First Thoughts on My Magpie Spinning Wheel

Magpie and all of her goodies. Photo from the Daedalus website

The generous and talented folks at Daedalus Spinning Wheels, sent me a Magpie Wheel to test for them. It’s a big wheel. Not really in size (though the bobbins!), but in what it can do.

I haven’t had a whole lot of time to spin on her, but I am really liking my experience so far. I’ve decided since I’m not traveling this year, I’ll work through using the Magpie more methodically than I have with wheels in the past.

Magic box in

Here’s a teaser: the Magpie can be used in Scotch or Irish tension - that alone blew my mind. The bobbin for the regular flyer holds 20 oz of fiber, and there is an art yarn flyer, with even bigger bobbins (44 oz). The motor has plenty enough umph (technical term) to fill and ply all of those ounces. It’s made of carbon fiber and 3-D printed plastic; without fiber she weights 4.5 lbs and while light, she’s not exactly dainty, her footprint is 15"L x 8.5"W x 11"H. I’m currently carrying mine in an Ikea Pride tote bag reinforced with cardboard. Of course, something this nimble and solid does cost a bit, $1,800 with base,both flyers, and bobbins.

Let me start out by singing the praises of customer service at Daedalus. I had a hiccup with my power box, and I had a replacement box in hand in two-days (I do live two states away ).

The set-up instructions are both printed and on video, I used both. There is also a very active FB group that has great advice for all things Daedalus.

Magic box out

I started out spinning Corriedale to get the feel of a regular spin, changing speeds and sizes. After just a couple hours of playing, I felt comfortable enough with the wheel to use it to demo during a live on-line spinning class.

One of the things that made me feel very comfortable with the wheel right away is the digital speed control, a.k.a magic box. It’s easy to figure out and has a wonderful slow start and stop, giving me time to get ready to spin and get ready to stop. The magic box, can live in the frame of the wheel, or it can slide out and lay flat beside the wheel, it makes it easy to change speeds and to see exactly how much you are dialing up or down. There is a third position to use the box too, but I haven’t tried it yet.

My first intentional spin was four ounces of Merino from Spotted Ewe. The fiber was delightful and I felt very much in control of fiber and wheel. I spun it slower than I might other fibers because Merino and I sometimes have words.

I carted the wheel with me around the house. I found a very comfortable position to spin is to have the wheel beside me on the couch (about a cushion away) and draft across my lap. It does take up the whole couch, my fam was very understanding.

Four ounces looks like so little fiber on this bobbin. I have four ounces on a Hansen bobbin as a comparison. Do not despair for my Hansen (or offer to give her a good home), after this photo I put the lace flyer on her and am now she’s become my fine spinning, spinning wheel.

I chain plied my four ounces, and it was easy. I usually don’t say that about chain plying. I don’t chain ply often and have a tendency to over twist. I was able to set the Magpie up with enough twist and the right amount of take up to thoughtfully work with those loops.

Next, I’m spinning eight ounces of Falkland and will focus on consistency.

Yarn Substitution Information

Did you know I've been writing on yarn construction and knitting, with an eye to sunstitution for Modern Daily Knitting for almost three years?

If you have questions about yarn construction and why those wiley yarns behave like they do, I'm always happy to answer them!

If you are looking to educated yourself on breeds, woolen yarns, plies and substituting yarns give my posts a peek.


* Better Know A Sheep: Breeds and Yarns
* Woolen and Worsted What does It Mean?
* The Why of Ply
* Substituting Thinking about Yarn
* Substitution Yarn: Look at the Design

What I’m Reading

I read a lot, it’s what I do for learning, for pleasure, comfort, and when I’m unsure. The past few months I’ve been reading books from the many antiracist reading lists. Currently I’m reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, and I am learning so much.

I made a commitment to myself to read more Black authors. I decided to rather than just go down the many lists that are circulating, I would seek out authors in genres that I read the most.

My genres these days include food writing, mystery, romance (my quarantine savior), textiles, and kids/YA.

