New to Me Dyer and Wheel

Laura Linneman turned me on to to a fantastic dyer, Koomasee. Laura is dangerous to my bank account.

Look at these braids!

She has a way of applying the color in a light sort smokey way, they magically have intensity without saturation. Her colors really appeal to me.

Most of you know that superwash Merino is not my favorite fiber to spin ,but I bought a superwash Merino to spin and I know I’m going to love it. It’s the upper right photo, stunning.

I will keep you updated on the spinning.

The braids on the left are BFL (top), and Corriedale (bottom). She has a nice variety of fibers, and I noticed she’s done an update since I bought my braids.

What do you think my newest wheel is?

I bet not many of you guessed that I bought more of a beginner/intermediate wheel. I bought a used Schacht Ladybug.

I'm going to be teaching brand new, only-dreamed-of-making-yarn folks how to spin, and I think the Lady Bug is a great wheel to do that on. I've never owned one, and it is a sweet wheel.

Just like every wheel I get I'm going to spin through a few braids to get to know her.

My Koomasee braids are perfect for that, and when I finish them I'll be going back for more.

Is It Wrong to Love an Oil Pen?

Garrett Wade Pinpoint Precision Oiler. Photo from the Garrett Wade website.

I have long had an adversarial relationship with oil pens for my spinning wheels. I spin a lot so I oil my wheels a lot.

Some pens/oilers release too much oil at the slightest provocation, which then drips or sprays everywhere when my flyer turns. The ones I like, the small tubes that are really for clocks, are made of plastic and usually crack and ooze in my spinning bag.

I have been hunting for years for a great oiler. I finally found one in the [Garrett Wade Tool Catalog][1]. They have something called a [Pinpoint Precesion Oiler][2], and it is my new favorite tool.

There is a button to click at the top, that triggers one drop of oil at the tip. I have not over oiled my wheel since I started using this oiler. It's made of aliuminum and has rubber gaskets that really seal. I have had no leaks and so far I haven't crushed it.

I got it for Christmas and have been using it exclusively since then, and just ordered two more, to spread accross my spinning spots.

It's not cheap, at $16.60 it's close to double the price of the pen oilers. But to keep my wheels oiled, with less mess, it's worth it to me.

Because I know someone will ask, I use 30W motor oil on my wheels.

Be careful when you go to the Garrett Wade website, there are so many great and interesting tools. It can be dangerous to your bank account.

How tempting? I made myself buy my oilers first, then go back to peruse every section. 1: https://garrettwade.com/ [2]: https://garrettwade.com/product/pinpoint-precision-oiler