I Bought an Antique Spinning Wheel to Spin My Own Thread
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⤠ SOUNDTRACK ⤟
“A Celtic Blessing” by Bonnie Grace
“One Quirky Mystery” by CJ0
“The Setting Sun” by Shimmer
“I Dream in Three” by JCar
“Dawning Sprite” by Lincoln David
“Tales from the Past” by Adam Saban
“Evelyn” by CJ0
“Powerfully Meek” by Awyr
“Taking the North” by Cody Martin
“Ceridig’s Heart” by CJ0
“Serenade For Sleepy Lover” by Cast of Characters
Your final thread looks fantastic! I'm thrilled I got to help you get started, and I can't wait to see what you spin up next. Happiest of happy spinning! 😊🧶🧵🪡✨💖
I'm so lucky to have had your help! ✨
I was going to suggest Evie as a resource! So glad you connected already
Evie is why I finally started spinning, too! It was something I always wanted to learn, but educational resources are so hard to find. So glad you're out here sharing your knowledge ❤
Thank you for sharing about the flax seed water! I'm going to try that out. Even though I've been spinning for 20+ years, I'm just starting to learn how to spin flax and I also want to spin thread.
I was about to tell her to check out ur vids 😂
Sometimes, when I stop to think about how, from the time of the earliest drop spindles we know about (~30 *thousand* years ago) until industrial spinning factories, Every. Single. Thread: every warp thread, every weft thread, in every piece of fabric -- from the clothes on people's backs, to the *sails on every sailing ship* -- was spun by hand, my mind kinds of shuts down at the magnitude of that.
Enormity, gosh
Welcome to the world's second-largest historical industry after agriculture! And that's not even counting the stuff nearly every family made for their own use, I mean stuff made purely for sale.
And it touched everyone. From the first person who twisted to now we are connected
It was also one of the main respectable occupations for unmarried women.
Yes. Spinster.
When you mentioned getting a really strong ankle from treadling, I remembered an old German fairytale which is a bit like Rumpelstiltskin in that a girl is supposed to spin a seemingly impossible amount of thread before she's allowed to marry the king, but instead of a demon gnome she gets help from three experienced spinsters. One has an enormous foot from treadling, one has a sagging lower lip from wetting the thread, and the third one has a huge flat thumb from flattening the thread. All that they ask for in return for their help is to be invited to the wedding. The king notices their deformities and asks them why they look like that, they tell him it's from spinning flax all their lives. The king is horrified and tells his new wife never to spin flax again, and she's happy to comply.
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Oh I think I read this once but I never would have remembered on my own. This really dragged up memories from abandonded parts of my brain 😅
There's a Irish or Scottish version in which the three sisters live underground in a mound and are implied to be supernatural beings
I heard a similar one! But in my version, one of them helped her weave the thread into fabric, and had a broad, humped back from scuttling back and forth, bent over her loom, and the other had helped her sew the fabric into clothes, and had huge, bug eyes from staring at her sewing all day every day
The Three Spinning Fairies by the brothers Grimm
That thread is perfect for hand-stitching leather! A chunky 2ply linen thread is exactly what I use to sew 18th century leather accoutrements--first I punch a hole through the leather and use two thick blunt needles with the thread coated in cobbler's wax and beeswax. It's great watching you learn how to make the materials I overlook when sewing.
I was thinking it looked like the twine I use for my heavyweight leather stitching and I would use her thread for something like that.
I was also thinking it looked a lot like welting thread used to stitch shoe welts.
For anyone who got excited by this and feels like giving spinning a go, here are a few tips: 1. Look out for a local spinning guild: They have a wealth of knowledge, will be super welcoming to newbies and often have old wheels lurking around that could become yours (that's how I acquired my first one) 2. A spindle takes a lot less space: Consider trying spinning with a hand spindle. You can even 3d print one! 3. Spin as traditional or as wild as you like: Incredible dyers and makers produce colourful fibre packs (see Hedgehog Fibres for example), so you can start with some soft and easy bluefaced leicester that will spin like butter, try flax if you feel bold. Or if you hate yourself, spin silk. IYKYK. 4. There are no stupid questions: We all started with the same bird's nest of overtwisted, breaking fibres. Ask away! 5. Keep your first thread: Doesn't matter if it looks like garden twine, it's a precious thing! And most of all, have fun. Oh and relax your shoulders! ;)
I live in a smaller rural town and we just got a fiber and yarn store which has spinning supplies. I’m so excited.
I've knitted for over a decade, and spinning my own yarn is something I've always wanted to give a try. Thanks for sharing these suggestions.
Bonus tip: if you're afraid to committing to a wheel, grab or make your own drop spindle! They're tiny, cheap, and extremely effective
Because of seeing this comment, I googled it and I am shocked to find I have a local fiber arts guild! Thank you for bringing this up, I never would have thought of this otherwise.
Yes, all of this!
As a self-taught spinner, the amount of stress I felt when Bernadette said she was going to learn to spin on flax was immense
When I saw the Instagram promo reel for this video I was like, "of course she's starting with flax."🤣 Well done!
What would be a good material to start spinning?
@@floresilla a medium quality wool is usually best. Wool naturally grabs onto itself, and the rougher it is the more it'll do so, which makes it easier to draft without the fiber breaking!
@@alyssaking4628 Don't go for the fine wools first. They take much more skill in drafting. Jump to them too quick and your thread will be full of slubs. Of course if you are wanting a character thread then jump in. As you go along and get good you may occasionally want character thread for a special project and be real annoyed that you can no longer spin "bad".
I so feel this. I taught myself knitting on socks, thinking "oh, they're small, that should be easy". So sure, flax. Why not? Even I started spinning with coopworth and romney!
Ahh, so this is the 'threads' everyone has been talking about. Bernadette taking the fight to Elon Musk and winning 😌✊
😂 underrated comment award 🏆
HIGHLY underrated comment.
@@cheekyb71 for sure!!
Lovely
Lol 😂 NOW I understand 😏
My husband who is so not a crafter became quite enthralled watching Bernadette spin her own thread. When it came to the use of saliva,I started telling him that a lot of us who knit with wool do something called spit splice to connect wool when we’ve run out. Then all the questions started😂
I carry a small spray bottle with water in my needlebinding bag so that I don't have to rely on my salivâ. ^ ^
@@johannageisel5390If you're going for aesthetic as well as practical use, I bet you could find one of those fancy little plant misters. I have a plastic spray bottle (for a completely different purpose) and it doesn't quite fit the vibe I'm going for, lol.
