Uncooperative brat, that Frankenwheel.
July 2nd, 2008So I had this purple fiber, right, and was in the process of making it into a nice skein of yarn …
Well, it went all right for the first bobbin. The second bobbin was a little bit … feisty. That should’ve been my first clue, but I went and wound it off on the ballwinder so I could ply it anyway.
The first problem was my wheel’s unwillingness to spin counter-clockwise. I don’t know what its problem was, but whatever. The drive band kept falling off. Foul language ensued.
Then it wasn’t taking up the yarn. It was spinning, but really there are other things it’s supposed to do. I kind of solved that problem, by treadling at about warp nine and a half. At least I’m starting to actually get the hang of the long draw necessary for even plying.
Treadling at warp nine has its own set of problems. The treadle keeps flying out of the leg it’s attached to, which is at best disconcerting when you’re trying to concentrate on plying a yarn without little nubs of tangle.
Having two bobbins means that one of the batches of yarn was just sort of rolling around being tangly, since one of them had to be on the wheel - I should find out how to put a brake on my lazy kate so it doesn’t backspin quite so much.
I persevered. I am not going to let the spinning wheel win. Thump thump squeak *foul language* thump squeak. Right. But by Jove, there is going to be plied yarn at the end of this.
And lo, there is. With a ruler for scale, even. One day, Frankenwheel will understand how stubborn I can be.




