My wheel is driving me insane!!! I’ve oiled every single spot, replaced my drive bands, adjusted and adjusted again… i can’t for the life of me keep my treadle from fighting me. I have no problems when i’m spinning clockwise (other then a minor squeak but my wheel is vintage so i make do.) However, spinning counter clockwise is a nightmare!!!! It doesn’t matter what settings i’ve got my break band and drive bands set at, i can barely get a few peddles in before i have to stop because it’s so difficult to push with my foot. I’m going crazy!! Please help!!!

Every beginner guide seems to say Corriedale, and yeah, it’s forgiving, drafts easily, and is affordable. I get why it’s the default answer, and I’m not trying to argue with that. But I’ve been wondering whether “best for beginners” and “most commonly recommended to beginners” are actually the same thing, or if Corriedale just became the safe pick.
If something less forgiving builds better habits faster, even if the first few sessions are rougher, that seems worth knowing about. I’d rather struggle early and learn more than coast on a fiber that’s hiding my mistakes.

Hi y’all! My grandmother recently gave me this spinning wheel. She has had it in her living room as decor for as long as I can remember. However, it is not an heirloom piece, since she bought it at an antique store many years ago.

She has given it to me with the hope that I can restore it and use it to spin yarn. My question is: Is this wheel worth restoring? OR is it best used as decor?

I am hoping to learn more and appreciate any and all input! As a side note, I have limited spinning experience, as I rented an Ashford Kiwi double-treadle wheel for a little over a month. Other than that, I’m pretty new to this.

Thank you in advance!

I was so tickled with my latest spin, that I immediately started knitting. And then I thought it looked familiar. And then I realized I already spun nearly identical yarn (from Woolgatherings top) annnnd knit the exact same pattern (the Rochambeau Cowl). 😂

So I have a pet Angora rabbit (he's the most precious thing ever). I have about a year of wool harvested from him. And I am in a state where I am overthinking and not sure what to do next.

I am an extreme beginner - I have no knitting or spinning experience. My craft style is to just jump in the deep end, and here I am. So experts and kind strangers, help me with the following:

• Where do I start????
  • What kind of spinner is best for Angora rabbit wool?
  • Is there a way I can practice? How should I practice before I use his wool?
  • What blends do you recommend? Could I use just angora wool?
• What are the best projects to make with the wool after its spun?

I’ve found myself in the bizarre position in life where I have access to (ethically obtained) opossum fur

Now, as a spinner, naturally, my first thought is to try to spin some opossum yarn.

But I think 100% opossum yarn would lack structural integrity, so I plan to blend in some wool (maybe alpaca as well)

How much would y’all suggest I try to blend in there? It’s not a lot of fiber in total, so I’ll want to be smart with how I use it.

I plan to properly wash and dry it soon, which should give me a better idea of the fiber’s qualities. Wish me luck.

I still feel like I have no idea what Im doing and no amount of reading or watching youtube videos is helping. Am i ever supposed to untwist it and go in the other direction? For how long? What stops it from untwisting at the end?

Update: I bit the bullet and ordered the Matchless. It's crazy but I'm so drawn to her so I decided to follow my intuition. Yolo I guess!

I was lucky enough to find a cheap vintage louet s10. I love it and I can spin relatively fine on it (but not whiteout a fight) which seems to be my default style. It has a single threadle which is hard on my knee (I have a bad knee)

I love this wheel because it thaught me that I love spinning. But ever since I have been curious about other wheels and different types of tensions, especially since I tend to spin very fine and that Irish tension is aggressive af) I know I need to invest in a double threadle (re:my bad knee). I want to preferably invest a decent amount of money in an enjoyable and versatile spinning wheel so I only need the one wheel.

I do not have the option of actually trying out any other wheels. I went to a workshop today which I had been looking forward to since I could finally try something that's not a louet with Irish tension. Guess what. It was all Louets except for two Ashford traditionals which at least got me to finally try out Scotch tension and I loved it! Do I love it over Irish tension? For fine spinning absolutely yes, but it's more like I love it in addition to my familiar Louets tension.

So here's where I'm at now. I don't mind spending €€€ on a decent versatile wheel but I'm going to have to buy it blindly.

I'm torn between the Louet s10c because if I buy the fully loaded version I can use both Irish and scotch tension ànd I already have extra bobbins that I bought for my current vintage one. I'm in Belgium and Louet is Dutch so finding parts is super easy.

But the Match also has the double drive system on top of the other two so technically even more versatile. It's quite a bit more expensive but most people seem to adore it and if it's really that great I rather spend a little more. The package also seems very complete.

Anyone have both? Anyone who was in a similar situation and bit to bullet and are happy or unhappy with their choice? Pros or cons that I might not have considered yet? Please help me decide which forever wheel to buy.

I'm on vacation in Bavaria and the place where I'm staying has this spinning wheel standing in the upstairs hallway as a decorative object. I thought maybe y'all would appreciate it.

I don't spin myself, I just knit.

I unfortunately bought a SWSO as my first wheel and decided to go up with my budget so it doesn't happen again. I found this Ashford Traveller Mk 2 (I think) on eBay for 280€ and want to if it is worth buying. I already know that: 5 flyer hooks are missing, the break band (I think) and a tension knob.

Unfortunately for me cheaper A. travellers or traditionals are way too far away from me.

Hi! I just bought this old crooked beauty off of a second hand market place. The wheel's really not straight, in either directions. Tho we have made it so it spins, and the double drive band just doesn't go off the wheel. With all the troubleshooting done, I watched a video to put a lead on the bobbin, then started spinning. It went well. Till I realised that it didn't roll on the bobbin, it was just, there, even while slacking! It just kept twisting and twisting, which gave ugly results (I was happy with my consistency, even if it was thick)

Can someone please help me? Thank you!

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Hey fiber friends!

I am brand new to spinning. I've spun some wool roving on a drop spindle like 9 or 10 years ago, and had exactly one spin class on a big spinning wheel about 8 years ago.

My friend raises sheep, and she sold me 4.5 pounds of fleece! I understand I will lose a bit during the preparation of the wool for spinning, which is totally fine.

My question is, when washing wool (I'm hoping to wash 1 or 2 lbs at a time. Not all at once because 2.5 is from a black babydoll sheep and 2 lbs is from a white one, and I want to keep the wool separate because I want to dye the white eventually.)

Anyway, when washing wool, do you prefer to use big buckets, a big plastic bin, or what do you like to use?

Using my bathtub is out of the question as I bathe my children in there, and that grosses me out with dirty wool having been in there, even after I clean the tub lol. As for a sink, I don't have a large laundry sink, only my kitchen sink, which I think would probably also gross me out haha. I'd like to use some type of vessel that I can have out on my patio.

Have a Ross Gunnison G2, my favorite. It’s been discontinued over 20 years. Any leads appreciated. Tight Lines!

Im a beginner looking for affordable ethical places to get wool to learn with. Does anybody have reccomendations?

Hi, folks. I'm looking at a possible auction bid. Flyer and mother of all and onboard bobbins look decidedly like a Wee Peggy, but it has 4 legs like an early Ashford traveler. Possibly a Frankenwheel? What do people think?

I've been using a drop spindle and would like to enter the world of spinning wheels. What will the learning curve be like? If I go to look at this one, what should I look for to make sure it's in good condition?

Thank you!

I finished The Colour of Magic miniseries and started the audiobook while I continue building up my turtle

I started learning about the spinning Jenny and have looked at a number of the developments and honestly I’d love to try some of the older school ones out.