@@johannageisel5390 More practical, less personal. :-)
As a spinner, I'm quite impressed by how quickly you picked this skill up! There's a popular saying that every new spinner starts by making "novelty yarn," and I see that it holds true for linen as well, but you've given me new inspiration to learn to spin flax now! Excellent work, Ms. Banner
😂 And then you talk to experienced spinners and they have mastered the spider web thin yarn and wish they could go back to making art yarn 😂 But their hands have learned the craft and it's hard to go back to wholesome chunky oatmeal yarn full of character ❤❤❤
As a crochet fiber artist, I respect the hell out of you all, but please, lace weight kills me and my hands, so badly. Love the doubleknit and aran weights.
I started by making yarn plies thin as thread and then had to learn to not sping things so thin and tight and to just let loose
2023: Bernadette spins linen thread 2028: Bernadette mines the ore, smelts the iron, fires the blooms, and carbonizes the steel which is forged into the scythe that mows the flax.
Look, the crafty life is a dangerously slippery slope…
@@bernadettebanner I hear ya buddy, I hear ya. I started off as a good honest wastrel with nothing on my mind but the next wench and the next drink. And look at me now! A steady job as a tradesman, and about 65 vintage sewing machines. Madness, I say, madness.
But for flax being pulled from the field, roots and all, I can definitely envision it. :)
@@professorrhyyt3689yes 100%! Would love to see a ”field to thread” journey of flax for Bernadette :)))
It's a short leap to the woodworking skills to make the wheel(s) you discover you actually want.
I have to say as somebody who attempted wheel spinning years ago, I was VERY impressed by how Bernadette basically went straight to treadling correctly & keeping the wheel from accidentally reversing direction! 😆 All her hours on the antique treadle sewing machine really, really paying off there.
Heathcliff is absolutely marvelous. I love how chill they are. My first spinning projects looked like a unicorn vomited on the bobbin because I was using waste wool fibres to learn. All my Gran's spinning explanations to me are fraught with the phrase "it'll just feel right" getting bandied about with frustrating regularity. 😂
😂😂😂😂
I work as an audio technician. What you said about many sounds from the past getting lost really resonated with me. Thanks for keeping craftsmanships like this one alive. Thank you.
There's so much more lost than you'll ever realize. In everything. And more will be lost in the future too, even as it appears for the very first time. That's the nature of everything. It all ends. Missing it, or trying to hold on to any of it, is weakness.
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 - Nostalgia is a powerful emotion.
heh, resonated.
Yes, hearing a sound from the past that was lost but was brought back almost gives a shutter. One of the more powerful videos to watch is the first and to my knowledge only time since it’s voyage the RMS Titanic’s steam whistles were actuated for a group at a museum. It wasn’t quite the same as they were using compressed air instead of steam but it was truly a haunting sound. Another one is the recovery of the bell from the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. As soon as it broke the surface of the water it began ringing out in the waves.
At what point does a loom show up and we have an ever-ambitious Bernadette weaving the linen she spun into cloth? 😂
I would hope a clock reel aka spinning weasel would show up before the loom
You don't even technically need a loom, some cultures weave without them
@@kyrab7914 Finger-weaving's the natural next step.
You think you're joking, but this is how it starts.
2024. It's obviously one of the next steps 😂
The world 100% needs an ambient soundtrack of that spinning wheel It's so soothing
ASMR track would be ❤bliss❤. CONGRATS Bernadette for taking up & conquering a new skill🎉.
This is perfect timing. My siblings & I recently inherited our great-aunt's small spinning wheel. I'm the only one who remembers watching her spin, but that was decades ago. A practical video is just what we needed!
When I was taught to spin I told my teacher I wanted to spin angora rabbit and cat fur. They told me to start with wool. I did, but didn’t get very far before I gave up. 20 years later I came back to the hobby and started spinning cat hair and this time I stuck with it long enough to become proficient (and I can actually enjoy spinning wool now). I’m glad you persisted and started with what actually interested you.
that is so cool!!! do you make something with your amazing thread?
Something I've picked up from years of crocheting is that Alaskan Husky, bison and yak hair are the warmest when fashioned into a garment. I'm now wondering if Maine Coon and Siberian cats produce denser fur that would have the same effect.
That's amazing! I never would have thought that you could spin cat hair. Isn't it too short?
@@gayleklein7243I'd suspect Norwegian forest cats or Maine Coons can definitely make fine thread, don't know how warm it'll be, but worth testing. If you have a zoo nearby that houses Manuls/Pallas cats, asking them for a measure of shedded fur could also be interesting to try as they have the densest fur of ALL felines, big and small! 😊
:O
In Finnish the sound of a cat's 'purr' is called 'spinning yarn' (kehrätä). I don't think we've got another common word for it, or if we did at some point, at least we don't anymore. It really sounds exactly like a spinning wheel whirring away :)
Same in Swedish.
That's so cute. I'm learning Finnish and your language feels very cat friednly. I keep finding words that would make good cat names, like Mukava, Kuka or Hauska.
Same in Czech (spins = přede)!
Can confirm for German, too
Same in Dutch
I love the end comments about the online community being fundamentally the same as the communities we used to learn from in person. Such a poignant observation on how social media isn't just mind-dumbing content isolating people and making them feel lesser-than. It is a community hall where all sorts of interactions happen including exchanges of skills, passions, and stories. It's nice to know that while we might only get to hear the "voice" of the spinning wheel generations ago, future generations will be able to hear your voice and admiration for it. Thanks for making the moment to appreciate modern society while learning about historic society.
I’ve learned so so much online. I even managed to change the lock on ky front door by following a KZhead video. So many free tutorials! I love it
Don't forget to condition your thread after you've spun it. Basically, you run it through a flax seed bath to smooth down the fibers. That might help to make sewing easier in the beginning of a new thread, since it has already been smoothed down and the fabric doesn't have to do that part. My teacher showed us to take a small pot lid with the kind of handle that's not a knob. Then you make enough of the flax seed water to cover the pot lid in a bowl large enough to hold the lid and you run the thread under the handle. That way you can just roll it from bobbin to bobbin while smoothing the fiber that comes out of the water, as the lid takes the thread under the water for you.
Great advice!
You do this in addition to using flax water during spinning? Do you do it before or after plying? And does it take the place of waxing the thread?
@froggydoodle808 I'd probably do it before plying, to get the smoothest threads, so yes, also in addition to spinning with flax water. I'd still wax, though, as that adds protection and strength for the thread to pass through the fabric many times without starting to fray too much. But as Bernadette said, after several initial passes through the fabric, it did become a bit easier since that smoothed the thread somewhat, and that's the smoothing you should be achieving by the pass through flax water after spinning to make it easier when you start sewing.
