Jennifer writes:
<<I probably should not have said anything about fibers since I am a
beginner and haven't tried a wide variety of fibers. I'm sorry John!>>
Well, I'm not John, but personally I don't think you need to apologize
:) Personally, I love having the perspective of beginners again,
because it's so easy to forget--and beginners have the most open minds
about spinning because they (at least not always) haven't yet acquired
the load of prejudices and downright myths more experienced spinners end
up with.
Like, IMO, the myth that Merino is hard to spin and not for beginners.
I was spinning Merino and similar wools within a year of beginning, and
found it was easy to spin. Treadle as fast as you like on most wheels,
and it's fine for Merino; the crimp helps hold even lightly-spun yarns
together quite well; and of course it's soft and luscious to work with
and use :) It even accomodates the beginner's tendency to spin finer
and finer, while longer, less crimpy wools will just turn to wire.
It's true that commercial Merino *top* is a tricky preparation for most
beginners, but again, the crimp helps hold yarns together, and lots of
twist isn't a problem, so even top isn't all that much of a problem. If
I had to start a beginner on top for some reason, I would certainly
choose Merino over any medium wool top. But roving is generally the
better choice for beginners.
Fast wheels are another thing that's supposed to be hard for beginners.
Another myth, I've found :) I helped a beginner just last month, and
since the 'wheel' she was sold was non-functional (a lovely antique with
a horrible reproduction for-looks-only flyer that didn't even have an
orifice), she used my Ashford Traveller with the Lace Flyer--at 30:1
ratio. I turned the wheel for her while she got the basics of drafting
down, and after a half hour or so, she was ready to treadle and spin at
the same time. With NO previous experience of spinning. She was
spinning Shetland roving from my stash.
A beginner with an open mind to learning directly from her/his personal
experience with fiber is a great asset--keep posting! And I hope we
hear more from John, as well :)
Holly
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