Barncast 50 -- The Art of Spinning

Hello Misty and Andrew,

I love your podcast. I listen every week. If I was younger I would want to have my own sheep and ducks.

I am just getting into spinning. I got a drop spindle for Christmas. So far I have spun some very lumpy yarn. Practice makes perfect.

I ordered a couple of pounds of roving from you today. I know that's a lot. I have a few friends who want to learn as well. I purchased a tiny bit of roving from my local yarn shop it was $16. for 4 ounces. Yikes!!

The plan is: first I learn the drop spindle then I get a wheel. Somewhere in there learn to dye, and felt. The possiblities are endless.

This is really just so my husband and children will not have to think so hard about what I want as gifts. :o)

I think having a segment on spinning would be wonderful.

Oh and Andrew I would call the farm phone but I sound like a complete idiot on any recording device. It seems that as soon as I have to speak to an answering machine all language leaves my brain completely. Also Andrew, knitting is not a weird cult.

Thanks for all your hard work on the podcasts.

Paula Cary, NC

Yeah Colts!

Yeah fillies, too, and mares, stallion, geldings, and all other equine creatures!

We got 2 inches of snow today and it was NO problem. One of the first things I do on a snowfall is shovel out the approach for our mail and newspaper deliverers. They like that alot.

Since the Colts game just ended in a victory, I am going to listen to you tomorrow. Please note that the Chicago QB is from Bloomington, IN, and this Super Bowl is between the two closest teams in the history of the NFL.

I recently found your podcast, and love it! I grew up in Iowa and lived there for 22 yrs(several family members are farmers, and I only lived a hr away from all the extended family) but for the last 4 hrs have lived in metropolitian part of DC. I can't wait to move back to the midwest, especially being near my family and near the country. In the meantime your podcast is one of the ways to keep me from being so homesick. Thanks!!

Valerie

Celebrate #52 or #53? I think I can arbitrate this one.

Episode #2 came at the one week anniversary of the launch. #53 falls on the one year mark.

Embrace your inner geek. Renumber starting at #0 and all will be fine :)

(Lane change.) Looking at the list of titles on my podcatcher, I note that yours is geek.farm.life. It's as if it was a Linux file name and you wanted to never have to type an escape. Way to geek!

(Lane change.) Hey. Talk about dying fiber. I spilled bleach on a blue carpet and turned it gray. You use Kool-Aid, right? Do you suppose that would work? Does it stand up to washing? Thanks.

Great 'cast. Thanks for the year in review sound harvest. I was grinning all the way.

Best, Tom

There are many different types of wool and wool blends. Can you suggest a good beginner wool? Thanks

Hi Paula! I sent you an email because I do not think your order went through.

Kitty, most people recommend a more coarse wool like romney or suffolk to beginners. It's easier to hold onto and easier to draft. I would not say that Corriedale is a beginner fiber, but it's probably just the next step up. It's a little more elastic than romney. Of course, some people claim that romney is actually very soft. Who knows?

The other nice thing about romney is that you can get it in a huge range of natural colors -- I've seen it in white, different shades of grey, tan, auburn, and even chocolate brown. And black, of course. But black is a trick color for wool -- it often fades to brown at the tips because of exposure to the sun.

Hi Misty and Andrew,

I love your podcast and really enjoyed the spinning talk! I agree a spinning podcast would be great so am waiting out there if anyone is going to do that, they could vene have a yarn phone instead of goat! I have been lucky to find a lady in our village who has alpacas and does not do anything with the fibre. I am not sure whether I am allergic to the dust or the fibre yet but it is a beautiful fibre to work with. So happy podversary soon, and give the audience a treat from us,I love the animal noises.

Enjoyed the spinning section. I've got an Ashford Kiwi on which I learnt to spin, and a Majacraft Rose which was a 40th birthday present from Mr India. I want an Ashford Joy to use as my travelling wheel - while they are more limited ratio wise, the fact that it fits into a backpack is a major bonus. One of my favourite fibres is Blue Faced Leicester but I am feeling the need to get into some luxury fibres this year -shame they come with a luxury price tag ;0) India

Hey! Wow it's Friday and I haven't posted! Anyways!

Hey India! I'm glad you enjoyed your show. I think all that's left of the tablet is crumbs! :)

Hello Anne, I'm glad you enjoyed the show!

Hey Tom! I like that, the first show should be show 0. :) Geek.Farm.Life causes so many problems, hehe, we don't show up on itunes for example because if you type spaces it can't find us. How lame eh?

-Andrew

I'm afraid if I call the farm phone it will end up like one of my previous calls.....neverending! Is it okay if I email you guys the answers?

Dear Andrew and Misty, I really enjoy living vicariously through you. I would love to live on a farm AND continue being a geek. Here in the suburbs of Cincinnati my sole fiber animal is an uppity French angora buck who enjoys bossing the Springer Spaniel around.

Misty, I really enjoyed the spinning segment. I can't believe there aren't any spinning podcasts! There are a TON of knitting podcasts. There's a definite need to fill.

I've been spinning for about three years on my Ashford Traditional, which I love. It looks like a spinning wheel should look to me and I have no trouble transporting it in the car. I have a three-speed flyer, so I can spin a variety of fibers. My favorite to spin is alpaca and I also love merino/silk blend top ... so my tastes are pretty expensive. Of course, I have all the angora I want for "free."

Two things I'd like to mention about the spinning segment. First, the typical sweater takes about two pounds of wool, not ten. Weigh your favorite sweater and you'll see. Even if you're talking about raw wool, you won't lose more than half of the weight of the wool to the washing and carding process. Similarly, you can make socks with 4 ounces of wool, not a pound.

Second, it's believed that the spinning wheel originated before 1000 A.D. in the east. http://www.newyorkcarver.com/inventions3.htm It became common in the west in the 14th century. But only a true geek would really care. :)

Andrew, tell us more about your star-gazing activities when your telescope arrives. I have a Meade that's substantially smaller than your new toy. It has the computer on it so it's supposed to find the stars for you, but I've never been able to work it properly.

You might be interested in Richard Pogge's podcast from Ohio State University. He's a professor of Astronomy and podcasts his lectures primarily for the students, but he doesn't mind if the rest of us tag along. It's Astronomy 161, 46 lectures, and you can download it free from iTunes. I've never had an Astronomy class, so I've been fascinated. Professor Pogge's delivery makes it very interesting.

Thanks for letting me enjoy farm life through you. Your podcast is great. I could actually hear the kitten purring! Are those real turkeys in the background? It looks like you've posted a new one since I downloaded, so I'd better get on the ball!

Penny

Thanks for inspiring me to start spinning.

I have been wanting to try it out myself for ages and just never got round to it.

I love making my own clothes, and the idea of starting the process off by spinning my own raw materials is SOOOO tempting.

thanks again Michelle

Awesome, Michelle! You'll have to keep us up to date on your spinning. :)