It just makes me so happy that Bernadette's little corner of the InterWebs exists so that geeks like us can totally geek out over learning how to do something thousands of years old!
Use of a spinning wheel is not thousands of years old.
@@direfranchementThere are Egyptian murals that show them being used. They wore gauze looking garments.
@@reavanante2160 Not likely.
I love that you had to have an actual human being to show you how to do it. Skills used to be passed from one person to the next, not just from books. Books were there as a guide, but having an actual skilled mentor was always the better way to learn things.
Its like how it wouldve been taught in the past Seeing it in this video makes me feel a weird sense of nostolgia, or a connection to the countless generations this skill was passed down between
That is such a validation for me. Back in the 1970s and 1980s the teachers in elementary and high school expected us to "learn" by memorizing and accepting on blind faith. Even with above average intelligence I just barely managed to graduate high school in spite of the teaching system. And then I "failed" in university. Since then I have realized that I learn best, and get long term retention of what I learned, by hands-on-training. The so-called hands-on learning. A patient mentor is so important to achieve the best learning (at least for me)! Training manuals will only go so far. But the interactive brain-storming with a mentor just elevates the skill retention to a whole new level. Unfortunately the learning-by-doing skills I achieved have no documentation to back them up, so "marketing" myself in a society suffering from title-itis is virtually impossible. Because I have been told way too often: "If you do not have a paper to certify you learned the skill, you do not know anything. Good bye!"
I love that it looked like Heathcliff just popped out of nowhere, like a magical godparent here to help you figure out spinning.
Oh gosh yes. You *can* learn from videos, but there's nothing quite like learning from an actual human teacher.
This is still true today IMO. We rely on the convenience of learning from home, but I hope we revert back to in-person learning.
As someone who once went through the entire process from raw sheep’s wool, scouring, combing and finally spinning it - what you did there after only days of practice is amazing. Btw. you motivated me to get a sewing machine. A Singer from 1900 ^^
At a local SCA event someone was doing a class on spinning and they were talking about how the typical medieval thread was around 30/2 which feels super thick to us modern people, but is super reasonable when you know they were spinning by hand!
In 1995, Tasha Tudor, American author, illustrator, and heirloom crafter, released a book titled Tasha Tutor's Heirloom Crafts. In it, she tells the story of weaving and sewing a linen shirt for her brother. She started by planting the seeds, and 3 years later, she finished the shirt. A picture of it can be seen across from the title page. You do such beautiful work.
That's impressive, just getting the retting right for good quality could take that long if doing dew retting ...
There's a KZhead series called How To Make Everything that does that sort of stuff to highlight how much work it takes to make one thing. A turkey sandwich, with this method, took 6 months and $1500.
I know that name... She illustrated one of my childhood books.... Edit: I found it! The Secret Garden (and also A Little Princess)
I will NEVER wear a linen blouse again without respecting the wisdom and effort and skill that goes into it’s history. Just thinking about what that phrase “fine linen” actually means is so humbling! Thanks again Bernadette for broadening my mind ❤
And this is just the spinning process! Growing the flax and then preparing the fibers for spinning is also a very long, arduous process. The Egyptians excelled at producing very fine linen, and some of their skills have been lost. But linen is a wonderful fabric, and it's a shame we don't use more of it.
Linen is a magical fabric. I hate working with it, but the finished results are always worth it
Riiiiiiight! A whole new appreciation! I love historical learning.
And spinning wheels are relatively recent.
@@amylenertz1953 Spinning wheels apparently originated in India between 500 AD and 1000 AD. Europe got them in the 13th century. Ancient Egyptians used drop spindles.
its so sweet how when u are sewing at the end you can see you fighting back such a genuine smile for the sake of the experiment but you are so clearly overjoyed at the creation and use of your own string its adorable!!
Just in time to join the Tour de Fleece! Welcome to the world of Spinsters! When I taught spinning, I once had a student who absolutely wanted to start with flax because she wanted to spin and weave a linen canvas to paint upon. Yes, she struggled more than the folks using wool, but she got a good start on her end goal. As a side note for easier learning, the flax fibers have their own natural twist which means that twisting them S will be much easier than Z. (The wheel spins counter clockwise for a S twist.)
I keep wanting to come into the screen and help you! For flax, you'll want to mist your fiber and keep your fingers moist. You'll also want to use a smaller whorl on your spinning wheel. The double drive wheels are labor saving devices, by using a smaller whorl, you can get a faster twist on your yarn while maintaining comfortable treadling. Your first yarns are probably going to be thick and uneven, it's part of the process, but I would still encourage you to find a use for them. It's so empowering to be able to look at where you started and see how far you've come. The first cotton I spun, I crocheted into an ornament I hung by my desk. The first wool I spun I knit into a trivet and use it almost every day to protect my table, it's almost felted from use, but I know it was the first thing I ever made from fiber.
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What awesome ideas!!
My first chain ply is my favorite winter hat!
Everyone I know who spins does so to make worsted, chunky, or bulky weight yarn. It's wild to watch someone throw themselves into the deep end on flax spun to thread weight! Very impressive, Ms Banner.
When has she ever taken the easy path on anything
I think it’s great. I never understood the chunky stuff. I wondered, does hand woven stuff look so awful because people can’t make fine thread anymore? Nope, they just don’t care enough to go at it this obsessively 😆
Spinning fine is easier for most people than spinning thick.
Personally, I run hot, so I spin very fine. Not exactly frogshair, but I make a light fingering-weight yarn out of 2-3 plies. That way, once woven or knit, it won't be excessively warm and I might actually wear the garments I make. I've only spun wool so far--and there are so many delightful breeds to explore that I haven't even ventured into the realm of cellulose fibers yet. I like to buy fleeces and wash and process them by hand to prepare them for spinning. I feel very connected to the past when I do that.
@@heatherduke7703 You go through phases, not drafting so everything's a clump, over-drafting so everything's brittle, then discovering clumps happen, until you start carding properly so your feedstock isn't on a spindle, but lies in loose floofy rolags which will never clump, but produce gossamer thread. The next stage is to ply, so she'll be using a hank winder to free her bobbins, then a winder to make a centre-feed ball, and finally a lazy kate while she learns how to make the wheel turn backwards. However, don't forget this is linen thread, and she's at heart a sewer, so needs lace in copious quantities. Linen lace is far better quality.
Watching this is a good reminder of just how much we take for granted - even those of us who sew usually can buy whatever thread and fabric we want in any colour, which is mind boggling when you consider how hard it would have been to do the most basic things.
So sweet to see!! My grandmother taught me to spin when I was about 5-6, and I still have our family spinning wheel that has been passed down through 7 generations of women.
