Crikey – I don’t mind answering questions about spinning, although I do apologise for boring the socks off anyone!
I used to subscribe to Spin Off, but let the sub go when it was getting a bit too repetative (my opinion only!); it’s hard to get back issues, but do try finding them in a library!
I was so shy when I went to inquire about spinning that I had to take someone with me, and I hid behind him the whole time; I’m a complete prat, I know! Got over that, soon enough – if you take any classes with more than one person (as opposed to private instruction), you’ll find the people are very friendly and forgiving. Everyone keeps the first skein he or she spins – it’s a terrific reminder!
My charkha is the one I use mainly for spinning very short haired fibres what would otherwise drive me bonkers. There is no tension on a charka, which means unlike a flier wheel, the charka spindle isn’t pulling the yarn on to itself. So when one has very fine, short, slippery fibres, this is very helpful! It’s used primarily for spinning cotton, although I usually spin cat fur on mine these days. I have one of the wee book charkas, and the first thing I did was strip the finish and refinish it – since the Indian climate is unkind to wood, those charkas made in India are literally drenched in varnish, and in my case, it was ‘maple’ so I had an orange box! After I stripped off all the gunk I had a nice pale brown box.
I would NOT recommend a charka as your first wheel.
My Great Wheel dates from around 1750, actually – I have seen pictures of the Journey wheels, but I have never used them. I use my Great Wheel to spin cotton because again it doesn’t have a ‘modern’ flier, just a quill spindle like the charka, and spins at a very high speed. I also use it to wind bobbins for when I weave as it winds things very quickly!
If I am in the mood to treadle, I use the Jensen saxony wheel, as it’s got a pretty fast ratio on it, but still not fast enough for cotton.
The Spin Tech is nice because it saves one’s legs when doing production spinning! It is still hand spinning cos all that is done with the motor is turning the flier – and I still have to control the speed and tension – and my hands are still doing the draft, gauging the twist. Unless you ever see yourself doing production spinning, I don’t know if this would be cost effective for you. I bought mine second hand for $500 (I think they are a little over $1000 new – when I found out a neighbour was selling hers, I pounced!)
No need to feel shy about asking to try a wheel! Of course everyone wishes to look at you, but I promise you, it’s not to mock or make fun – they really wish to see how it works, and they’re glad someone else was brave enough to try! With the right sort of person helping you, too, you feel quite relaxed. When I helped at a booth at trade shows, I usually demonstrated – and guys love spinning wheels. I used to have teenaged boys try them out, and the girls thought it was great, watching the guys. I think guys like them cos it’s a funky mechanical device, and all the parts are right there when you can see them working…
Some people will try to make you feel like a prat, but that’s usually their own insecurities showing, I’ve discovered! I had been weaving for some time when I decided to study at a prestigious artisan school, a group class, and at that time, I had had success entering and winning competitions, and also sales and commissions. So I thought, Ok, I can handle this!
Well, on the first day, listening to the ‘locker room’ talk of the other students, I thought, ‘No way! No way, game over, man, game over!’ and was literally going to walk out before the classes even started…surely you know where this is going – one woman and I ended up being bored out of our minds cos no one else in the class had a clue about even the most basic of things! Also, they all showed up with baskets with all these fancy weaving tools and bobbins; I showed up with pliers, hammer, screw driver, etc – I know my own loom, and sometimes nowt short of a flame thrower will tame it.
What I think is confusing you is that you have only been reading about this stuff – it really is hands-on…I have been doing handwork of one kind or another since age 5, but didn’t learn to spin until my late 20s, and at first I only read about it, and you know how you read about something and you think, ‘Crikey, everyone knows what they’re talking about!’ and that funny tight feeling you get in your stomach? Perfectly normal!
Maybe talk a friend into going with you to a shop to find out about classes, and you won’t feel as shy!
Nattering on – hope this has encouraged you!
cheers
