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@@tallcedars2310 No. not really the fiber but the atmospheric humidity and wood or other materials of the wheel can shrink or expand but not greatly.?1/4 of a turn. 1/2 off. I do lots of technical spinning therefore I need this info for consistency but every spinner should know ratios of wheels. Some wheels may go down to 4:1 or higher to 15:1. So, if you need a closer to those ratios whorl, you can choose the appropriate wheel set up.

@@spinningthepast9630 I am not a technical spinner but want more consistency when spinning. This will help me to improve it as well. Thank you for your reply🩷.

@@meaganbastos I would not recommend spinning the fur for a sweater. But perhaps a headband, a small cowl or shawl. You can always spin up some sample cat yarn, knit it up into a 2x2" swatch and go from there. I learn towards spinning lace weight and having a lace pattern. The yarn blooms. Please keep in touch and if you wish to reach out to me for specific comments on your skeins, do so. Good luck.

@ thank you so much! I’ve never knit before but I heard about catgora and thought it was a great way to put all the excess fur to use. I will look into making a shawl 😊

@@meaganbastos You can always blend say 90 percent wool with 10 percent cat fur. Would extend the limited cat fur, make it have that memory.

@ Oo okay, would I spin it the same way?

@ Yes. Do a test rolag blending wool and fur at 10percent or 20 percent. Takes less than you think to get the feel of that specialty fiber. Test. Test. Test. One small rolag, plied back onto it self can tell you lots.

@@AngelaDChildress Yes. It can be used to tie off skeins. Cotton will stretch under tension so will loosen with use but just cut and retie new knot or make a new one. You may need to wax the cotton to grip the wheel grooves.

Thanks for watching

@@janbrase4227 aww very kind of you!

@@dhurd4099 yes. Thanks for noticing. When teaching one needs to be a bit slower so one can see the drafting triangle and how to flow from one fiber area to the next.

Thank you for your feedback. I needed your positive feedback. Thanks

Yes. If that is all you have. Do a swatch to make sure you like the end result.

Drive bands can be made of twine. Not too thick. Not thin. Must be grippy so no slippery ribbons. Historically, they used leather or linen twine. But modern times, I use cotton packaging wrapping twine. Sometimes I need to use beeswax on it to keep it from slipping. Also, cotton does stretch with time so be aware you may need to make adjustments.

@@spinningthepast9630 Thanks!

You are quite welcome. Thanks for dropping by. Happy fleece washing!.

Very kind of you. Good luck with lopi. I find using a cream rinse of some sort after washing softens the fiber a bit. The longer guard hairs will come away over the years which also softens the garment.

Isaiah 42:3 was original quote. But yep, flax was a very common fiber during that time.

Thanks. Spinning on an Indian Charka or on a Bosworth is the same drafting technique. Some spinners can only afford the Indian charka so helped them out. Cotton spinning is fun. Good luck

yes I seen when I was growing up the India community had them and was always spinning on them I was so amused by . I fly a lot and wanted one I could take on the plane with me cause some times I'm on the plane 4-5 hours or delayed over . But I like both of them.@@spinningthepast9630

I want to still by one to support them too . I'm just getting started so Im trying to learn more before e venturing out to buy another one cause I want to share this with my grandkids,@@spinningthepast9630

Congrats. Indeed you will get great enjoyment out of your Bosworth.

I am very glad that you found it helpful. Good luck with getting the wheel to work. If you do spin locks, use the fold over the finger method.

Thanks for the comments. Yes boiled wool is an old technique to windproof. Yes, the extra fine jerseys are machine knit. The object of this was to show the weights of woolens available and to show how many items are commercially available for all seasons. Some people do not know that. The cardigans are hand knitted. Hand knitted gives you a custom garment not commercially available. JC Pennies will not be selling these Icelandic wool cardigans anytime soon. You can order the cardigans from Iceland but unless you are standard size they may not fit. But Istex, Alafos, Nordic store are all in Iceland and you can buy such sweaters in their patterns and sizing. Reasonably priced. Over shipping is reasonable. I once got a package from them in 5 days. There are wool garments in all sorts of weights so have fun. Follow my videos on caring for wool garments.

Thanks for the positive feedback. Where are you located. I will see if I can point you in the direction for sock. Scottish blackface, if I understand you correctly, is very very rough and coarse. Those would not be the most comfortable socks. I think horse blankets, mattress stuffing.. You may wish to check out The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Deb Robson. 200 different breeds she analyzed. There is a smaller edition as well. Field guide of some sort. But as for socks a good medium coarseness, three or four ply would be a stronger sock for boots.

I'm in Carrick (Ayrshire), I have just found out there is someone in my area that is going to be using Blackface to make knitwear, going by there Video they are in the early stages, maybe they will be producing sometime this year. They are named Merrick Scottish Blackface Knitwear and have you tube video. No mention of socks but they've made a jumper, gilet, cardi and jacket. If they made socks I would be brave enough to try them out. Have you yourself tried knitting with these coarser type of wools ?

