I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!
Today's post is brought to you by a slight Trader Vic's Mai Tai hangover. I'm basically C&Ping my post to Spindlers, because it's fairly clear and still captures my excitement from last night.
*wanders away to find some ibuprofin*
Ohmigosh! My Strauch Petite arrived in the mail today. I got her slightly-but-lovingly used from thank you Lena of Lena Brown Designs, and was SO excited to get the VM from the shipping dude downstairs that it had arrived.
I was unable to open the box until after I got home from a networking dinner. I can tell you that the pain was greatly eased by liberal application of Trader Vic's Mai Tais, but I admit to sulking while the box was out of my sight. I think I'm going to name her Blackjack. Because she's all about ze cards (*listens to the groans at the stinky pun*), and I feel very lucky to have her.
She was set up in no time flat, even after taking the time to read through the directions. I do wonder if it makes more sense to have the figure eight twist facing out from the whorls or towards the drum? I just tested her out using some of the Icelandic I was hand carding once upon a time, and I'm amazed at how much fits on the larger drum with the brush attachment. I know people sometimes run the batts through two or three times, and was wondering how this is accomplished. Splitting the batt in half? Thirds? Spreading it back out a bit with fingers before letting the feeder drum pick it up? How does this work if you're doing a blend? What's your recommendation on the best book to learn about blending/carding/fiber prep?
I know Sharon Tree showed me a nifty trick she did with her Supercarder and a diz to make a nice long rope of roving when I was at her lovely home last fall, but I was wondering if this is possible w/out removing the drive band? When flicking the locks
before feeding them in, do you keep track of which end goes in first, and try to keep it consistent or does it really matter?
So many questions! If you have tips to share, drop a comment here or email me please. I am really looking forward to learning how to best use this tool to help me process the many fleeces I've had waiting in the wings for a while, and possibly learn how to blend fibers and colors and batts, oh my!
*wanders away to find some ibuprofin*
Ohmigosh! My Strauch Petite arrived in the mail today. I got her slightly-but-lovingly used from thank you Lena of Lena Brown Designs, and was SO excited to get the VM from the shipping dude downstairs that it had arrived.
I was unable to open the box until after I got home from a networking dinner. I can tell you that the pain was greatly eased by liberal application of Trader Vic's Mai Tais, but I admit to sulking while the box was out of my sight. I think I'm going to name her Blackjack. Because she's all about ze cards (*listens to the groans at the stinky pun*), and I feel very lucky to have her.
She was set up in no time flat, even after taking the time to read through the directions. I do wonder if it makes more sense to have the figure eight twist facing out from the whorls or towards the drum? I just tested her out using some of the Icelandic I was hand carding once upon a time, and I'm amazed at how much fits on the larger drum with the brush attachment. I know people sometimes run the batts through two or three times, and was wondering how this is accomplished. Splitting the batt in half? Thirds? Spreading it back out a bit with fingers before letting the feeder drum pick it up? How does this work if you're doing a blend? What's your recommendation on the best book to learn about blending/carding/fiber prep?
I know Sharon Tree showed me a nifty trick she did with her Supercarder and a diz to make a nice long rope of roving when I was at her lovely home last fall, but I was wondering if this is possible w/out removing the drive band? When flicking the locks
before feeding them in, do you keep track of which end goes in first, and try to keep it consistent or does it really matter?
So many questions! If you have tips to share, drop a comment here or email me please. I am really looking forward to learning how to best use this tool to help me process the many fleeces I've had waiting in the wings for a while, and possibly learn how to blend fibers and colors and batts, oh my!
posted by moiraeknittoo at 11:38 AM
2 Comments:
Great to hear you received the carder. My suggestion for a book would be Deb Menz Color in Spinning. She provides tons of ideas for blending fiber on a drum carder as well as dying fiber. How to use a diz with the carder - fill the drum with fiber. then remove a 1-inch section with the doffer. Place this piece in the diz hole (medium - large hole) and pull gently with the diz laying on the carding cloth. Follow the carder around until you get to the doffing groove and move the diz over to follow the fiber. Keep the diz in the same place near the back of the large drum. Only move the drum when the fiber comes off and through the diz. You should be able to take off all the fiber on the drum in one single roving. If it breaks, put the broken fiber throught the diz and twist the break together with the other end and pull. Hope this helps!
-Lena Brown
www.lenabrown.com
Have a great time with your new toys!
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