Sponiebr Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 So an esteemed member of our group seems to think that I should post this... I'm not really sure at this point HOW I ended up HERE, but somehow I was talking to the woman I work with (I don't actually work with her, I just relieve her each day), and somehow we got to talking about wool and blah blah blah, NOW I'm teaching her how to spin... Yeah, like SPIN yarn from a sheep's BUTT to KNIT SOME SOCKS... Yeah... IKR? So I, (finally) got to have my revenge from when I was taught to spin, and now I am teaching my coworker how to spin on a drop spindle. I have to say it borders on sadism on how much pleasure it gives me watching her struggle with that drop spindle... But here's the rub! I've got to use it TOO... Not so much fun anymore. SO I brought in my great wheel that I made about 10 years ago to get me out of another bind I got myself into... See, 10 years ago my little sister asks me to do her a "favor", "easy, stuff"... Sis: "I just have a little bag of Alpaca wool I'd like spun up into some yarn for the kids." (she was making those beanie caps for kids with cancer). It's just a little ziplock bag of some fiber I got off of eBay... You could probably get it done in an evening even on the drop spindle..." Me: "Just a ziplock bag? Yeah sure, why not." 2 Days later my sister brings to me a 1/2 gallon ziplock bag packed HARD with washed and dyed alpaca locks... 2 POUNDS OF ALPACA WOOL. Oh, but WAIT THERE'S MORE!!! She then hands over ANOTHER ziplock bag with 8 OUNCES of pure angora fiber. (It's MARKED on the BAG 8 oz Pure Angora) Me: NOOOOO!!! NO! NUH UH! HELL NO! You said a LITTLE bit of wool! (For those who don't know, 2 lbs of ANY wool is a HUGE amount of wool, think of it in terms of skeins of yarn, the normal skein of yarn is between 5-10 ounces so we're talking about SKEINS of yarn to be hand spun on a drop spindle. NO!)Sis: You PROMISED! YOU SAID YOU'D DO IT! (tears up) Me: Sunnamabetch! So I got stuck with a HUGE amount of yarn to make. Not happening on the drop spindle. No. I tried. I couldn't deal with it. I've gotta get a wheel. So I call up the place where I used to borrow their wheels from time to time and yeah for $200 deposit and $50 a week I can rent a wheel. It's been 12 years since I'd hung out there and NOBODY there even recognized my name. So that's a NO... Fine! I've made one before, and I can make one again! Only... I really didn't want to make a wheel because I wasn't going to start doing spinning again. Poking about my tools and junk I find I have NOTHING I need to make a spinning wheel, so I come up with something in my head that I just KNOW is gonna work. I came up with a great wheel (super simple non-treadled spinning wheel that you have to hand wind every few seconds but easy, and WAY WAY faster than a damned drop spindle.) Anywho, a few days, MANY junk yards, and one stop at a bike store later and I've got the junk necessary to produce THIS! It was NEVER meant to be pretty. It was only built to do ONE job, and it DID that ONE job beautifully well. Now, it has been called back into service and it will again perform well. I'm in the process of making a regular spinning wheel with a treadle and an actual flyer and bobbin assembly but more on that later... I personally never found this to be particularity interesting but apparently it's got some appeal, I dunno, that's what SHE said... Sponiebr, The Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Just the one question, Sponiebr...... do you actually seek out these most unlikely pastimes.....or do they seek you? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 That’s awesome. Totally truly awesome. Thanks for sharing. I only learned one stitch on needles so my one and only scarf is pretty unimpressive. But warm! lets see some pretty yarn! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 38 minutes ago, bfroberts said: Just the one question, Sponiebr...... do you actually seek out these most unlikely pastimes.....or do they seek you? Yes! Honestly, they have a way of finding me... Sorta... I'm like one of the few people I know (around me) that's 100% fine with nothing modern. In other words I'm fine with living off grid. I don't seek that out, and I'm not like a prepper or anything, I'm just very self sufficient. It has to do with how I grew up and my time overseas. I just learned to do everything by hand. Turn me loose in the woods with my broad axe and a few other tools and come back in 20 years and I'll be just fine. Hell, i'll probably have built a little fiefdom... 