I once worked in a museum with a “great wheel” or “walking wheel,” which you have to spin with your hand (no treadle), and do it standing up. They are a lot older than the seated treadle wheel. The bobbin ends in a point and the fibre kind of slips off that point to create twist. I was told Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on this type of wheel.
The BOOK CHARKHA an Indian(country) spinning machine works similarly
That makes a lot more sense than the Disney bastardization.
That makes a lot more sense than the Disney bastardization.
Disney changes everything. My brother read "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" to his kids before he let them watch the Disney animated version.
I think it was Tudor Farm that had a demonstration of the walking wheel in practice. It was a first for me, seeing a walking wheel as we only use sitting ones back home.
As someone who has been spinning for over a decade now, I am very impressed with your progress :). You did very good and made some high quality thread in the end with a very feisty material at that. To be honest starting spinning right with a wheel is veeeery hard. So for everyone who would like to learn this I would recommend using a hand-spindle, because you can easily "pause" the rotation at any time and concentrate better on the tention you are letting into the fibres :). The wheel will just rip the thread out of your hand if you are not fast enough. That said another thing that is worth mentioning with spinning wheels is that the circumfence of the spindle itself, will influence how much tension goes into the thread. This is not so much an issue with the historic wheel, because there is only one spindle size available, but modern hand spindles and wheels will often come with different spindle sizes. That's something to be aware of when you first start. Also the tention gauge on you wheel will not only determine how hard you can treddle, but on some wheels it will also determine how fast the thread gets pulled in, and get wound on the bobbin. That is if the wheel has a "bobbin-break". I really hope all this terms make sense though since I am translating from German :). Anyway this is a very cool video on spinning. I never heard about the flax-water, I only ever used tabwater. So this is something new I learned and will try out, thank you❤. PS: Netflix and relaxing Spinning will be eventually forever entwined, don't you worry bernadette. Just takes time and practice. I am currently working on spinning some weaving-yarn, while watching old medical-detectives episodes. A gril needs her murderous-grandma antics❤😂
Such helpful information!
As someone who has been spinning for about 15 years, this is going to be so interesting to watch! I run an ethical yarn shop with a victorian/cozy vibe and I'm really looking forward to seeing how you get on with flax! It's a very fun but challenging fibre to work with :)
The natural progression of her channel is eventually creating her own historically accurate materials, so I’m unsurprised, but VERY HAPPY SHES DOING IT. love to see it. ❤
I love how you view these kinds of crafts as a way to connect with so many generations before us, doing the same work, hearing the same sounds and sharing the experience - a very humbling and wholesome perspective I can’t help but marvel at
I feel that way whenever I'm kneading dough by hand or making my own pasta. I never feel more connected to my ancestors
It is inspiring and beautiful! Making things with your hands feels so good, and it does connect you to humanity. You realize that humans have been making incredible things forever, that ability to create is a big part of us. I’ve recently started my sewing journey, and it makes me think about the fact that people have been making these things forever. Sometimes when I get discouraged with my sewing progress, I remind myself it’s a skill I can and will learn, and I will be able to make my clothing like people have done for generations before me and hopefully generations after me. It makes me sad when I think about all of the amazing trades and art forms that have been lost to time. Every time I see some beautiful, intricate object that was made by someone’s hands however many years ago, I feel this huge sense of awe and admiration. There are some really impressive pieces that sometimes baffle me like how in the world did someone make this hundreds of years ago? It’s even more impressive if we aren’t able to replicate it to the same level of quality today. It would be so cool to do intense research and experimentation to try recreating these past skills & techniques, while using modern equipment and technology to our advantage. Imagine relearning these trades and teaching people, training more talented craftspeople, and passing on the knowledge to keep it alive!
It always fascinates me how before there was mass production of simple things we take for granted like a spool of thread, people had to make from scratch.
'Make me a sandwich' has a whole new meaning when everything has to be made in-house or isn't mass-produced.
@@julietfischer5056 "Go plant some f*cking wheat first"
I ripped a hole on my jeans, and it took me 15 minutes to fire up the sowing machine, fetch a patch of clothing and spindle of thread and fix it up. In olden times that process, especially if you didnt have the spare cloth and thread, or could not buy it, might have taken an entire day. Its hard for us modern people just how much of their spare time people "wasted" on domestic chores and other things that takes us moments
@@ealusaid- The guy who wanted the sandwich does that part, at least where farming uses plows.
Your reflections on the historical connections felt by participating in the fiber arts really resonated with me. My mom taught me how to crochet but I never really had a community where I could gather resources and learn about innovative techniques but now that I've moved to the UK I'm finding loads of resources, communities, and even the local knitting groups are a source of knowledge and community that I cherish. I hope you enjoy your new spinning journey!
I want more videos of guests teaching you how to do things! This was so much fun to watch!
I have been waiting for a spinning video for a long time, because the spinning wheel has been in the background in Bernadette's videos for some time! Also, I appreciate how she is not afraid to show herself learning, rather than filming only when she has acquired the skill already.
The flax thread looks so much like grey hair, it's like the friendly grandmotherly spirit of all spinners is propped up beside you as you work
Ever heard of a flaxen blondes? That's where it comes from.
@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 Now we would call it dirty blonde, which I never liked. flaxen sounds much better. It was assigned to people with light brown hair that easily sun bleached to blonde on top. Not to silver grey hair, which seems more appropriate.
@@rich1051414 IIRC, linen fiber can have either warm or cool undertones, depending on the water used during the retting process (rainwater vs. well water.)
Tow head (someone with extremely white blonde hair) comes from flax, also. There are two types of fiber that come from flax, line flax that is spun into fine linen threads, and the shorter fibers are called tow, that usually make a coarser twine or yarn
@@jw8223 You beat me to it. "Tow-headed" also had connotations of unkempt appearance, often a lad who worked hard outdoors.
I’ve been waiting for this since you got your spinning wheel. I’m relatively new to spinning and have so far only made one jumper with hand spun wool. I love that you got Jillian involved her channel is amazing!
Oh, I love a bit of wheel spinning, It’s so much faster than a drop spindle. Go you!
So THAT'S what they mean by "flaxen hair". I never knew what flax looked like! I always figured it was more like cotton
There was line flax and tow flax (still is). Line flax is the long, very nicely behaved stuff, and then we called the fabric line-in, or linen. The tow flax is short and coarse, and was used to make rope- then we called it "tow rope". From that we get "tow headed" kids, and "tow" as a verb as well as the rope.
@@sherryhassler5932 Thank you for this information.
Some naturally/ old, old way processed flax can have this golden color with an almost silk like sheen as well.