Aww That is a compliment. Thanks for watching

I appreciate the feedback. Glad you learned something new from the video. I did have those like you in mind when I made it. Hopefully, going forward, you will purchase wool socks for your wardrobe. Independent shoe retailers with brick and mortar stores carry the smart wool. Lands End may, LL Bean does. Plus other places on the internet. Who knows you may take up knitting socks to broaden your repertoire for outdoor activities? Anyways, again, thanks for joining and for the positive feedback.

Dive in. Start small. You’ll get it.

Indeed. And I have had worse. The sheep live on dusty pastors and in dusty barns without a bath. You are its first bath ever!

Thanks. Was for necessity when I started washing fleece. I used to have only one utility sink. So, improvised and used the pails in the process. Hope this helps as you wash fleece.

@@spinningthepast9630 It certainly will. Thank you!

Great point!

Sorry not off hand. You are right lots of very lightweight and sheer baselayers. If I find something I will let you know. I have bought stuff from Rambler’s Way.

Nuking is not good for the yarn. Chance of felting it under certain conditions. Hot (160F) soapy water would be as hot as I would take things. The pH change of soap and the drowning effects of water should do the trick. Does not even need to be super hot. But if you want a dry method, the freeze thaw should work.

100% angora would make for a very shedding sweater. It will not breathe. Most add to wool or another fiber first, to give softness and second, to reduce costs as that is a lot of bunny fur to spin.

Lopi is only from Icelandic sheep. Any other yarns from outside Iceland are not Lopi. Look up Alafoss Lopi and see the history of lopi yarn. Alafoss is the major wool mill in Iceland where I toured. Other countries may call something 'lopi' but if it is not from Icelandic sheep, it is not genuine lopi. Hope this helps.

@@spinningthepast9630 don’t get on the defensive. I guess you’ll stick with brands you know… fair enough. Are you well versed in the Spanish breeds at all?

@@partyfiesta1557 Not defensive. Just fact. Genuine Alafoss Lopi is a registered brand of Icelandic wool. Only they can be called Lopi. Perhaps your brands are not genuine Alafoss lopi? Check out Alafoss Lopi in Iceland and make sure it the same yarn you think your yarn is. I would be curious to know. Really. Does Alafoss spin for the Spanish market?

@@spinningthepast9630 there’s more than just branding. What matters here are characteristics of the breed in question, the prep of the fiber, the spinning (if any) and so forth. Is there a label or certification that says lopi can only be found in Iceland? Think of merino for instance. There are many parts in the world where you will find ‘genuine’ merino wool and you won’t be surprised of it. Think of migration, historic breeds, and breeds that might not be related and yet they share many characteristics/similarities. Hope this helps 😉

@@partyfiesta1557 It is inappropriate to steal the brand and yarn of a people. Here is the history of Alafoss lopi. alafoss.is/blogs/news/alafosslopi Please learn about their history and it may help. Yes, Merino is also branded as something special and must come from a specific sheep. You cannot create yarn from Iceland sheep and brand it as merino. And neither can you do it in reverse. Please respect the yarns and wools specific to a country and sheep breed of a country. Respect would go a long way.

Briggs Regal is a tough wool but ply is important. 3,4,5 ply is very good for aran work. A smooth yarn like Shepherd’s Mill worsted is good for texture work. So, a worsted SPUN ( not merely weight) and many plies.

If you know any papermakers, they might be interested in gleaning the last of the super short bits off the seeds.

So if you wash the fleece thoroughly not long after receiving you do not need to freeze. Washing esp thorough scouring will kill off creepy crawlies. Moths attack finished wools and clothing. Dont get me wrong raw fleece can have various forms of lice, bugs. Store in plastic bag container with top knot in opening. I tend to store fleeces in clear bags as the light deters bugs. Then when washed will store in open airy net bag again to deter by light and air any moths. I am not above putting wool moth balls in a container for a bit. Will kill off moths. Yes, Romney and lots of wools have different lengths and textures. Yes, you can separate to have similar fiber lengths and textures. Was done historically. But that said you can merely blend it all together on a drum carder. That is how commercial yarns are made. But you are the sole decider of what you want. Isnt that great? You get to design as you wish. Good luck

@spinningthepast9630 thank you so much!

Thanks for your kind feedback.

Wonderful to hear. Welcome to the spinning world.

I am glad you find it useful. Good luck growing flax. It is really easy to grow.

I believe it was the entire fleece from a fairly new shepherd. I try to give new shepherds some leeway. They are gaining experience to see how clean, healthy animals really shows up in the fleece. I can overdye it. I rarely come across stained fleeces so I wanted to share what it looks like. I wish I had that information when I was first starting out buying fleeces. Do give lots of different breeds a try. Nothing like experience to make you a more confident consumer and spinner.