(Part 2) Best weaving & spinning supplies according to redditors

I've been bedridden for 5ish years, with some in and out in the last bit. Here's some things that helped me:

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1. Laptop and internet. When I suddenly became disabled right out of college I lost basically all of my friends. People tend to lose touch during those kinds of transitional periods, and honestly I was the friend who was always driving people places so they weren't in the habit of visiting me. Internet access helped keep me connected in some way to other people. For me, it's not the same because I have a very difficult time bonding with others in an online setting, but it was definitely better than staring at a wall.
   
   
2. Get a wheelchair. I recommend an electric wheelchair, because you will be too tired to push around in a manual chair. If transporting a big, two ton chair is something you don't think you can do, try a folding wheelchair with a removeable motor, like the Smart Drive. (They're also waterproof which can be a big boon.) Honestly, having a wheelchair so I could leave the house without being carried was HUGE for me. That and moving to a new home that was wheelchair accessible and on the bus line. I still don't go out super often, because I am still tired a lot, but it has made a big difference in my agency. (People will say "oh no, wheelchair so tragic" but fuck them. Wheelchairs are a goddamned blessing. Being unable to get out of bed sucks, and wheelchairs are the magic that lets you move around.)
   
   
3. Acceptance. For me, a really huge thing was accepting that the condition I have (EDS/POTS) is lifelong. It cannot ever be cured, only managed. There is so much going on in lack of control of your life, and as I am mildly a control freak, that was REALLY hard for me to adjust to. We are taught a lot of negative things about being disabled, but in truth humans are extremely adaptable. Much more than we realize. We can enjoy life even with extreme restrictions on us. We can adapt! This too, shall become normal. And that's actually a good thing. When you accept that your body may just suddenly quit on you, you can make better decisions on how you spend the energy you have on good days. You can enjoy life with what you have, and know that it may not last. But that's okay. This too shall pass. Roll with the blows. Making friends with other disabled people, disabled people with conditions all over the spectrum, can help you see that being bedridden is just another way of life. It's normal, and a lot of people live normal, happy lives while mostly being in bed. And that's okay.
   
   
4. Don't overdo your good days. Many conditions have good and bad days. If this is true for you, you'll be able to do more some days than others, and it can be tempting to get everything crammed in that you can. For folks who are generally healthy but have been bedridden due to a temporary illness, pushing through can help them get rid of deconditioning. If, like me, your illness affects bodily functions necessary to sustain life, then pushing yourself on good days will actually damage your organs and make you sicker over time. And man, did I push lol. Instead, do **less** than you are physically able to do on good days. Leave yourself a lot of comfort cushion. The goal is to try to do just a little bit every day, whether good or bad, and hold on to that. Don't ever start doing more until you can go two weeks in your routine without any problems. This will protect you from huge backlashes and help you stabilize your baseline health. (This was a really hard lesson to learn!)
   
   
5. Hobbies, hobbies, hobbies. Seriously, connect with things you love that you can do while sick. It is so easy to lose sight of yourself and the things you love when you are perpetually in a crisis. Read. (With brain fog, I can't read well anymore and I've always had a hard time understanding audio, so I do both at once and that seems to work for me.) Draw. (Get a drawing tablet, Bamboo Create is a good start, or get a scanner for traditional arts.) Write. (If you like to write, you can do it on your own or start working on a project with others online.) Learn to program. (I develop a type of video game called a visual novel!) Knit. (I can't get ahold of the tension, but I use a mechanical knitting machine-- this is the best one for the price and it saves a lot of fatigue as well.) Try needle felting. (You can make cute 3D animals with wool while working out your anger/frustration by stabbing things with needles.) Learn to mold clay sculptures. (I eventually want to make to-scale Pokemon figures.) Watch movies/shows. (I watch a lot of anime on crunchyroll or from nyaa torrents.) Try tabletop gaming! (Like Dungeons and Dragons type stuff, but there's lots of different genres. Ryuutama is a really nice, relaxing one! Exalted is about being a demi-god badass. Blue Rose or Queen's Cavaliers are both really neat and diverse worlds. There's something for everyone, plus can get a lot of social activity in without much physical requirements.)