@@yalissa73 It depends on how it's retted (rotted). If it's kept in standing water, it turns one color, if it's in a river, it turns a different sheen- one of them turns gold, the other silver and I can't remember which is which.
This is so fun to watch! I live in a region of Sweden that used to be famous for growing and refining flax so it is a big part of our local culture. There is a project to lift this heritage even more, where anyone can get seeds to grow a square meter of the special flax for weaving and then meeting up with others to learn how to process it like back in the days. I’m so excited to see you really going back to basics with flax 🤩
Is there tourism around learning the way it was done there and learning your regional style?
@@C.L.Hinton yes!
Whenever I think of spinning, I always think of Spirited Away and Zeniba's warm/cozy cottage in the swamp. It's so beautiful to watch something so delicate and though I know how much effort goes into it (as a fellow craftwoman), it always looks so... effortless and calming. I can just imagine how much focus goes into making sure whatever you're spinning works and doesn't just fall apart. I also have to say I love the sound of the wheel as well
I taught myself how to spin from books when I was a teenager, I am thoroughly impressed how quickly you picked this up. I’ve been spinning for 20 years now and I haven’t touched Flax because I’m intimidated by it, and I love the feel of wool and silks, and working with them. I just happen to be reading some of the history on flax spinning. Ancient Egyptians were best at this art, the finest linens, The threads are spun one fibre thin. They had a bowl with a loop at the bottom where you would put your linen inside and the fibres would go through the water under the loop as you spin. They used a drop spindle, I understand it was spun by rolling it down the thigh, but there was a very specific reason for the kind of drop spindle they used in the way that the fibres go so that they’re less likely to come apart. Personally I find it easier to make a really fine things on a drop spindle versus a spinning wheel.
The amount of joy that radiates from a fellow artist when they're excited about the success of a new craft is truly infectious.
So true.
just think. Some person in the past also struggled with this. and seeing you "spin your skirt in" probably happened a million times. i love history and history-bounding. Your videos give me a sense of wonder and nostalgia.
I know accidentally catching your clothing in your embroidery or hand sewing is a struggle as old as sewing itself.
I personally have crocheted and knit my hair into a project, so I imagine it would happen with spinning as well.
@@leemasters3592 i love reading old brit lit because of how often home crafts are mentioned and talked about at length. I especially love reading about characters who are sewing or spinning and become lost in thought only to realize they've sewn/spun themselves or their clothing into their work. i recall reading a book where someone was spinning and spun a lock of their long hair into their yarn, and ended up having to cut a good chunk of it off their head 😆so goofy so relatable
@@georgeharrisonfricklas7927 I have long hair, and once, while trying to fix the treadle connection on a spinning wheel, my long braid got caught in the hooks on the flyer. Luckily, I didn’t have to cut my hair, but I did require help to free myself.
Congratulations Bernadette. I completely relate to wanting to jump to the hard version of something first, cause the easy beginner version is too boring to hold my interest. Additionally, I feel your videos are getting more spontaneous and joyous in feel, even though I'm sure they are a great deal of work. You've really developed as a teacher/presenter.
I feel you on the "easy is too boring" situation! That's me in a nutshell 😂
Not only is the 'easy' version often boring, there are often significant differences between the versions that makes the jump from 'easy' to 'hard' more difficult. In this example, linen has certain traits that wool does not that one can use to improve the result. One of which is the self-gluing ability. Linen also has long fibers as compared to cotton or wool. Also, depending on the amount of processing of the linen, you get fibers suitable for different things. And learning on better quality source material is very helpful. Then at least you know that any failure is from your lack of skill, not an inherent problem with the material. I have done woodworking, and, like most, started on cheap wood like pine or poplar. But the moment I started working with high quality oak, I realized that trying to learn on poor quality wood was a big part of the problem - oak is just so much easier to work with that you spend less time learning.
In an earlier video you made you told us all to never stop learning. I love how you back up your words with actions. I can't imagine how stressful it must have been for you to learn something new in front of millions of viewers, but you did it! You are a very strong person. Thank you for being vulnerable and so humble. It really displays your inner strength. Thank you also for demonstrating to all of us not to be afraid of failure. It's a learning opportunity. You are a wonderful teacher 🤗
Videos like this are why are you THE Victorian Mob Boss of the Internet!!!! I am literally watching this while I sew false buttons onto a victorian inspired skirt I am making from a bedsheet I dyed. Which BTW I wouldn't have had the courage to try without your videos. Thank You!
That sounds very cool, well done you ❤
As always I am incredibly impressed not only with your passion to learn new skills and document that learning process, but with your dedication and perseverance in the learning process! Time and again you keep going despite set backs and frustrations in the learning, creative, or construction process, and that is just such an inspiration for the rest of us who also struggle with the process! If Bernadette doesn’t give up, than neither will I! ❤
Beautiful sentiment, and I agree with you!❤
I have been teaching myself how to drop spin tooo! My grandmother used to spin her own yarn, then weave it into fabric. She also dyed her own thread with garden vegs.
I once made this journey, and the (lack of) differences between spinning flax and spinning hemp.... Made me quite happy once the US stopped its ban on hemp cloth so I could simply buy what I needed😅 Bird sounds and rain in the background make almost all tasks easier, arthritis and fibromyalgia have changed my hobbies however. Thanks for another great video Bernadette!!! (Please let your sibling know that the editing is continuing to evolve and exceed expectations)
A trick for smoother plied thread: re-wind your singles before plying so the first fiber you ply is the first section of singles spun. Now your hands will be smoothing down the plied thread in the same direction that it smoothed the singles!
I spin my own alpaca and sheep wool. I adore my own spinning wheel. Her name is Gert. Once spun, the yarn I crochet into blankets. Everything done on our farm. From my own alpacas and sheep. So well done on starting your spinning journey Bernadette ❤️
My big wheel is named Sleeping Beauty, she looks like the wheel from the story. My travel wheel doesn't have a name yet, I have only had her for a few months.
@@loewenalia I love your big wheels name 😀❤️ I am at the stage in my life now at 54. I would love a smaller travelling one, that I could pop in my horse drawn cart for country ambles. I feel it takes time finding the right name. It took me about 2 years to find Gert’s name. She certainly has a cheeky spirit about her. I am sure some days she doesn’t think I should be spinning. As when I start it just seem as comfortable. So I move to my crochet. I am sure her old wood sighs thank you 😀❤️
@@loewenaliaMy big wheel is Dolly, my travel is Betty, and I have a non-functional gal who goes by Millie. I love that we're out here naming our inanimate objects we spend so much time working with! PS My sewing machine is Ethel.😂
@@cathcoll7961 My big wheel does not like to move. When I move her to vacuum I have to spend time adjusting her after moving. She is on the mat and I just pull the mat across the carpet. I need to spin more but my corgi seems to think that when I sit at my wheel she needs ALL the attention.
