Top products from r/YarnAddicts

Not sure what it is, but $49 is a great price! Looks like it works how it should. Drive wheel drives the flyer (which makes it scotch tension), and I see a tension knob for the brake band to go around the bobbin, but you may have to use your own piece of cotton string.

It looks like there are only 2 bobbins, so if you wanted to make a 2-ply yarn from separate singles, you would have to wind the first bobbin onto a toilet paper roll, and then ply together on the empty bobbin. But since there's a skeiner, that should be easy.

Seems like a great deal for someone who wants to try it out! You may even be able to sell it for more when you go to get rid of it. If you're learning to spin, I recommend Start Spinning... I checked out tons of books from the library, and this one's the best.

Let us know how it goes! I want to see it in action!

> petpetpet

OMG. That's awesome. :-D

So anyway, my newest worsted love is Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted. Probably the worst (ha ha ha) name for a yarn EVER (I mean, really, who the hell is Deborah Norville? Isn't she one of the chicks who banged a televangelist like 20 years ago or something?) BUT it's a really great yarn. It's really silky soft & smooth, but there's a density to it -- like butter in yarn form. I made this blanket with it, and every time I pull it over my lap, I still feel like I'm covering myself up with the touch-equivalent of a big puddle of hot fudge.

There are actually LOTS of really soft acrylics out there: Caron Simply Soft, Bernat Satin... even Red Heart Soft is pretty darn good. I love making blankets out of Lion Brand Homespun (but it's not worsted).

The bare-basic, uber-cheap acrylics are HORRENDOUS, though -- you won't get any argument from me on that.

As a mom of a 9 & nearly 13 y.o., I've been living a very machine washable life for a long time now. I gotta be able to throw it in with everything else in the laundry and then machine dry it, even kick in a bit of bleach now and then.

There are also a lot more skin sensitivities to animal fibers than there are to acrylics, which is another good reason to use acrylics in baby items. Depending on what kind of wool it is, and where I'm wearing it, I can get a pretty bad rash. (A wool scarf in winter? Fuhgeddaboudit!!)

So anyway, that Deborah Norville Everyday... It's good stuff. Less than $4/skein full retail from Joann. I've also gotten it from fabric.com and in 3-skein packs (in basic colors, nothing too exciting) off of Amazon.

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook is recommended for all spinners. It's $25 so slightly over your budget but it's well worth it. My local library has it but I still want to get my own copy.

Every knitter or spinner could use another project bag. There's hundreds on Etsy to choose from. Keep in mind that some of these listings are made to order so read the description.

Indie dyed fiber makes a great gift. FriendsinFiber on Etsy has fairly inexpensive combed top and rolags.

Woolgatherings has some fiber you can probably get for under $15 with shipping. Undyed fibers in their natural color are very beautiful too.

Hipstrings has some very unique blends. Don't buy any cotton by mistake.

There's plenty of other fiber sellers on Etsy. Make sure to get her fiber that's specifically marked as suitable for spinning. There's much lesser quality fibers for felters mixed in there. Since she is a beginning spinner, get her wool.

You could also get stitch markers or extra knitting needles if she likes having lots of projects going at once.

TL;DR ahead~

I've been spinning for about 4 or 5 years now, and was using a drop spindle exclusively up until about a month ago. I just got a single treadle Ashford Traditional on long-term loan. I've only used it 3 or 4 times since then, so I'm not the best person to talk about wheel use. Spindles, on the other hand, are definitely my bag.

The most important things for a beginning spindler to have are a good spindle and decent fiber. The spindle doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be well-balanced, with a long spin time. I'm a big proponent of Kundert spindles as starter spindles; the one I have is my go-to for almost everything in the sport to aran range.

Good fiber is possibly even more important than a good spindle. Neppy, dry, or semi-felted fiber just makes the spinning process unpleasant, and you really have to push yourself to not give up when the fiber's fighting you. Super-short staple stuff is also generally not a good idea for beginning spinners; I started off with Coopworth, which is not the softest wool in the world, but it's definitely good at holding together. Blue-Faced Leicester and Border Leicester are also good options.

Related to that is the fact that fibers from different breeds of sheep (not to mention other fibers) have very different properties. These can influence the way you spin. Shorter fibers tend to be softer, but also more prone to wear. Longer fibers tend to be more wiry, but also more durable. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook is a really good source for information on sheep breeds, as is The Knitter's Book of Wool. While you don't have to spin something a certain way because it's a specific type of wool, the yarn will probably fight you less if you try and keep breed properties in mind when you work with it.