I also recommend starting on a drop spindle! It's cheaper than a wheel and it helps you get a really good idea of things like drafting without worrying about the different mechanics of a wheel. Kits are relatively cheap on Amazon and elsewhere. For example, this, this, and this kit all contain a drop spindle and some fiber that is good for beginners. Check out YouTube for some tutorials that are more detailed than the paper instructions that may come with the kit.

If you want to try a wheel later (or if you would prefer to start on a wheel!) you can see if a local knitting/weaving/fiber arts guild or a yarn store near you rents out wheels or has extra wheels that they can teach you on. Some stores and guilds offer classes, so do a little research on your area and you might find an awesome class!

If you want more fiber/want to try more varieties, The Woolery has a good selection.

https://www.amazon.com/LXD-Needlecraft-Operated-10-Ounce-Scissors/dp/B07CMY13DG/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=yarn+winder&qid=1554118563&s=gateway&sr=8-7

Get some cable management sleeving or something like this to keep the cables together coming from your computer to the monitor/desk.

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Nylon-Convoluted-Diameter-Black/dp/B00DOZYV12/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415833188&sr=8-2&keywords=cable+management+conduit

Here is /u/Anitaxjffdskjarizard painting a picture of /u/186394 and his Oscar during a dollar bill rainstorm.

Don't hate me. This was done on the memo on my phone :/

Thanks for the contest! To nobody's surprise, I'm not an artist and don't have art things in my wishlist, but maybe this will count for my niece? Art

The pegs are plastic on those right? If gluing them doesn't work (since the peg will lack lateral stability at the break) you could drill out the broken pegs and use epoxy to put in replacement loom pegs. They might be a different color and shape, but at least you could still use the loom and since the base of the peg would be set in epoxy and surrounded by the loom body, it would have much greater strength against shearing forces.

Alternatively, you could use drywall or self tapping metal screws to just screw into the spot where the broken pegs are. Pre-drill the hole with a bit that is just a tiny bit smaller than the screw to prevent splitting the loom plastic.

I made one myself for class and its ok, but not great. Do you think this one looks any good?

I use 4 of these pegboard squares to hang the yarn I'm currently working with. The rest of my stash goes in boxes to keep the dust out.

If you're looking for xmas gifts, also consider a yarn winder
or yarn bowl.
I had a ceramic yarn bowl, but the husband accidentally knocked it off the table. I'm using a mixing bowl for now, but am considering a bamboo replacement.
Good luck. Let me know if you need more info or ideas.

Thanks!!!! I used this one: Darice Sock Loom, Purple https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W54H1YT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_opkqDbVTFTEKG

I had success teaching a five year-old cousin to finger knit after he was frustrated seeing his older brothers able to crochet and not having the motor skills to do it himself. It doesn't really give you a useful end product but it can be fun for little ones :) Using a single strand of a thick yarn is probably best for someone that age.

https://www.wikihow.com/Finger-Knit

Another option is what we used to call a Jenny Loom or, for a smaller option, a knitting spool. In the eighties, I had wooden ones with nails driven in but these days they make plastic versions in multiple shapes and sizes. What is great about the looms is that you can make an actual usable object like a scarf or hat. Here is an idea, although you probably don't need a whole kit:

https://smile.amazon.com/Long-Loom-Round-DIY-Kit/dp/B01MA6HT2Y/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1537553273&sr=8-8

The spool gives you a mostly useless knitted tube, like the finger knitting but it works up quickly and can be fun anyway.

https://smile.amazon.com/Clover-3101-Wonder-Knitter/dp/B000WUY7YI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1537553418&sr=8-9

The umbrella looking thing is a swift. That is what keeps the tension /shape of the hank while you wind the yarn into a ball on the yarn winder. From Amazon, do not get this yarn winder; it is a total ripoff being made from cheap materials plus with the exposed gears the yarn can get caught. For a ball winder I would go with Knitter's Pride, their winder is better quality plastic and no exposed gears.

