Some excellent advice

This is an excerpt from a comment I got from Holly EQQ regarding spinning artyarn. I'm going to post this, because I thought it was helpful, constructive, and useful. Maybe you're thinking of trying to spin artyarn too...



"Now, I wanted to tell you that if you are making any kind of textured yarn, it requires work on the plying... don't blame the poor helpless wheel on that. The beauty of art yarns is well balanced with the pain in the hiney it is to make them. They stick, jam, hook, stop, blop and anything else you can imagine as they go through the orifice - both on the single and the ply.

I was teaching a friend who has been spinning lace weight for 30 years how to do a more textured yarn and besides me repeating 200 times that she needed to STOP DRAFTING, I kept having to explain that when I spin, I have to stop and wind on almost every two or three feet.

The conversation went like this:

her - Holly, I don't think I am doing it right
me - yes you are, stop drafting, you are doing perfect
her - but why isn't it wanting to wind on the wheel?
Me - stop drafting
me - Because the lumps keep getting - stop drafting - caught on the - stop drafting - hooks.
her - but it is so much work
me - stop drafting - yes, but the end - stop drafting - results are well worth it!

So my two suggestions are, stop drafting and get into a routine with the stops and starts. You get used to it after a while.

And that IS with the Babe Bulky with the huge orfice. So if it keeps getting hung up, you are doing it right!"


Thank you Holly! Between Mandie, you and Lexie's book I think I'm gonna do this!