Okay, my vote goes for the Roberta, even if I AM a dealer! I wanted to represent one I spun on myself. And I really do use mine - mostly for my soft spun knittable singles, but also for my lumpy bumpy stuff. And I just recently had someone buy one for definite lace spinning. It's all so individual.
You can adjust the take up on the Roberta. I use all the tricks I do with any bobbin lead machine to do lace with it. Make sure it is well-oiled, especially when it is very new. If you are doing lace, the foam core on the bobbin helps, as does lacing the flyer, which can be done by simply looping over the arm that doesn't have the yarn guide on it. And don't forget that it does have a break band that you can release totally if need be. I find the Roberta quiet and note that it doesn't interfere with television reception either. And with me, that's a big plus. Now, speed to me is a relative thing with ANY wheel. I had someone trade in a Janko electric spinner for another piece of equipment. She thought the Janko, only rated at 300 rpm was too fast, and I've got to admit that it felt fast. And I also know people doing production spinning on a plain ol' Ashford traditional and doing just fine with it! Just like with any other wheel, you've got to just sit down and try the electrics and electronics until you find one that fits you. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Suzanne at Fire Ant Ranch in Elgin, Texas Journey, Roberta Electronic, Majacraft, Fricke Fibers, Yarns, Goods. www.fireantranch.com To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