I love that there is such a wonderful community of people keeping these old crafts alive and not losing those little secrets that make it work. When something is forgotten, it is gone forever. Thank you to everyone who learns and teaches these skills. They might not seem super useful or relevant in today's world, but it still seems important to me. There are already many things mankind has forgotten because they were not recorded or were simply lost to time. I think it is a huge shame when it happens. Fact: The art of origami almost disappeared forever. There are indeed some designs that have been lost and forgotten.
I loved watching you learn this wonderful skill! One thing I didn't see in any comments as a fellow antique wheel user, it is very important to be gentle with your wheel and oil it frequently just the way you do with an older sewing machine. I actually use sewing machine oil for this. It makes spinning so much easier (and quieter), especially on a double-drive wheel. Every point where something moves should be oiled regularly, like every 40 hours of spinning or so, and giving the wood some love and care once or twice a year is a good idea too. I use a beeswax/coconut oil mix on my wheel, take it apart, wipe the pieces down with a damp cloth, let them dry, cover them in the wood conditioner, let it sit for a while, then rub in with a dry cloth. This will keep the oil from drying out and breaking.
Oh, that speech about the sounds and the language of the past still living through the machines and tools that have survived really hit my heart good. And very interesting note about how saliva affects the fibers, I was wondering about it being used instead of plain water just because of this story I was told as a kid, titled something like "The Three Spinners" (about three old spinners, each one of them with a physical modification caused by decades in the trade: one with a big foot after pressing the pedal, another with big thick fingers from twisting the fibers... and one with a big lower lip from licking the fingers so as to wet the fibers!) so the use of saliva to spin is definitely part of folk tales! This is a world I know nothing about but I loved the little taste you gave us , and of course the presentation is lovely and aesthetically pleasing while still being clear and informative. P.D. please tell Heathcliff I love their vibes and I'm a big fan of their hair style!
I'm revising my historical novel about Julian of Norwich, and when I heard Bernadette say that, I spontaneously shouted, "YES!"
Beatrix Potter uses this in a story in "The Fairy Caravan" where an old fairy helps a lazy youg girl with her spinning so she can marry her love. Quite suggestive story in many ways, although it goes over the heads of young readers, I'm sure. If you can get a copy of this book, with illustrations by Miss Potter (it's quite rare) you will love all the old stories of her beloved Lake District. It's way overlooked and I think one of the best of her books.
Saliva is traditionally used in many fiber arts. When working with wool and your yarn breaks, one of the easiest joins you can do is a spit splice. I'm not sure of the science of it, but for a prettier join, intertwine the plies and spit on them. Then rub it firmly between your palms and it will felt together. You can just overlap the yarn ends if you don't care about the look of the join. It holds well enough to keep working and makes for fewer ends to work in.
salivary enzymes are extremely useful in pretty much all fiber art, as it helps immensely with the breaking down of the actual molecular bonds in the fiber and bonding them together. salivary activated paints, dyes, and glue (think stamps!) have existed for literally thousands of years.
I learned in the first metal smithing class I took that saliva is a useful lubricant to use on the saw blade when sawing through a piece of metal. There are commercially available lubricants, too, of course, that are "more hygienic." If the piece is going to be soldered in a gas flame, any germs, whether viral or bacterial, are burned off in that process.
Wow. Bernadette is taking sustainable fashion to the next level. Making your own thread! Next level is learning how to dye it. ❤😉
Considering some of the mad experiments she has brewed up in her kitchen, I bet dye work (with natural materials!) is next !
@@m.maclellan7147- A good number of recipes still exist.
This was SO soothing to watch! It's incredible to watch you learn it so quickly - I kept thinking how necessary apprenticeships must have been for these types of things, learning from others, like Jillian taught you. As someone who studies sociolinguistics, I loved your reflections on the sounds, the "languages" of time past, and how we've lost them to time. Thank you for sharing!
Bernadette you have NO idea the joy my heart had when you decided to learn how to spin with flax. It's secretly my wish to grow and eventually weave into my own fabric.
I never fully appreciated the sheer volume of human labor it took to produce textiles until I watched this. Just imagining someone making all the thread and all the fabric to create a single dress... that would be the work of weeks, for one garment. Amazing to see. Thanks for helping me learn that!
this is such a great coincidence, a couple days ago I was just randomly thinking about sleeping beauty and the consequences of a kingdom banning spinning wheels (as one does) and how bad that would be for the economy (and the poor spinners ofc) and now it turns out the whole "pricking a finger on a spinning wheel's spindle" doesn't even make sense! (wtf disney?) And then this led me again into that rabbit hole of all these original (and downright terrifying) Grimm fairy tales that I had managed to forget..
It could have been a spindle wheel, which does have a pointy bit. Most of the explanations I've seen suggest that a wheel that had been used to spin unwashed wool for years would have some potentially nasty bacteria on that point, and pricking yourself could lead to infection.
There are severeal versions of Sleeping Beauty, or Dornröschen, as called in the Grimm fairytales. It is also said in many versions that the kingdom became very very poor by the decision of the king, but one was saved by the bad 13th fairy. Also in Frau Holle, the spindel takes an important role, as Marie pricks herself and wants to wash the blood off in a well, so that the thread will not be ruined and money can be earned from it.
I've taken a few metal smithing classes at an arts center/retreat near my town, which offers classes in several disciplines, including fiber. It has a central dining hall for meals, where teachers and students of all the classes mingle and chat. The man who was teaching tapestry weaving the same week that I was there, spoke of spinning and the "misinformation" of how Sleeping Beauty fell into her long sleep. It was his opinion that it was meant to be a lesson on keeping one's hands off of other people's property, and off of what one doesn't understand or hasn't been taught to use safely and effectively. 🤷🏼♀️ Could be true(ish).
The tale-teller had to curse her somehow, and not in some conventional way (for whatever reason).
They had to probably o something, because the original sleeping beauty story is a horror show called The Sun, The Moon, and Talia. She gets a splinter from spinning and falls asleep, and is locked away, but guys come across her and she's so beautiful that they take advantage of her in her sleep and she's only awoken when one of her starving children sucks the splinter out of her.
The fact you started with FLAX for spinning blows me away. I've always been interested in spinning but haven't had the chance to learn the craft yet. I have however done a decent chunk of reading and learning on the topic. Everyone I've met says to try wool first. Then alpaca if you want some challenge. No one ever does flax. You've provided vital information into history yet again. Thank you! Edit: your coarse thread could be plied into cording for utility uses like binding herbs to dry!
