Valkyrie Turkish Spindle And Mystery Fiber

For approximately a year I had been looking at Turkish spindles and was not exactly thrilled with them...well not at first. Being in the midst of my own personal lust for spindles that never seems to die it became apparent that money would sooner or later become an issue. The price on the Valkyrie Turkish spindle seemed just right so I purchased one from Mielkes Fiber Arts and waited for it to arrive in the mail. The wait was not exactly difficult, as I was still not convinced that I was going to enjoy a Turkish spindle. When it arrived upon opening the box I was surprised to find two ounces of an amazingly beautiful; neutral color, grey fiber (type unknown). All I was sure about was the fiber was some type of wool. Later that evening I settled in to try out my knew spindle which was easy enough as I had been an avid spinner of many different types of spindles before hand and getting the spindle setup for spinning was very easy. The only adjustment I made was to reverse the direction of the spindle arms. This personal adjustment simply made it easier for me to wind on the turtle. An hour later I still had not put it down. Quickly, I fell in love with the Turkish spindle and now own three of them. When I finished spinning the two ounces I had created the perfect fat turtle, resulting in a center-pull ball of yarn ready to be spun into a 2-ply yarn right off the spindle. The Turkish spindle produces a very uniform yarn. Long live the Turtle! Salaam

Finally A Teeswater Swatch

Well, not a very large Teeswater swatch but large enough for me to see what kind of fiber expectations I am looking for from this particular spin. The swatch was created on a size 5mm knitting needle giving me a swatch that reveals a light slightly open final knit fabric. I think this will be great for Summer wear and the sometimes cooler weather we have here in Florida. This fiber is being spun on my Glasspins and Tibetan spindle as they both produce the same likeness in final yarn spun. As stated previously this is a 2-ply yarn with 4 stitches to the inch and 6.5 rows to the inch on a size 5mm knitting needle. Think I will stitch to the present numbers arrived at. Most likely, I will spin as I knit.  Now to decide upon what type of garment I am craving for. 

Well back to doing laundry and cleaning my tiny house. Got some material to study today, also. Stay blessed people. Salaam

Teeswater Fleece And Glasspins Spindle

Quite some time ago I purchased a Glasspins spindle from an Etsy shop called Mingoasho. Drop spindles and my Kromski spinning wheel were at the time my only source for spinning tools. The Glasspins spindle sat for many months displayed in a ceramic vase; untouched and only looked at. Finally, I decided to take her for a spin, and was greatly surprised at how such beautiful craftsmanship could create such a fine lace thread. Immediately, I was addicted. I'd spin a little; put the spindle down, and shortly thereafter be back to spinning a fine delicate thread straight from a Teeswater fleece I had purchased back in 2011...I think. I was able to fit two ounces of fiber on the spindle before it became to heavy to add on fiber. Most impressive was the fact that I could spin a very uniform thread. So, now I've added a love for support spindle spinning to my list of things I can do. The sample pictured below is the yarn created from my Glasspins spindle which was then turned into a 2-ply yarn on my Kromski spinning wheel. Next is to decide what object to knit this amazing fiber into. Now I've got a bit of swatching to do. Salaam.

Turkish Spindle Spinning

Received this absolutely beautiful Turkish Spindle in the mail yesterday from Istanbul Turkey for pickup at the postal office today. Took nearly a month to arrive here in the States. What a beauty? The spindle is very rustic in nature. Can't wait to see how she spins. Love the old tools. They are still useful today and such character hides within them. I don't ever see myself using a 3D spindle... My spindle collection continues to grow. Slowly, over a period of time I have found Master wood-turners that have supplied me with beautiful tools for my craft. I can only continue to thank them. Now to search the fiber stash for raw fleece and test her out. Never thought I would develop such a love for the Turkish spindle...and I have. The spindle was purchased from one of my favorite Etsy shops, BazaarBayar. It is well worth the wait. I have so many other spindles. Must get around to using this very interesting looking spindle soon.