Sun., 1/18/09 - Splicing a newly-filled spindle shaft to a previously spun stored section:
I couldn't figure out how to do this, and something was missing from the methods I'd been told to do when I asked someone. (Aside: I've already decided I don't like wrapping stored section on empty toilet paper tubes because they're smaller and weaker than I'd like, so I just happened to have a paper towel tube. I like it for a number of reasons.) Anyway, I'd loaded two separate spins onto one PT tube, but didn't want to keep having separate sections, then try to splice them together after the fact. One of them had a more accessible free end that I'd slipped into a cut slit on the cardboard, except it had a knot in it. That was okay. I cut the knot off, then unspun a couple of inches. The spin had already set, however, so I took a regular hair comb (just a black Ace with both size/spacing of teeth). I combed out the two inches so it was nice, neat, fluffy fiber again. Then I put a ton of spin in the last foot or so of the yarn on my spindle. Carefully laid the two ends of now-unspun-fiber over one another, and held it in a flat pinch. Lifted it off the table, and slowly released it. SNAP!! That overspin I'd put into the spindle piece just totally gobbled up the joint's fiber. I then unwound a little longer length, both from the PT tube and from the shaft of my spindle. The overspin spread out, I pulled on it, and NOTHING was going to separate that splice short of breaking it on purpose. I relaxed the whole length, and it wasn't overspun, so that was that. I unwound my spindle onto the PT holder, making a big fat single yarn. YEEEEEE-HAW!!
Unfortunately I didn't do that to the first spindle cop, so that one is still separate and needing to be joined once I get one of them off the paper towel tube. But from now on, this is how I'm going to do it -- straight from the spindle onto the previously-stored source.
Couldn't figure that out prior to trying it for some reason. But it's so simple. Just leave a puff at the beginning and end of each cop, and use the puffed end of your stored cop as your fiber source during the splice. Et Voila. One down, a zillion to go.
1 comment:
I think you should google homemade lazy kates. There are several things you can do with whatever materials you have in your house and they are essential for plying. Or at least, very, very helpful. You could try using those foam water noodles you see at Wal Mart for bobbins to wind onto. Some types have a hole in the middle to put onto your lazy kate.
I am DYING to see the Spindolyn!! Maybe you can come over some time this weekend. I might be out of it and in pain, but I have to see it.
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