Also important to know is that there are many different fiber prep methods that you can spin from, and that these can also affect the quality of the yarn you make. Batts make for very floofy woolen (as a style of spinning) yarns, and combed top, which a lot of people call roving, makes for a more even worsted (again, a style of spinning, not a yarn weight) yarn. You can even spin wool straight from the lock, but generally you don't get into that advanced a form of fiber madness until a few years in.

Lastly, and most essential-- remember that you're going to drop your spindle. A lot. There will probably be swearing. Tears and recriminations may factor into things. The first couple months or so will make you wonder if it's really worth all that trouble, when you can barely manage to get yarn to hold together while practicing Park-and-Draft. But for me, that first awkward swatch of fabric knitted up from my first skein of yarn convinced me to keep going, because it was something I had produced from the ground up.

Five years later, I'm still spinning.

There's a lot more about spinning that I haven't covered, but I think that hits the salient points.

tl;dr-- Get a decent spindle, don't use crappy fiber even if it's cheap, listen to what the fiber wants to be spun like, and don't be afraid to screw up when you're starting off, because it's just fiber.

The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes is the book I use, great photos of dyes and how they will turn out using different mordants. Super useful! (I also did some extensive work figuring out how to get the best blue dye from black beans and blogged about it here.)

Looks a bit like the red heart monet colour way.

Red Heart Super Saver Economy Yarn, Monet Print https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017342LM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_jCoIzbG1WCBWZ

I don’t have time to do a tutorial... but I’d be happy to answer any questions that you have! I can probably point you in the direction of some good tutorials that are already out there, too. Feel free to PM me. When it comes to making socks, I refuse to do magic loop method... these are the needles that I use, and they are worth every penny.

ChiaoGoo 6009-2 9-Inch Red Line Circular Knitting Needles, 2/2.75mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003W0X8UY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zbwYDbSRBZ72X

More like this: http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Frank-Universal-Plastic-Slicker/dp/B0012GK4HA/ref=sr_1_13?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1408259654&sr=1-13&keywords=dog+slicker+brush
I used ones like these from time to time before I eventually got actual hand carders. They won't do as much at a time as carders because they're smaller, but it's workable. Certainly better than not having any at all.

Have you come across the thrifty fox plans yet? I have a pre-built wheel that I adore (a spinolution; if you want to check them out, their designs are pretty unique and innovative, and they also offer blueprints)but I always hear thrifty fox brought up when people are looking to build their own fairly cheaply without having to reinvent the wheel, if you will :P

ETA: I can't believe I typed this up without mentioning Alden Amos. He's basically required reading on this project.

Look up hexagon wall storage. Someone posted a pretty sweet picture where they'd rolled their skeins into balls and had them in something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/MyGift-Hexagon-Design-Wall-Mounted-Shelves/dp/B01N7OY8TP

Are you looking at the addi click turbo or the addi click lace tip? If the regular turbo (not lace) I have a set I'll sell you for 50% off Amazon price - I never use them (I use my lace tips more). The basics are more blunt than the lace tips, but they're very good for beginners. And I'd rather they go to someone excited about knitting rather than sitting in my stash unused.

I was gonna suggest the same thing as u/INDYtoGNV :) The other thing I would love to be gifted as a knitter is a subscription to ‘Pom Pom’ or receive the book ‘The Knitters Dictionary’ by Kate Atherley https://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Dictionary-Knitting-Know-How/dp/1632506386

Second this. I luurrrv my Stanwood Yarn Swift I use it regularly and I love that it doesn't take up much space in use (or stowed away.) Highly recommend.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book. I've not read it so I can't vouch.

Ashley Martineau

Spinning and Dyeing Yarn: The Home Spinners Guide to Creating Traditional and Art Yarns
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764166077/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NDtRAb3Q68HDS

https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Fleece-Breeds-Fibers/dp/1612121780/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=field+guide+to+fleece&qid=1570627575&sr=8-1

Excellent guide by a very knowledgeable person

Be careful with mothballs, though! (Sorry, I don't mean to be a party pooper). It can be difficult to get their smell out of yarn. From what I have read, strong-smelling cedar and lavender can work just as well. Another downside to mothballs is that they will react with any plastic they are in contact with - which is partly why I opted not to use them with my bin system. This article helped me a bit when I was trying to figure out a storage system.

I also purchased this set of cedar things from Amazon. I thought it was a really good deal! I also purchased some cedar oil to rub into the cedar blocks when they lose their smell.

I like mine, it seems a lot sturdier than the ones that don't have the clamp on the bottom with a wingnut. Haven't seen the KP one irl, though.

Most enabling book ever: The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook

I got the Stanwood Needlecraft 4-oz.
It's currently $37.95 with prime and a 6% additional discount with coupon... I remember it was less expensive 😕 maybe that's why I waited so long to get one? Worth it though.

Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-A Hand-Operated Yarn Ball Winder, 4-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B44PYI/