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Valk_scot
Permanent Resident
United Kingdom
1281 Posts |
 Posted - 12/28/2005 : 3:01:11 PM
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I got an email from one of the members of my spinning Guild the other day. She`s been spinning since she was a girl...she`s now seventy...and she`s a fund of knowledge and practical tips. She loves to teach and pass on her knowledge, and is definately one of our Guild seniors in all meanings of the word.
Anyway, one of the things she was emailing me about was to tell me to remember to clear off my bobbins for New Year. I didn`t spin this time last year, so didn`t know about this custom. Apparently you have to tidy up all your bobbins so you`ve got rid of all the odds and ends waiting to be plied, throw away all the useless "just-in-case" bits and finish up the bobbin you`re working on. Then you clean and oil your wheel, and you`re ready for a fresh start come the 1st January.
I thought it was a great idea, and so have spent a couple of hours with the ball winder tidying up my short ends and plying up all the little pieces I wanted to keep as test samples. Now I`ve got nice tidy sets of bobbins (mine all are in sets of three, due to vintage) except for the silk single that I`me currently spinning, and which I`ll finish up tomorrow. Most satisfying! And it makes me want to get started on all sorts of new projects, lol!
I think this might be a Scottish thing, because I`ve not seen it discussed here. Or is it an American/otherworld custom too?
Val.
[img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_9_21.gif[/img] |
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SpottedTApps
New Pal
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2005 : 5:26:15 PM
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| I've never heard of it, but it sounds good to me! I've got some unfinished projects. Thanks for the tip! |
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BessH
Permanent Resident
3095 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 04:37:22 AM
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It does sound good to me, but alas - I have too many half full bobbins and the Christmas tree is hogging all the space for setting up a wheel. But it is a good reminder to me that I have 120 yards of wool blend to spin up ASAP. I'll start on Monday - after the tree is a memory.
Bess
http://likethequeen.blogspot.com |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 06:22:55 AM
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gee I did that accidently cause of the 'only got 4 bobbins' thing...
if I wanted to see that purple/berry plied....( and I use the term plied loosely here) I had to clear the bobbins
now today I will skein it up
if I can't find my niddy noddy.... the chairs will have to do...
( if YOU were a niddy noddy, in MY studio....where the hell would YOU be????????)
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 06:28:57 AM
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I'd have one part in one bag and the other parts across the room.
Or maybe that's just if I was a niddy noddy in MY studio....
I'm with Bess - LOVE the idea of the tradition (though I've neverheard of it before) but that would imply that I can even REACH all my bobbins. Nope. And one bobbin full needs to stay that way a little longer (long,emotional story)
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 07:07:52 AM
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I need more bobbins...
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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azblueskies
Permanent Resident
2294 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 08:08:06 AM
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| Do the bobbins come in different sizes? They're listed differently on various websites - I've seen them listed as small bobbins, jumbo bobbins, plying bobbins, and very fast bobbins...are these four different kinds of bottins? Are there bobbins like we got with the lazy kate that are just larger than those? And what are they called? I think I've seen them referred to as jumbo only on one website so I guess that's what made me think they might call them something different. |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 08:14:10 AM
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there are plying bobbins, and the tiny one for the very fast flyer...
I think the rest are just normal ones
but I could be wrong.
you could ask on the lendrum egroup list
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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Shelia
Permanent Resident
USA
2315 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 09:21:37 AM
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I have waayyyy too many bobbins and way too much company in my house right now to do this, but it's a great idea. When I have the time and am going through an organizer phase, I empty bobbins onto cardboard weaving spools, label the content of the fiber, and store them that way. I get the spools from Halcyon, and they are less than 25 cents, to buy in bulk, much cheaper than additional bobbins. I don't really think that having singles available that can be plied against something else in the future is a bad thing, but it can get frustrating when ALL of the bobbins have bits of things on them.
Shelia
www.letstalkstash.blogspot.com |
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RobA
Permanent Resident
2373 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 2:45:18 PM
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OK, the niddy noddy is on the computer desk, and magically two more bobbins and a lazy kate arrived this afternoon! And there is no such thing as enough bobbins. I would love to clear the bobbins for the New Year -- I am PLYING!!! for the first time, and will free up two bobbins -- three,actually, since I can't wait to set the plied yarn -- in the next day or so.
