Grower]

I checked, but nothing now in Ohio for a wheel. I'll keep checking, though. I may ask at some local yarn shops. They often post wheels for people.

[hippieinthehills]

Grower -

Try here:

http://www.kbbspin.org/

Sometimes there are good deals to be had.

[Grower]

Cool site! So, what would you recommend for someone getting used to wheels? I kinda like the idea of a double-treadle, but I'm open. And what is a reasonable price? I don't expect garage-sale cheap, but I don't want to spend more than I should.

Thanks!

[annawolfsong]

I just leveraged a bunch of useless crap (small electric appliances) by selling them and buying a Kromski Minstrel.  It's a double drive, double treadle wheel for $419.  I find Scotch Tension fiddly so prefer the double drive wheel.  I got it from Copper Moose in Vemont.  He's a single dad and lost his wife to a tragic car accident a while back so I like to help support him when I can.

I love my spinning wheel.  I call him George.

[hippieinthehills]

Grower -

This is long - sorry. I wrote up a bunch of stuff, realized I'd got a bit carried away, but decided to leave it in the interests of thoroughness   

I personally am a big fan of double treadles. I find them easier to control and smoother in operation. IMHO, sooner or later all wheels are going to be DT - they are a lot easier on your body. Some folks swear by singles but I think that's mostly 'cause that's what they're used to. If you can afford it, DT is absolutely the way to go.

That said, single treadles are less expensive. I'd say $400 is about the best you'll do for a brand-new DT. Singles will probably start around $300.

The Scotch tension vs. double drive issue could be hotly contested if we wanted to debate. Suffice to say that they both get the job done. Anna and I differ in that I find double drive to be fiddly - I prefer Scotch   

Here's the link to the Copper Moose. I have bought lots of stuff there over the years - they're good people.

http://www.coppermoose.com/spinw1.html

This link takes you to their wheel page. You should maybe cruise around a little, see what strikes your fancy. There is no wheel on that page that I couldn't recommend - they are all good brands. Some, like the Kromskis, have a more antiquey look to them - very Sleeping Beauty. Some, like the Louets, are very modern looking. It's just a question of what appeals to you. They will all do anything you'd need them to do.

Anna's Kromski is a very good wheel. No hesitation about recommending that one. Although - George? Most spinning wheels are female    Looms, on the other hand - they are cranky, fussy things, and are mostly male 

My first wheel was an Ashford Traveller DT. It's one of the least expensive DT wheels available and it has served me damned well. I can spin anything from super bulky yarn down to fine silk thread on it.

One thing I should say is, the higher-priced models are not "better." You are mostly buying aesthetics, not functionality. Spinning is 95% about the skill of the spinner, not the type of wheel she's spinning on. It's like cars. You can spend fifty grand on a huge luxury car or you can spend five thousand on a used Subaru - they will both get you where you want to go 

One more thing - as a beginner spinner I would not advise that you buy an antique wheel. You can find them for practically nothing, on Ebay and in a whole lot of places, but they are often missing parts and are not functional. You really don't want to layer that kind of frustration on top of the "learning to spin" frustration.

However, a used "modern" wheel is pretty much a sure thing. They don't have many moving parts, there's not much that can break, and generally they have been treated well. If you find one on kbbspin that looks like a deal, grab it. I've never had a bad experience buying stuff listed there.