It's arrived! Our new Drum Carder! Hand made by Paul Brittain of Classic Carder and a lovely piece of work it is (www.classic carder.co.uk).
. . . and here is our first Batt (think that is what it is called!).
It is light and airy, as the instructions say it should be, but as it consists of the old leg and neck hair which was all I could find it is not prime quality! Sam is very into it and keeps telling me to move out of the way as he is, "Lining up the Batties!"
Now if we could only crack spinning we would be away. In fact we have to as we have already posted an entry off for the Great Western Region Fleece and Fibre Show in the new yarn section - a bit premature I know but I thought with that looming it might concentrate the mind a bit. Progress will be recorded on the blog - the first stage is to retrieve the spinning wheel from the top of the stairs where it has languished with Dad's easel for the past year!
As I type there is a lot of banging as the spinning wheel is lifted down - looks like a knitting and spinning evening ahead of us!!!
Ok...show off !!....with your lovely new carder !! I can't think of a nicer way to spend the evening !...pitty I can't pop down to join in !!.... The display on the landing is very nice...but come on....get that wheel moving !! You have Yarn to create......Im looking forward to seeing the progress.....excellent first bat...and how do you like it....with the 108 points....!! Im interested.....Im envious....you have a Rolls Royce of carders there.....now don't be fighting over it..!!! ...Jayne
ReplyDeleteIt is a very lovely carder! Tomorrow we are going to hunt out a bit better fleece to try it with.
ReplyDeleteThe spinning, however, is not going so well at the moment - can't remember which hand is supposed to move and which one stay still! Carl is on spinning and the carrier yarn keeps shooting off without the alpaca attached!!
Practice...persevere....and hang on !!...with the odd swear word....muttered !!.....you'll get there....hand nearest the wheel....holds...the other hand...pulls the fleece to the desired thickness !!....if that helps.....;0)....Good Luck....Jayne
ReplyDeleteThere's no excuse now, carding is the worse bit. With practice you'll both get he hang of spinning I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely carder...one day I'll have one but, for now, it's a cat comb! Once you crack the spinning...that is, after lots of cursing and thinking you'll never take to it, you'll find it totally addictive! Then you can experience spinning in the field, sun shining and curious alpacas around you...bliss!
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