My evil-friend-who-introduces-unsuspecting-graduate-students-to-new-hobbies has mailed me a spinning wheel.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a book or video or DVD to learn how to spin?

RoseHanna

P.S. This makes my list of hobbies and amusements:
cross stitch, knitting, tatting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, ribbon embroidery, hardanger, baking, winemaking, and growing out my hair!

Wow, cool!

It's a wonder any of us have time for work/school, isn't it? One of these days, I'll actually get paid for my crafts and can actually quit. One day.

Anyway, I don't have any recommendations for you, just some unbridled enthusiasm. And a request for pictures of it in action.

Oh My Gosh--how awesome! What kind of wheel is it?! I have an Ashford Traditional, and I taught myself to spin with the Ashford Book of Spinning by Anne Field. You might also try http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/.

Happy spinning from the long haired spider,
aimee

Dia dhut!

Lee Raven's "Hands On Spinning" is the book you're looking for. Its a slim book but lavishly illustrated with clear photographs. She walks you through the basic principles of spinning, right through to using the wheel to spin and ply, then finishing the yarn.

Good luck and enjoy your wheel!

Is mise le meas
-==- Katzedecimal (spins with a high-whorl drop spindle and wool distaff, rather than a wheel - would love a wheel someday!)

Dia dhut!


Is mise le meas

Oooh.... do mine eyes deceive me? You speak Irish Gaelic?! Wow! I'm very impressed. I'm trying to learn Scottish Gaelic at the moment. I think the grammar is pretty easy to pick up, but I'm so uncertain of my pronunciation.

Very impressed!

:)

http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffnstasia/spinlinks.htm

This is a great link for fiber, books, etc. I just got a drop spindle, and I'm waiting on my fiber. I wish I could learn Irish Gaelic. My grandma was from Inishmaan.

Wow! That is unbelievably cool. I've always wanted to learn how to spin.

Dances with curls

I've only tinkered with drop spindles, not a wheel, but our community has a spinning club; maybe yours does too! Good place to learn and meet people!
Spinning guilds:
http://www.interweave.com/spin/resources/spinning_guilds.asp

:cry:

The spinning wheel never came. It got lost in the mail. I still hope that someday I will come home, and it will be there....

On the other had, I still have some roving and a top-whorl drop spindle.

And I have the loan of a 60" LeClerc Nilart Loom til September or so. I have to finish assembling it, find the friction (?) brake, warp it, wind bobbins, and then I will be able to start throwing the shuttle on my first dishtowel! (Green and white cotton!)

Thanks for the recommendations anyway- I'll make a note of them since I have no doubt I will eventually end up with a wheel of some sort. And maybe some sheep. Or rabbits. But no goats, for sure!

Oh what a shame it got lost :(

I've always wanted a spinning wheel and hope one day to get one :)

Oh man, that must be disappointing! Of all things to get lost in the mail!

Have fun with the 60" loom, though - that sounds cool!

Yeah, the loom sounds cool. I've had it since September, and I need to set up the beater (the part that pushes the weft down after you've thrown the shuttle) and the friction brake.

then I have to teach myself how to warp it, and and how to tie up, and finally, how to weave!

The sole goal is to weave a green-and-white kitchen towel. Between school, getting my life organized, and all my other hobbies, I thought I'd start small, even if the loom isn't!