As a handspinner, I found this very fun and interesting to watch. Whoever films for you does a wonderful job. Beautifully done.
All I can say with tears in my eyes: Congratulations. You have such a great new skill! Bernadette you bring me so much joy and encouragement! You have rejoiced the heart of an old man! Thank you!
Wow that is wonderful, you cleaver lady.
Sidebar: for anyone looking to buy a used wheel, watch out for decorative ones from the 70s. My dad got me one from a garage sale, and I _could not_ figure out how to get it working. I eventually dragged it out to the park to ask the local SCA, and they explained that it had never been made to function. It didn't have an orifice for the yarn to pass through, and it could scarcely treadle.
Really anyone looking to buy an antique should ask someone knowledgeable to look over the wheel. There are many out there that are intact, but so many that are missing vital parts. Some of those parts can be remade by a talented woodworker (and some people have been experimenting with 3D printing), but there are a lot of bits where if they are gone, the wheel is pretty much no longer functional.
That's what Evie would call a spinning wheel shaped object. She has done a video on them.
Great to see how it works. A friend of mine has tea towel made of linen which was woven by her grandma (the granny also made the thread) Its her most precious heritage 🤗
On the whole community and family thing; Sewing is something that really brings me and my mum together we come from a line of people involved in sewing, spinning, tailoring and textiles. My grandmother was a fashion artist who painted the images for patterns back in the 50s and 60s, her parents worked in a factory which made sewing machines. That side of my family comes from Leeds, a place that i know has a long history of tailors and clothing design. It's a thread (pun fully intended) that ties me back to that bloodline, and gives me and my mother a shared interest. We enjoy watching these videos together, and she helps me with my sewing projects, it's my favorite way to spend time with her
If I may add my advice: Keep your beginning spinning! You'd be surprised that you will find a use for it eventually even if it's slubby and whatever. And it's a good reminder of how far you have come! I think you'll find it pleasing to spin your own yarn too if you knit or weave. Happy spinning!
As an experienced wheel spinner who taught myself on spindles I made myself, wow ❤ You chose the hardest route possible! Antique wheels can be finnicky af, and every one I've had has had its own personality. And then immediately trying to go fine with tow! Most of us start by making wool rope singles 😂 Amazing job and the final thread is as lovely as that wheel!
We have a spinning wheel at the historic site where I used to work that would, while you were spinning, would simply go haywire with a certain person who worked there. Oddly enough, the loom didn't like her either.
@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 The fiber tools know the bad aples 👀 don't let her near the wool combs!
@@SharpAssKnittingNeedles she had problems with those too. I knew something was wrong when our farm cat (who was, to be honest, quite persnikity about people) hissed at her.
@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 Lol my main concern was that they'd act up and stab her! Wool combs are kinda terrifying 🤣
@@SharpAssKnittingNeedles indeed! And they did stab her (I had to leave the shop before I broke out laughing). She was not a nice person at all (she even lied to get the job)).
Your channel is a treasure. A real gem amongst the cacophony of endless content. Every time I pop in to catch up on what you have been working on, it’s like I’ve entered an oasis where time flows a little slower, where the world is a little calmer and simpler and more satisfying and delightful. My whole body relaxes and my mind feels refreshed and invigorated. Thank you so much for all that you do. I’m not unaware of how much work goes into creating videos like these and of that work I am deeply appreciative. The challenges you take on inspire me to not be afraid of the learning curves inherent in acquiring any new skill set. Also, I can’t help but think that there is a lot of historical significance to your channel and the channels of the other creators in this space. Something as simple as you highlighting the soundscapes that have been lost to us …. It’s not a thing I ever thought about, but I will always consider it in future. It’s important that these skills not be lost to us completely. We never know when we will need to call on them for one thing, but also, rediscovering the old ways can possibly inspire solutions to modern problems. The “fast” everything in our current culture is clearly a large problem for us to tackle. In that vein, your channel feels very important to me.
Such crazy timing! I was just reading an article on bronze-age spinning (the wheel wasn't introduced until the Middle Ages), and it talks at length about how linen is a difficult material to learn on. Though it wasn't a widely adopted practice, some spinners used 'spinning bowls' filled with water that had a 'handle strap' of sorts in the basin. The fibers would be pulled through the strap, getting wet in the process, and then spun via drop spinning. (There was an older technique called 'supported spinning', but it largely fell out of favor as drop spinning allowed the spinner greater mobility. This is why it was quickly adopted by herders and nomads!)
My mom used to learn how to spin and weave, it was very cool seeing her explore such an ancient craft as a hobby. Sadly, nowadays the spinning wheel sits unused, but everstime I see it I remember her joy and pride of learning how to do it, the hours spent reseaching and then telling me about it, her pure exitement over it. Sewing and knitting (and soemday, hopefully spinning and weaving) makes me feel really close to her 😔
I tried to teach my mother to knit. The experience was... not a joyful one.
Well you have a reason to pick it up and learn.
I simply love the way she compared learning a new skill to learning the mannerisms of a pet! It’s such a good comparison!
Especially with a skill like this, you really seem to have learn how to "read" the fiber and thread you're working with
I’m a bad piggy parent. I didn’t learn that much about my cavies.
Many moons ago, my mom taught us how to make spindles and how to spin and weave. Then, I moved to Sweden and visited the Friluftsmuseet in Halmstad and discovered a little cottage with a loom in it. We went inside, and an older woman came in, I asked if she knew how to spin as well as weave, since the loom was hers. She said no, but she wanted to learn. So I taught her, and she taught us how to use her big loom. The spindles she had were hundreds of years old, she had found them in the attic of an old barn. It was an honor to work with her, and still, to this day, spinning has given me connections to people in the most beautiful of ways.
I love what you said about the sounds that are lost to time, and how wonderful it is to get a glimpse of some of those sounds today! Wonderful video 💕
I’m currently teaching myself how to use my great great aunt’s 1904 singer treadle sewing machine. There are days I want to cry because I wish I had an older person to help me with it. It’s crazy to think about how, once upon a time, you not only would have learned to do these sorts of skills from your mother or grandmother but often times on the machine she would have been using for years. The years of experience on a machine that they know intimately would be such an amazing way to learn. So much ancestral knowledge was lost to history with the dawn of the industrial revolution. I love seeing people returning to these skills to help preserve and renew them.
I also use the treadle machine my great-great grandmother used, and her mother, and her mother back to the 1860s when it was made (patent is 1861). My grandmother and great grandmother did not sew on it, but they kept it to pass down. I'm the first to make anything with it in over 50 years. Its an interesting feeling to be connected and yet not connected at all to your family through heirlooms.
