Intro to Spinning: Filling the Bobbin, Single Ply

Spinning moves fast, and once you get the hang of it you'll notice that the yarn builds rather quickly. It's a very satisfying motion. Methodical and somewhat meditative. The whirl of the wheel, the tactile pleasure of the soft wool, and the smooth pedals...up and down...Like tapping your feet to a good tune. Mine make a soft clicking sound which I rather enjoy.

On the Kromski wheel, as you allow the twisted yarn to draw into the bobbin it will build in the area where the yarn is hooked. I work from the back of the bobbin to the front, then from front to back.

I allow about a 1/2 inch of yarn to build on the bobbin, then I stop the wheel and move the yarn to the next progressive hook.

Then that builds for a 1/2 inch and I move it again.

My bobbin holds approximately 4 oz. of 2 ply yarn (We'll get into plying in a future post) So everything I do with our fiber, roving, dying and spinning is in 4 oz measurements, or at least evenly divided by 4 oz.

If you let the yarn build too high, it will slip down the pile and can cause knots later when you're skeining, plying or just un-twining the yarn from the bobbin.

Move the yarn down each hook towards you, then move progressively back toward the other direction.

Until the bobbin if full, or you run out of roving. This is 2 oz of single ply yarn. Notice there is still room on the bobbin.