What I’ve been up to AKA Improvising a Lazy Kate for a Spindle
May 11th, 2008 at 11:43 pm (spinning)
Saturday I took a fabulous class on “advanced drop spindling” with Amelia from the Bellwether (http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/) and learned a lot on how to speed up the process with drop spindling, get more confident with it; and of course what the right drop spindle is for the yarn you’re trying to make in addition to a 1000 other details I don’t remember right now. She’s a great teacher; I really recommend taking a class from her if you can.
I decided to wind off the yarn I had been spinning since 1) the spindle was really too heavy for what I wanted to spin, and 2) I wanted to try out one of my newer spindles.
I rigged up this lazy kate, and it worked like a charm. I used a hair clip swiped from my daughter’s pile to keep it from nose diving back into the crate as I was winding off. (You can see that on the left side, it’s pink) I had tried to see if I could put the cop of yarn onto a straw; but the straw was bigger than the spindle’s shaft so it wouldn’t work. Hmph! I could have tried to find a smaller straw; but thought I’d try this instead.
A few changes I want to make:
1) Add tension somehow, I had to be very careful during the winding off to not get ahead of the yarn coming off the spindle
2) Put some foam or something in the squares where the spindle rested. I feel like after winding off this way a few times, I might put an indentation or marking in the wood on the spindle. I know there is some foam downstairs in the Husband’s realm; but it’s all in use. I don’t need much; maybe he won’t notice. If this works, it might fix #1 enough.
The fiber I’m spinning? Superwash merino. The yarn it’ll be? Fingering weight three ply sock yarn. Yeah. I’m a bit nuts.
-Mom said,
May 12th, 2008 at 9:27 am
People called Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin nuts too. Therefore, you are in great company.
marta said,
May 12th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
three ply? think you’ll ever do anything else? (d&r)
Jeanie said,
May 20th, 2008 at 11:18 am
love that lazy kate. I made one by cutting holes in the side of a shoe box after winding my singles onto two 10.5 straight needles :) (I was spindle spinning) I really like yours better though!
eve said,
May 24th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Great idea for a spindle kate! If you just put a tube of stiff paper in the hole(s) where your spindle shaft sits, that should protect it. Plus a bit of fiber sitting under the whorl will serve as a “brake string” — add fiber to slow it down some more.
Janet said,
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Good thinking!!! - and I always love your sock yarn. Bet it will be lovely!