48 minutes ago, TallTayl said: That’s awesome. Totally truly awesome. Thanks for sharing. I only learned one stitch on needles so my one and only scarf is pretty unimpressive. But warm! lets see some pretty yarn! Yeah, I can't knit worth a damn. I can crotchet the hell outta some yarn, but I can't knit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramr Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 An inventor! I love it. One day I might have to tell the story about the egg incubator I made out of an old bread bowl, two pool noodles and a light bulb. Brings to mind the two dogs I used to have, Bearded Collies. Hairy! Saved up some of the groomed out dog fur and gave it to my MIL who spun it into dog hair yarn. Hmm, what to make with dog hair? I rigged up a little loom and wove myself a few dog hair placemats. Placemats. To eat off of. Out of dog hair. Used them once. That was a hard no, bad idea, buh bye doggy stinky hairy mats. What was I thinking?! Love your wheel! It's perfect! 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 @Sponiebr crochet counts! I tried that for a while and threw in the towel. One day I should pick that up again. When I need a reason to pull my hair out. @Ramr did your incubator work? I macguyvered one out of a food dehydrator. My favorite rooster of all time hatched from that thing. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 11 hours ago, Sponiebr said: Yes! Honestly, they have a way of finding me... Sorta... I'm like one of the few people I know (around me) that's 100% fine with nothing modern. In other words I'm fine with living off grid. I don't seek that out, and I'm not like a prepper or anything, I'm just very self sufficient. It has to do with how I grew up and my time overseas. I just learned to do everything by hand. Turn me loose in the woods with my broad axe and a few other tools and come back in 20 years and I'll be just fine. Hell, i'll probably have built a little fiefdom... I'm in awe of your knowledge of........obscure things......lost arts, self-sufficiency. Not just the knowledge, but the actual desire to do things, figure things out. Or as my husband would say....making chicken salad out of chicken shi..... He's good at that too. Me, I'm just good at aligning myself with people that can do that. 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 2 hours ago, bfroberts said: Me, I'm just good at aligning myself with people that can do that. 😉 Proper alignment is SO critically important! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramr Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Talltayl, yes, the bator works. Extremely well! I have invented many failed bators, or ones that worked so-so. This one, excellent! Looks atrocious, but works great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 19 minutes ago, Ramr said: Talltayl, yes, the bator works. Extremely well! I have invented many failed bators, or ones that worked so-so. This one, excellent! Looks atrocious, but works great. Now i HAVE to see it. Rarely, but on occasion my hens abandon nests. Usually it's when the expensive hens are sitting and get distracted. 😕 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramr Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah S Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Wow, that's some creativity! Totally in awe over the ingenuity here! 🤓 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 Just because I can............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 On 9/10/2018 at 11:25 PM, Sponiebr said: Yes! Honestly, they have a way of finding me... Sorta... I'm like one of the few people I know (around me) that's 100% fine with nothing modern. In other words I'm fine with living off grid. I don't seek that out, and I'm not like a prepper or anything, I'm just very self sufficient. It has to do with how I grew up and my time overseas. I just learned to do everything by hand. Turn me loose in the woods with my broad axe and a few other tools and come back in 20 years and I'll be just fine. Hell, i'll probably have built a little fiefdom... Dang! Sponey! So you could live like me? lol....lol....Kudo's to you kiddo! Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 15 hours ago, Trappeur said: Dang! Sponey! So you could live like me? lol....lol....Kudo's to you kiddo! Trappeur Oh Trapp... No... I can't.... NOBODY can live like YOU Trapp! You DO have Trappeur Power after all! Cause You're Trapp Lady, yes you're the real Lady all them other Trapp Ladies are just imitating, so will the real Trapp Lady Please stand up, please stand up, please stand up... Will the real Trapp Lady Please stand up, please stand up, please stand up... ;* Sponiebr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Wow, I'm surprised. Not sure why because I believe you've pretty much made everything you've set your mind to based on your posts. I guess I just never expected wool spinning equipment and then actually spinning wool! Kudos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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