More fun gadgets & Name info
May 12th, 2005 at 8:45 am (spinning)
Here’s another interesting looking product. This one doesn’t come with any recommendations that I know of, I just happened across it when looking for information about mini combs. The Jenny Plyer
The names of things
I’ve been trying to figure out where the name "Lazy Kate" came from. Apparently you can’t learn everything on the internet (at least until you find the magic search terms for google), but I ran across this great homebrew tensioned lazy kate setup at the Crafty Canines, Stuck on Socks blog.
You can find some spinning related definitions explained here.
So while trying to figure out "Lazy Kate". Maybe a woman named Kate got tired of her bobbins running all over at she plyed yarn from them, so built the "lazy" way of doing it. Given that Programmers are the laziest people I know, it is ironic that there is a language named Lazy K. Programmers will spend literally hours writing something so they don’t have to do it ‘manually’. Then I wondered if maybe Kate knew Susan or some dumbwaiters?.
So maybe I can’t find where Lazy Kate is from, or where she is currently staying - but maybe one of these phrases will point me the right way, or I might decided to ask The Word Detective, who explained that someone’s use of the word Rammy was related to the fact that male sheep do tend to smell not-so-pretty. He really seems to know his spinning stuff as shown in this edition.
Spin with rocks? Sure! Check out this article on The Evolution of Spinning.
Sarah said,
May 25th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Hi,
I just stumbled across your blog after going to ravelry to gather comparison data about lendrums and matchless spinning wheels. I couldn’t believe it when you had two side by side and were comparing them. I read your entire blog - it’s great by the way! - and then discovered you sold your lendrum to by a rose and then sold that. All along hanging onto your matchless. This will be my first wheel purchase and at this point I don’t have a budget, but I don’t think I’ll be buying two wheels so I want to choose carefully. I’m a beginning spinner and have tried out a few wheels but don’t really have anything I love love love, however, in researching it seems that the lendrum and matchless have characteristics that are interesting to me. Both have lots of ratios and can grow with me as a spinner. I like the lendrum for it’s portability, although I don’t have tons of travel plans with my wheel, I have borrowed a matchless before and knowing myself, it would be a hindrance for me to take to a guild meeting, fiber festival or lesson if I wanted to because it’s so awkward to load into my little car and fairly heavy. My husband is encouraging me to buy the matchless because he thinks it’s a more quality wheel, I think primarily because of how sturdy and heavy it is. I like the look of both wheels, but the double drive option on the matchless is also appealing to and I can’t decide which features outweigh each other. The other thing I read on your blog is your matchless started squeaking and the bobbins were loose and rattled, as well as it sucked up oil. I don’t want anything that’s too “fussy” so maybe I should lean toward a lendrum, but then again, you weren’t as happy with it as you were your matchless. Do you think that’s because you were more comfortable with it, or were there other reasons about the lendrum that weren’t quite as attractive? Also, as a backup plan I was looking at the majacraft, it’s funny that all 3 wheels you have owned I am interested in. I’ll be attending the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene Oregon and plan to purchase my wheel from Woodland Woolworks,(which includes a copy of the Peter Teal book you are giving away) and wondered if you have any helpful advice, suggestions, experience, etc… that I could use as I consider my purchase. I think I will add a woolee winder to whatever wheel I buy so bobbin size won’t be that different (I don’t think). I guess the last question I have is with regard to changing bobbins, flyers, and whorls. Is one wheel easier than the other when changing from lace weight, to playing? I know this is a long post, I’m hoping you will have time to answer some, if not all of my questions, and appreciate your time.
Thanks
Sarah