I love Bernadette and her energy and presence but the repeated arrival of Heathcliffe in recent videos is making my heart happy
Heathcliffe is so gender like pls I wanna look like them so bad
My MIL was gifted an 1880s English fancy parlor wheel (small upright) made to spin flax and cotton thread. I took it to a spinning class to learn to use it. Teachers reaction was the same. They put me on a wool wheel taught me basics and then spun cotton on my wheel. Just enough to say I did it. My cousin raised sheep and would give me hus wool. Bought a larger wheel spun wool for crochet. Parlor wheel sits on display because it is beautiful to look at until I decide to sell it. Really enjoyed your video. Brought back fun memories.
The spinning wheel does make a very relaxing and satisfying sound. And congratulations on creating usable thread in only a few weeks! I've only used spindles and still struggle to make yarn after a lot more than a few weeks of trial and error. :)
It sounds very much like a cat purring, doesn't it?😺
@@professorrhyyt3689 it does!! That makes it even better.
Spinning is such a cool skill. Spinning whorls are found in every archeological site, this is something people were doing for hundreds of years. They were spending long winter days with spindle, and then waving and sawing it together. It gives a very new level of appreciation for their work - how many hours have to go into the simplest garment even, when you have to go through all this process. Fun fact, in (older) Polish you can have relative by sword (your father side), or by distaff (mother side). I remember learning what distaff actually is and having this "ohh, I get it now" moment :D
The expressoin 'the distaff side" exists in English too, but I don't think there is an equvalent of 'by the sword'. Thank you!
You are such a cool person. You inspired me to rejuvinate my passion for sewing I had when I was a wee lad. After watching many of your videos years ago, i have now filled my office with fabric and sewing supplies (some contained in biscuit tins of course) . I have somehow ammassed a collection of 30 sewing machines, mostly pre 1930, including 4 treadle machines and one 1960s industrial singer straight stitch machine. My girlfriend loves that I can mend and alter her garments, and I have been getting into designing and making increasingly advanced pieces. Now, I am self aware enough to know that a big time youtuber suck as yourself likely will not read a random rambling comment, but to anyone else who may be reading this who is interested in sewing at all: explore it, get a simple hand sewing supplies kit or a used sewing machine and just dive in. It is fun to learn!
Most areas have spinning groups. They love new blood and they are more than happy to teach you how to spin if that is on a wheel or a drop spindle. They usually have get-togethers once a month or such.
I just have to say: I absolutely fell in love with this channel and creator. It’s big channel production value with a small creator coziness and quaintness. I really feel like I’m sitting with a friend when I watch this videos while handsewing. And SO EDUCATIONAL 💝💝💝
B is a real gem 💎
I also love how much she respects history and how people connected through textiles. I'm not a fashion oriented person, but I enjoy watching a quirky yet classy person create historical items and explore the resources that make the items.
Bernadette: has been sewing all her life, made a career of it Also Bernadette: Wow! It’s thread!!! Really, one of the best things about learning a new craft is the sense of new appreciation and wonderment about the most common things.
I love watching her try something new and walk through the ups and downs of it!! More content like this please
I’m fascinated to see someone learning to spin. I feel like not very many people remember how anymore. I’ve spun since i was five and my grandma made me help her. She taught me how to use both a drop spindle and a spinning wheel
Oh, I'm excited, a video about traditional spinning. Watching this brings back memories with my grandmother. She owned a spinning wheel which she used to make yarn from raw wool from the sheep she was keeping. I once tried it when I was a little girl but I didn't manage to get an even thread out of it. You could call my produce 'effect wool'. Spinning is an art. For her, it was a form of meditation, for me, it was stressful. She passed away in 2008, aged 94, but I still remember her sitting at her spinning wheel, murmuring some prayers under her breath as she spun the woollen yarn on cold winter evenings. I'm really impressed that you go for fine threads for starters. I found wool pretty difficult when I was 10 years old. Kudos to your assistant for helping you. They do a great job :)
A tip for your friend: if the wheel is turning back the other direction, chances are you aren't pushing the treadle all the way to the bottom. The footman has to go all the way to the bottom of it's rotation or it'll swing back the other way. Their drop spindling looks amazing! Great job to you both!
oh! like the motor in an elliptical machine!!
@@georgeharrisonfricklas7927 I believe so, yes!
Bernadette not only are you starting with an insane fiber you're also doing the equivalent of waiting to make a ballgown as your first sewing project
I have the same jump in the deep end mentality 😅 it usually works out. I'm also glad you started with flax, it may be more challenging but the way you spin flax is very different from wool and unlearning and relearning has often put people off of spinning anything other than wool. Besides excitement will carry you through the hard parts.
You did amazingly well, especially as you’ve chosen probably the hardest way to learn to spin. You broke all the rules, not starting with a drop spindle, starting with a second hand antique wheel instead of a modern one and spinning flax straight off. Yet you made some really good thread from day one. I’ve been spinning for about 15 years so I have an idea of what I’m looking at and I’m really impressed by what you have accomplished. Keep spinning, you have a natural affinity for it I think. 😊
I was taught by an old Savile Row tailor to iron my linen thread after waxing it, it makes a world of difference to how it then handles when subsequently sewing with it, in a good way.
Huh, that makes sense for a few reasons.You're resetting the way the fibers want to set within the twist itself, addressing kinks, AND melting the wax to force it to soak in deeper and more evenly.
My mother took a trip to New Zealand many years ago and brought back an Ashford Castle wheel. She took some lessons, but she never really pursued it. After she died, I spent some time with an elderly neighbor who knew how to spin & she encouraged me to learn. It seemed silly since I didn’t know how to knit and what would I do with the yarn if I couldn’t knit, so I had to learn both crafts at the same time, lol. I do remember being quite tense, as I was initially learning to spin, and that advice to relax your shoulders? Stellar! The other thing I noticed is, when I first started out, I spun quite a bulky yarn, but as I got more experienced, I got so that I could spin a much finer yarn so that by the time I double plied it, it was a worsted weight yarn. However, I was never able to go back and spin a bulky yarn again! I finally gave it all up when the wheel got out of alignment & wouldn’t spin correctly. I took it to a local spinning guild, and they worked on it, but could never get it to work right again. It was something that I enjoyed & I made a few garments out of the resulting yarn, which was very satisfying. This comment is nine months late, so I have no idea if you kept up with the spinning, but I hope you did.😊
This reminds me so much of learning to crochet and you are doing so well!
I remember my Mom spinning wool as a kid. She always made it look so easy haha We did start to finish; shearing the sheep all the way to knitting the wool socks. Thanks for reminder of fond memories 😊