Here’s what I’m reading and recommend. The links for all of these books go to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookshops around the country. I’ve chosen to link to Source Booksellers a Black woman-owned bookshop in mid-town Detroit.

Food

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty.

If you’d like to get a quick peek into Michael’s style of history and approach to food, watch him in the fourth episode of Taste the Nation, The Gullah Way, on Hulu.

Mystery

This is the genre I read the most and have read the least Black authors. I really enjoyed the first book in Attica Locke’s Highway 59 series, featuring Texas Ranger Darren Mathews, and am waiting to pick up book two, Heaven My Home from my library

Romance

Modern romance books, the paper version of Rom-Coms are what are getting me through when I just need to escape. I highly recommend anything by Jasmine Guillory, start with The Wedding Date, and just move right along the series.

Textiles

I am involved in modern textiles, and realize that I know very little about the history of American textiles and little detail about the role of slavery in textiles. Plantation Slave Weavers Remember: An Oral History by Mary Madison is a short but powerful book.

Kids/YA

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in Sky by Kwame Mbalia was written for middle grade readers, but it was one of my favorite books of last year. It’s an exciting fast-paced, magic-adventure story built around African American folk tales. I’ve already pre-ordered the sequel.

I am looking for recommendations for Black mystery writers, and a book on the history of cotton in the United States.

Are you reading any books by Black authors that you’d recommend?

Akerworks Bobbins for Knitting

I have become quite a fan of knitting my yarn , commercial or handspun, off of a holder that will spool it off neatly for me. It doesn't wander or tangle, and no twist is added or subracted.

I am also a huge fan of Akerworks bobbins for spinning. They are 3-D printed, pack flat and come in an arrray of colors. Akerworks also makes single bobbin lazy kates.

Why haven't I used their spinning goodies for knitting before? So I did. I used my electric drill to wind a commercial skein of yarn onto a spinning bobbin.

Akerworks Butterfly Kate, Lendrum bobbin, grilling skewers, and electric drill.

I grab a bobbin, grilling skewers, and my electric drill. I use grilling skewers to hold my bobbin in my drill, because they flex. That flex contracts when I slip the bobbin on and expands once the bobbin is seated holding it in place. With a dowel that just fits my bobbin, I find I have to jam my bobbin on, and it doesn't go on very far, then it often flies off when I wind.

I put my yarn on my swift (I'm using Plied Yarns by Neighborhood Fiber Company) and tie the yarn to the bobbin. It helps to get the bobbin started if you tie the yarn in a way that the yarn won't slip. I tie a half-hitch (the shoe tie knot, before the bows), then tie a second on the reverse of where the first tie is. It holds for me. Some folks tie slip knots, some tape their yarn.

I want to wind as fast as my drill will go, but I try to wind methodically. Getting the yarn on the bobbin as evenly as I can means it will spool off smoothly when I knit. Yes, that is my desk and yes it's always that messy.

Here is 50gms of yarn on bobbin, I could have easily fit 100gms.

Now I pop my bobbin on my Butterfly Kate, and I'm ready to knit with no tangles.

Maryland Sheep and Wool, Virtually

Maryland Sheep and Wool was 6 weeks ago, really, only 6 weeks. Then we were worried about Covid-19 and our fiber friends and favorites paying their bills. Now we are still worried about those things, but I know for me racism is in the forefront of my mind and actions. I urge you to educate yourselves about systematic racism and do the work to become anti-racist.

MD S&W held a virtual festival, encouraging fiber people to support their favorite vendors. They were not the first to hold a virtual even and there seems to be virtual events every weekend with vendors, lectures and classes. For some reason the Maryland weekend kicked off some shopping for me. Since fiber events started getting canceled, I started saving back a percentage of every check I make from fiber work to spend with small fiber businesses. My income was cut in half, but that’s still more than many folks I know.

I had a list of dyers I’ve wanted to buy from (not necessarily Maryland vendors) and I shopped.

Nest Fiber Studio

I just finished spinning the last 8oz of my Nest BFL, so I needed to replace it with more than that (it’s a fiber rule). I bought 16 ounces across three colorways, that all work together. For once I’m not thinking about drafting together, these will either be plied or kept as singles. BFL makes the best singles.

