I seem to have my spinning mojo back. Hurrah!
As previously mentioned, I am currently spinning against the clock in the hope of turning out at least 2 pairs of skeins for the Show. My first intended pair is from prepared tops and I am using the Yarn Yard Merino and Silk blend in shades of blue/ lavender/ pink that somebody wonderful sent me for Xmas.
I split the roving down the centre with the intention of preparing two matching skeins. This is because I may find myself wanting to make socks or gloves and it would be nice if each half of the pair looked broadly similar. I split each length down the centre again – I seem to be heading for a 2ply.
I’m a Yorkshire lass and like my money’s worth, so I tend to spin for length when using commercial tops. Knowing that I would want to spin quite finely, I swapped out the Jumbo flyer. Using the Jumbo maidens and the supplied reducing bush, I fitted the standard flyer. The first session went very well and even I was impressed by both the thinness of the single and the speed with which I was producing it. It hurt my thumb however, and so I rested it over the weekend.
Today I sat down to spin and repeat my virtuoso performance.
Pride, Fall. You know how it goes.
Nothing went right.
I persevered and produced an OK single, but not the excellent one that had left my hands earlier. I noticed the noise from the wheel was wrong . It was slurring, not spinning evenly but slowly rhythmically. It was also hard work to drive. The wheel was going round when I pushed down hard, but slowing on the upstroke. I twiddled everything and fine-tuned to the best of my ability but it was still wrong. I had oiled the wheel after use on Saturday but thought it couldn’t hurt to add more under the circumstances.
It was while I was applying the 3 in 1that 1 spotted that the reducing bush had popped out and was rubbing against the drive. ..
* sigh *
Now that’s fixed, the spinning is going very well again. I just completed the first quarter.
24 days to go. Must keep at it!