Recently I visited RiverPines. She showed me some of her yarn, and I was simply blown away. Llama, sheep, angora. All luxurious, but the angora particularly. Just so fine and soft.

She does SOME wheel spinning, but her angora is mostly done on the drop spindle. Fast, easy, and she can take it with her in the car, while waiting at a Dr. appointment, walking down the street, sitting out by the river....ANYwhere!

Since making a drop spindle is easy peasy, I'm thinking I'll try working with one again. (I love my wheel, and never got used to a drop spindle) They can be as simple as a slightly tapered dowel with a drilled stone slipped down it as a whorl; or something that's made on a wood lathe out of exotic woods. Top or bottom spinning. Originally, drop spindles had the whole at the bottom, and a notch in the top end of the spindle..you spun with the whole at the bottom. There are now spindles with a small hook on the bottom of the whole, which you spin on, then reverse the spindle and wrap the yarn around it.

anyway...do we have any spinners here? What are you thoughts about spinning angora? Do you like variegated yarns (just grab whatever chunk of wool comes to the top of the pile) or do you spin it all one color? I'm just curious about all kinds of things wooly today (I've been combing the angora into wool, but REALLY want to give the drop spindle a , er, whirl )

oh cool - I have a wheel but no clue how to use it - so i have lots of lovely carded wool waiting for me to have soe time

can't wait to hear what you discover

I will occasionally pull out the DROP spindle and fight with it, but I don't like it's balance. Hopefully I'm going to get one turned this weekend and see if I like it better. I prefer my wheel though. Faster/easier for me. I do like the portability of the spindle though.

I've spun angora top, but it was just white and only a small sample. For a colored fleece I would probably just go with the flow and go for the heathered/varigated look. I like smooth yarns though, so I may have to card it first.

I did just pick up some WONDERFUL angora/alpaca/wool blend at Black Sheep (large fiber festival in Eugene, OR). I can't wait to start spinning it. It's dark blue/blacks. It looks like they overdyed white fibers dark blue and mixed with black. Very yummy.

Can't wait to get my angoras.

Shannon

Thank you Ann. ~blush~

I could never get a drop spindle to work for me. but yesterday took a 6 hr spinning class and brought home a wheel!

My first venture w/the angora will be to card it with some Merino. Hopefully I'll get as good as Riverpines

Very cool. What kind of wheel did you get?

I had better luck with the drop spindle when I switched from a bottom whorl to a top whorl. I found the balance was better at least for me.

Shannon

I love my wheel never had the patience for a drop spindle. It's sitting idle at the moment, but I WILL spin this summer!
Brody, plan a trip to Wisconsin - R Pine can teach you the drop spindle and Ann or I can teach you the wheel

teach Brody? Brody and I get together and the only spinning we'll do will be around the room after all the margaritas!

Aileen that's a LOVELY idea

Ann - I know not what you speak of

__________ Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:01 am __________

wait a minute - you guys have popples .. .all three of you - can you imagine how full my tuck would be coming back ...

Okay Brody, come to my alcohol free household for spinning lessons and Ann's house to spin around .
I'll hide the popples!

WOOHOOO!!! Aileen teaches, I provide the booze! And I couldn't hide the popples if I tried. Too bloody many of them. Although I did just send 2 off up north, and another 2 go East in a couple of weeks

glad some are moving

I gotta work on making the kits friendly, tho. holy moly. Just 3 hours sitting out at the site with people, and they were SWEET! They'd be scared at first, but then "oh, another person" and they even calmed down enough to nibble on dandelion greens, plantain, and clover people brought over for them.

For making kits friendly, bring the nestboxes into the house at night during the first 10 or 12 nights. The smells and sounds of people seems to imprint on their little brains and you are not as scary.

It worked great for our angoras who need to be friendly because of all the grooming.

Also be sure to put your hand in the nest box to count them each day.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

ooOOOOOO! I like that idea of the nestbox indoors at night when they're really young. It also keeps them warm during the winters so you don't worry about that.

I can just see my house....instead of a sewing room, I'll have a maternity ward...like at the hospital..all those little carts (nestboxes) lined up next to each other...little blue and pink blankets....