Rob http://roberta.typepad.com/robknits/ |
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KathyR
Permanent Resident
New Zealand
2969 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 3:48:06 PM
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Rather a good idea here. I haven't heard of it as being a tradition. Maybe just a "new beginnings" type of thing.
quote:
Originally posted by Shelia in NY
I have waayyyy too many bobbins and way too much company in my house right now to do this, but it's a great idea.
Shelia's remark set me to wondering just how many bobbins I owned - so on a hunt I went. 42 bobbins for 6 wheels!  Some only have three or four the others are more greedy! The only different type of bobbin I have are two lace ones. The others are wheel specific.
As to whether or not I will be clearing off all the bobbins - I don't think so. I am in the middle of a spinning project (well, make that 2 projects - spinning is a little like knitting!) so will keep that on the bobbins. Others bits of yarn are on the other wheels which are more ornamental than useful and I think they look better on the wheel with some yarn on the bobbin. Just my opinion.
Good spinning to all those who do decide to clear off their bobbins for the New Year, though.
KathyR
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 4:11:32 PM
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counting the wheel that hasn't arrived yet, I've got 37 for three wheels!
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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petiteflower
Chatty Knitter
USA
297 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 4:24:30 PM
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I cotton to this idea of a clean slate (clean bobbins) for the New Year. I do have some odds and ends left on bobbins although I usually try to get most of my spinning plied up: if I am substantially uneven in the amount of singles on the bobbins I am plying, I will hand-wind half of the leftover yarn onto the empty bobbin, and then ply it up. I don't mind having a knot in my skein of yarn. I figure if I can't handle knots in my yarn, then I would never change colors, and since I love to change colors, what's the big deal about a knot even when I'm not changing colors. Still, I do end up with the leftover bits and what I do with them is wind them off into teensy balls and stuff them into a bag where I stuff all odd pieces of yarn however small. When the bag gets full, I give it to my friend Anne who regards this as priceless treasure and uses it in her felting projects.
I am actually in the midst of cleaning my bobbins. A few every day. I take "orange plus" or "citra-solve" and dip a q-tip into it. Then I scrub the bobbin bearings out good, wipe with a dry q-tip, rinse with another q-tip dipped in water, and then a final wipe with a dry q-tip. Gets off the oil build-up. I also give the flyer shaft a swipe with everclear alcohol. I try to clean out every bearing or bushing that is accessible (although do not clean any sealed bearings, no, no, no) and that can be cleaned on each of my wheels. If you don't do this ONCE IN A WHILE you are going to notice a decline in the performance of your wheel, or, if you haven't noticed it while it was gradually declining, you are sure going to notice the difference when you give it a good cleaning. Bobbins are free spirits and need to twirl! |
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RobA
Permanent Resident
2373 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 6:44:26 PM
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Interesting comment about cleaning bobbins. I got two new ones today in the mail and they came out of the wrappings stinking of cigarette smoke! So did the bubble wrap. Fortunately, the bobbins for the Columbine are aluminum and they went right into the sink, then one went on to the wheel for my first plied yarn (done!). I love hearing about how many bobbins the veteran spinners have. Because now I have 5 and y'know, that really is just barely sufficient :>
Rob http://roberta.typepad.com/robknits/ |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2005 : 6:47:17 PM
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25 of my bobbins are antique weaving bobbins (I got the lot off e-bay for something like $12). I also have a bobbin winder, and rewind yarn onto the weaving bobbins before plying - That way I can spin one bobbin of singles, then distribute the singles onto the bobbins for however many plies I want without having to worry about having enough bobbins for the wheels. It also means I can mix and match my newer spun and older spun yarn to even things out....
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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Valk_scot
Permanent Resident
United Kingdom
1281 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2005 : 01:48:33 AM
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The Kromski has three bobbins (plus three more due in the mail), the Louet S40 has three bobbins and no chance of any more as they`re so specialised, the Louet S10 has nine, in three sets of three. Plus I have three anonymous wooden bobbins that I use for storage. So that`s 18 + three in the mail, for three wheels.
Not enough! But Louet bobbins are expensive....about $20 each here....so I can`t afford as many as I`d like. Yet.
Val.
[img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_9_21.gif[/img] |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2005 : 06:48:33 AM
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I think the lendrum bobbins go from about 14 to 18 dollars here.......so not all that inexpensive either...
I could use a bunch more
I am thinking.... 10 more
and doing the math.....I see it will be quite a while before I get them
vi
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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