I was also able to score a bag of Nestlets, a bag of eight 1-ounce bumps in colors that go well together. It’s Nest’s version of Into the Whirled’s Odds and Ends or Hello Yarn’s Patchwork kits. At Nest, you can choose mixed fibers or superwash Merino painted fiber, and they also have semi solid bags. This will be a random relaxing spin to become a 2-ply.

Hilltop Cloud

Hilltop Cloud is located in Wales (but magically gets here in the same amount of time as US shipments) so I feel quite justified shopping for more than just one thing when I head to their site.

Hilltop Cloud has beautiful colors, but it is their interesting blends that keep bringing me back.

I bought three different fiber/blends, the are L to R in the photo below.

50% Romney/25% Linen/25% Silk. Are you drooling? I’ve really enjoy spinning fiber blends with linen in them, Sometimes I’m disappointed when the wool in the blend is Merino because I don’t feel like I can finish it as aggressively as I want to. I like to whoop my linen. Finding this blend with Romney was so exciting, I’ll be able to whack my yarn in finishing without pilling or messing with the surface of my yarn.

75% BFL/25% Camel. This fiber is destined to become holidays gifts for two friends who are so worthy I will spin and knit for them. I will draft together the purple and one of the green/blue/purple braids, the second braid I will randomly spin and ply. If I decide to make hats I will make 2-ply yarns for stockinette, if cowls, then 3-ply for a little texture.

100% Cashmere. Who really cares how I spin this? I want it touching my skin, now. I will likely spin it woolen, with a little extra ply twist, and finish it aggressively to help it bloom. I want it to drape like crazy in some sort of neck accessory, so either knitter or woven it will be a more open fabric.

Fully Spun

I bought this yarn to write about dyed in the wool yarns for knitters. Spinners look at this and think, that looks like a lot of the yarn I spin, but knitters see magic.

Dyed in the wool is a method of dyeing before a fiber is spun into yarn.

Fully Spun is one of the few dyers who do these type of yarns in different weights. She has sock/fingering through bulky.

I had a hiccup with my order and let me tell you, Brooke’s customer service is beyond excellent. Other small businesses could take lessons from her.

Yesterday I found out she also dyes fiber, how did I miss that? I’ll be going back.

Yarn Hero

Yarn Hero is another dyer that makes dyed in the wool yarns in a variety of weights, she does sock, sport and DK.

Yarn Hero also dyes fiber, I could not resist this bright Merino/Tencel blend. I love the colors, plus the bonus with this level of brightness is I’ll be able to see my fibers better in front of the tv at night (#oldeyes).

Yarn Hero dyes sliver on the the regular too, right now her her shop is full of it. Sliver is a carded prep, great for woolen drafting, and learning to spin.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER
Along with educating yourself, and doing the level of protesting you feel like you can, here are some other ways to support.

If you would like to donate money a great place to start is with
Neighborhood Fiber Company’s Momentum Fund. I also donate to my local bail fund, the NAACP, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

When you spend money, consider shopping at Black-owned companies.
For spinning fiber these include:
Neighborhood Fiber Company, Abstract Fiber Company, Snerb Yarn and Fiber Studio, Alex Creates, Hopkins Fiber Studio, Heavenlyknitchet, and Melanated Boho Bae.

BIPOC in Fiber is an online directory that will help you find Black, Indigenous, People of Color to buy yarn and fiber from.

I hope you are finding some peace and contentment in your spinning.

#samplealong2: The Knititng

Marvelous Minnies

The knitting has been done! I don't know about you, but things like knitting and writing are taking twice (or more) the amount of time that they used to.

I had to tear out a swatch I knit for Mason Dixon Knitting four times and it was only 20 stitches with a 6 stitch repeat. Brain overload is real my friends, be kind to yourselves.

Minnies+minnies. Ply, left and draft+ply, right.