I bought my swift off knit picks and it does the job. Knit Picks ball winder is shit though.

Lol... just a hair tie holding 3 inch stuffed toy cats onto a plastic post that spins when you crank the handle. The force of the spin sends them flying off.

Very different than what you are probably picturing.

this is the device

Got my small rigid heddle loom at my local yarn store, but they are also available on Amazon.

Your best bet is Amazon. I'm in the UK so hobbycraft would be my go to if I was looking for a physical shop or wool warehouse, lovecrochet and Amazon for online. I find Amazon better for your hooks and accessories rather that yarn itself, hope this helps.

Edit: yarn winder on Amazon, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Compact-Knitting-Crochet-Operated-Hand-operated/dp/B00C4THS6O

Another thought would be a yarn bowl, loads of diffrent styles and there are some nice ones on etsy.

NO! Do not use WD40 if you value the piece! It will never dry, and will seep out of the wood for months or years onto whatever surface it sits on, or your hands every time you pick it up.

If you are going to oil it, I would not suggest putting a finish on top of it at all. Get an oil that is for wood (like Boiled Linseed oil, or Tung oil) and follow the directions on how to use them. You will end up with a deeply oiled box, with a nice finish. You can always put a coat of paste wax on it if you want some extra protection and shine (google "finishing with [insert oil here]" or "paste wax finishes" for how to do it).

All that said, an easy way to do it (that won't last as long) is to use a furniture oil or oil/wax mixture.
Howard Feed-N-Wax or orange oil are made for wood (specifically furniture). I use them a lot in restoring old pieces and keeping things looking nice. You might need to apply the feed and wax a few times, if your wood is really dry, before the wood is fed enough.

Good Luck!

I wouldn't use an acrylic sealant. If you are set on using a spray, use some shellac. You have to make sure that the bottom coat of oil is DRY before you seal it, though, whatever finish you use. Let the box dry for at least a week, probably two, while wiping it with a rag every few days. You really want to make sure that the oiled surface is dry, or you will have problems with the top coats of finish.

Noro has some pretty good yarn and prepare for a snotty comment, but red heart is crap. starting out with knit/crochet go cheap, but once you are pretty good, step up to better yarn and it's better to work with per my wife.

We got this drop spindle kit for my niece for christmas. the only 'complaint' she had about it was there is no notch to hold the yarn when you wrap it. I notched one with a dremel for her and that helped.

http://www.amazon.com/Heidifeathers-Starter-Spinning-Kit-Blended/dp/B00METGJLO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1464271762&sr=8-4&keywords=drop+spindle

This way you'll only be out $27 if it's not something you enjoy. I'd recomend just watching youtube videos on how to do it, the instructions are not very clear if you don't know terms. watch videos on drafting the roving as well, those will really help get the most yarn out of your roving while keeping it strong.

I have a ton of these loom bands left over from when this was a thing my kids did, so that's what I use: Dark blue for concentration, yellow for bless, red for hunter's mark, and so on. They work really well, because they're bright and obvious, and they're cheap enough that if they get lost, no one cares.

http://www.amazon.com/Wubbers-Half-Round-Complete-Charlene-Anderson/dp/B00HB8P6VW

http://www.amazon.com/Peasant-Combs-Article-Charlene-Anderson/dp/B00HLP52K0

I have and love and recommend the Knitter's Pride Natural Mega Wool Winder.

https://smile.amazon.com/Knitters-Pride-KP800372-Natural-Winder/dp/B078JLKCG4/

I don't think they send to USA, but you certainly should be able to find similar ones. This one on amazon is very cheap, but a bit smaller (9,85"/25 cm, mine is 11,81"/30 cm); There are also smaller shops like Kaliko that have multiple sizes, but are also more expensive; And finally Etsy has loads of stuff, just look for 'weaving loom' or 'frame loom'. Good luck!