Beginning Carding and Supported Spindle

These are quick mpeg's demonstrating very briefly how to card wool on hand carders and how to begin to spin with a medium supported spindle.  This page is an experiment to teach spinning via the Internet.  Many instructions have already been sent to the student.  Wool has been sent back and forth across the country with instructions and a spindle.  In time, I hope to include all that information in this page.  Email me with any questions.----Gwen

The hand carders:  Basics and how to hold them.

Putting wool on the carders and begin to card.

Moving wool from one carder to the next.  This is one way, good for a beginner.

Making a rolag.

wpeC0.jpg (6998 bytes) Hand Carders:  Look for firm teeth in the carding cloth and firm handles.  The handles of these carders where loose when they were given to me.   I used carpenter's glue and a vice to firmly set the handles.  They work fine now.
Spindle 1 The supported spindle.

Spindle 2 Which direction to start, getting comfortable.

Spindle 3  Drawing out the fiber.

Spindle 4  Winding on to the spindle.

Spindle 5  How much twist?

wpeC6.jpg (7677 bytes) This spindle may be used as a supported spindle or a light drop spindle.   I use it as a supported spindle.  It is made from a dowel and a wooden toy wheel. You can buy an inexpensive kit for these spindles at Custom Handweaving, http://www.nancyscustomhandweaving.com.