Woolly Weekend

[TheQ]

The Worstead Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers host their Woolly Weekend again,, Offering you the chance to see their crafts up close, meet the animals that provide the wool, buy gifts, have a go. Refreshments and entertainment also on hand. 10-11 June 2023 10:00 to 16:00 at;

Weavers Workshop,

The Street, Dilham, Norfolk

NR28 9PT

That's just a hundred yards up from the Cross Keys pub, on the playing fields.

Meanwhile I will be repairing a pre 1932 loom and dog sitting at home.

[grendel]

what part of the dog needs repairing, and are you sure it can be done while sitting at home?

I have a pretty reasonable knowledge of the construction and setting up of a 4 shaft table loom (that was my o level woodwork project)

[MauriceMynah]

Grendel,  Do we take this as an admission that you are unable to repair dogs?

[grendel]

4 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Grendel,  Do we take this as an admission that you are unable to repair dogs?

ah, now that depends, I can repair or make lathe dogs, or fire dogs, but the 4 legged hound variety is beyond my skills (I would leave that task to my Cats (though their idea of repair would probably start with ripping them to shreds first.)) 

[floydraser]

14 hours ago, TheQ said:

The Worstead Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers host their Woolly Weekend again,, Offering you the chance to see their crafts up close, meet the animals that provide the wool, buy gifts, have a go. Refreshments and entertainment also on hand. 10-11 June 2023 10:00 to 16:00 at;

Weavers Workshop,

The Street, Dilham, Norfolk

NR28 9PT

That's just a hundred yards up from the Cross Keys pub, on the playing fields.

Meanwhile I will be repairing a pre 1932 loom and dog sitting at home.

What a shame we are unable to go. Mrs Raser has a spinning wheel she is struggling to get the hang of. We went to a similar event at Buxton but it was very disappointing.

[BroadAmbition]

Heyup TheQ - Thanks for the heads up, however not enough notice for me.  Sounds like it would be interesting, not to mention a visit to the pub that I've not been in for years

Griff

[grendel]

9 hours ago, floydraser said:

What a shame we are unable to go. Mrs Raser has a spinning wheel she is struggling to get the hang of. We went to a similar event at Buxton but it was very disappointing.

the biggest problem I have seen is getting the wheel turning and then keeping it going, learning this whilst also trying to spin is not easy so I always suggest practicing just keeping the wheel turning at first, once you can do that, then the spinning part is relatively easy. the worst wheels to keep spinning are the small diameter upright wheels as the wheel itself doesnt have  a lot of momentum.

I have 3 spinning wheels, an ashford wheel which is really nice, a small upright wheel (I converted back from a lamp stand and is tricky to keep spinning in the right direction) and by far the easiest to use, the motorised one I built from meccano (with 3d printed parts).

[floydraser]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

the biggest problem I have seen is getting the wheel turning and then keeping it going, learning this whilst also trying to spin is not easy so I always suggest practicing just keeping the wheel turning at first, once you can do that, then the spinning part is relatively easy. the worst wheels to keep spinning are the small diameter upright wheels as the wheel itself doesnt have  a lot of momentum.

I have 3 spinning wheels, an ashford wheel which is really nice, a small upright wheel (I converted back from a lamp stand and is tricky to keep spinning in the right direction) and by far the easiest to use, the motorised one I built from meccano (with 3d printed parts).

I think the problem is getting the tension right. Ours is an Ashford but it came as a restoration project (doesn't everything?) so we're starting from scratch. I haven't had a go myself yet but I'm guessing it's a process of trial and error.

[grendel]

the tension is set by the spring and fishing line, the spring hooks over a hook at the back left of the part the bobbin sits on, the fishing line attached goes up and over the bobbin groove to a second hook,the wheel side, then round this to the wooden peg at the front, it should be tight enough that the bobbin just stops on its own, but as soon as you apply tension on the yarn it allows the bobbin to turn, this means when you relax your tension on the now spun yarn, , the tighter that tension, the bobbin stops and the flyer keeps turning, winding the yarn onto the bobbin, the tighter the tension the tighter your yarn will be spun.

I used to attend events at the barn at one of our local railway museums, and helped teach seeral of the ladies there to spin (and how to set up a table loom.)

it is one of those skills like patting your head while rubbing your tummy, which is why the foot pedalling needs to be automatic

[gancanny]

is there no end to this mans skills,  

[MauriceMynah]

Yes, he can't mend dogs.

[Bikertov]

28 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Yes, he can't mend dogs.

Ah, but he can if they are lathe dogs or fire dogs ... 

 

[floydraser]

6 hours ago, grendel said:

the tension is set by the spring and fishing line, the spring hooks over a hook at the back left of the part the bobbin sits on, the fishing line attached goes up and over the bobbin groove to a second hook,the wheel side, then round this to the wooden peg at the front, it should be tight enough that the bobbin just stops on its own, but as soon as you apply tension on the yarn it allows the bobbin to turn, this means when you relax your tension on the now spun yarn, , the tighter that tension, the bobbin stops and the flyer keeps turning, winding the yarn onto the bobbin, the tighter the tension the tighter your yarn will be spun.

I used to attend events at the barn at one of our local railway museums, and helped teach seeral of the ladies there to spin (and how to set up a table loom.)

it is one of those skills like patting your head while rubbing your tummy, which is why the foot pedalling needs to be automatic

Thanks again. I'll give it a go when I get home next week. 

If all else fails, I'll give up and try mending dogs...

[TheQ]

Woolly Weekend is normally the same weekend each year, I'll try to give more notice next year.

SWMBO now has two table looms. Two floor looms, one nearing finishing it's rebuilding, the other a full size one in kit form needs me to finish the shed for it so I've got somewhere to assemble it. One manual spinning wheel , and an electric I've built for her. But it has motor problems I need to find time to fix once that's done the bobbin brake needs some modifications.  She also has a  warping mill, and various other bits of kit.

I've also built her an Inkle loom, and a bobbin holder , both in the shape of Collies.