Learn to Spin. Step 2: Drafting

[nikschaf]

Great job! I"m really tempted to go ahead and spin some of my undyed alpaca.

hahaha me too!  I was wasting time on youtube the other night watching spinning videos.  Now I want to go go go!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been obsessively watching youtube spinning videos.  Up until I saw this "learn to spin" thread I thought I had NO interest in spinning. I thought, "Man, I just DO NOT NEED another hobby."  But it became irresistible to follow along and give it a try!!  The first piece I tried to draft was kind of a mess, but I was a lot better even by the second try!  A million thanks to Jane Doe for putting this all together.  Now I just need my spindle to arrive....

[lianatempera]

well...i made my spindle on friday (and I can make 7 more, I just need hooks), and I predrafted my wool........I may have drafted it too thinly, though...I hope not. And this is so exciting!!!!! I tried spinning about a year ago, but I didn't really know what I was doing...so the 2 singles i spun were horribly thick and thin and overtwisted. I've already learned something I didn't know before!
and now I'm waiting (im)patiently for the next part

[sallyb]

Yikes!  I've been offline for about 10 days moving house (and waiting for the internet company to send my new modem...grrr....) but I'm finally back!  And what a lot of info to catch up on!  I can't wait to check out those video tutorials... I think I have worked out the first thing that made my last foray into spinning more difficult than it should have been - I didn't know about drafting!  I was going straight from my roving to the drop spindle!    I guess I was doing a little drafting just before it went into the spindle, but I can see already that the "proper" way will be so much easier!!  Hahaha, it's nice to experiment, but nice to know the right way of doing things too!  I'm lucky enough to know just which box my roving and spindle are in - time to dig it all out and get started!  Wooot!  Oh, right after I feed my little son...

[WMA]

Hahaha, it's nice to experiment, but nice to know the right way of doing things too!

As I was first learning spinning and knitting an artist friend of mine would always ask why I'm bothering with patterns and the "right way"...she's a very freeform, outside-the-box kind of person...but she couldn't argue with my reasoning about why I was learning all the "right ways" to do things. I like to learn all the rules and know them well so I know how to break them and break them well, lol.

[sallyb]

Hahaha, it's nice to experiment, but nice to know the right way of doing things too!

As I was first learning spinning and knitting an artist friend of mine would always ask why I'm bothering with patterns and the "right way"...she's a very freeform, outside-the-box kind of person...but she couldn't argue with my reasoning about why I was learning all the "right ways" to do things. I like to learn all the rules and know them well so I know how to break them and break them well, lol.

Exactly!  I have no qualms about doing things differently to develop new techniques and experimenting, but if it doesn't work, it may be time to read the instructions!

Those video tutes are fantastic - I'm looking forward to pulling out my wool and getting going today!  My little man wouldn't let me last night!

[travelgirl]

i just got my roving drafted i ALMOST pulled it apart in one spot and it's not all totally even but i think it look ok

[Cheyenneswthrt07]

I did draft some of my roving, just a little tho, to even out the kinks.  Did better than the first time lol. 

[digital misfit]

My fiber arrived and I have it drafted. The 4th piece has a fuzzy thinner spot, but the rest turned out pretty even.

[SewMamaLady]

Tonight I drafted my fancy multicolored batt that I received from Penguino in a fiber swap.

I started with this fabulousness:



Split into halves:


Halves split into equal pieces:


Staple length (this is a pretty good length, lots of mohair):


All drafted out into two nice, long pieces:



I'm forcing myself to wait for the next lesson before I spin, like a good girl. lol Plus, I have lots of drawing homework to finish before Monday. Must treat spinning as a luxury while school is in session.

[themuppet]

ooOooOOoo that batt is fabulous!