Here are my yarns and their respective swatches. By now you could probably guess that I like the drafted together minnies the best. All of that mixed up color makes my heart go pitter pat.

But because the minnies are small amounts of color (and can be made smaller by splittling them) I like the plied minnies muuch more than I thought I would.

The plied minnies tend to be brighter overall, since the higher the frequency and number of colors touching (I'm looking at you combo drafting) causes the overall color to get dimmed.

Minnies+braid. Ply, left, draft+ply right.

There is a bit of continuity in mixing minnies with a braid that I like. It would be more apparent if I made bigger samples.

This is something I’d really like to try for a big project, like a sweater. Using the braid makes the colors all hang together magically.

Because all of the minnies and the braid I used were from the same dyer, there were more colors that matched than if I had used random braids and minnies. If you like your colors to match a bit more in their randomness use fiber from the same dyer.

It’s really apparent in my plied together samples. You can see in both of my knitted ply samples that I broke out long stretches of matching yarn. I would have probably been fine in a garment, but in a 24 stitch swatch it would take over.

I hope you enjoyed #samplealong2! There is something fun and freeing about working with minnies. You get to change colors quickly and put together colors you’d never dream of if they were in big braids. Plus, you can spin down your stash in a different way. It’s so satisfying.

I’ll be leaving these posts up for anyone that isn’t finished or anyone that wants to start down the road. Tag your photos #samplealong2 on Instagram.

Let me know if you have questions or have a topic idea for our next #samplealong!

Happy Spinning!

A Closer Look at Fiber: Into the Whirled

True confession, I haven’t knit my #samplealong2 yarns yet. I had a hard time settling down this week to knit. The various different types of state-openings has me feeling restless.

I’ve wanted to write about the different dyeing styles of some fiber dyers that I admire for a bit, and now seems like a good time to start.

Rhinebeck 2019

I’m going to start with Into the Whirled. I’ve been using Cris’ fiber in my classes for years now and was a fan long before that. Who remembers those giant batts she used to do?

If you’ve seen Into the Whirled at a show you’ve seen their outstanding fiber display.

Colorways change as you go across the racks, and each colorway is dyed on different breeds or blends as you go down the rack.

You have to be fast if you’re shopping in person, it can get a little elbow-y with other spinners in their booth.

Maryland 2019

Cris dyes a big variety of breeds and blends. If you’ve been in any of my classes over the past 2-3 years, we use Falkland. I’ve recently picked up some Romney and really do need some Cheviot.

She is a dyer who takes care with how she handles her fiber. I have yet to find a braid that is compressed or clumpy.

I like to study my braids a little before I spin them, out of curiosity, and to have a bit of an idea how my yarn will look.

Cris has a unique way of dyeing, not how she gets the color on the fiber, but how she places her colors.

Cris dyes in pattern, which is great if you want to have more control over your colors, or want to spin a fractal. Most dyers when they dye a pattern work with a set of colors, and repeat them with some kind of regularity. Take a look at the photos of the braid open (this color is Walla Walla).

Cris works with two patterns of color, one is a range of blues and greens and one is a range of oranges and pinks. Each has their own pattern, and each is used separately with a color from the other set making an occasional guest appearance. All of the colors coordinate well and could be dyed into a beautiful braid that simply rotates through all of the hues. Splitting them and splashing in a color from the other group leads to a more sophisticated arrangement of colors in spun yarn, a pattern but with a little unpredictability.

Do you study your braids before you spin?

#samplealong2: Minnies and a Braid

Our last two yarns to spin in this sample along combine minnies plus part of a braid. These are the two I'm most excited about seeing knit. I know I love both of the minnies+minnies yarns, these two I'm not quite sure how they will look knitted.

I like the idea of one ply staying consistant through color changes, while the other scampers about. Of course, the style of dyeing on the braid will make a difference. Which means more sampling. Note to self: sorry, not sorry.

The braid I'm using is Walla Walla by Into the Whirled. I have my braid and my last eight minnies. For my plied together yarn I'll use four minnies spun in sucession into a single to ply with a single spun from the braid.

The last four minnies I will use to make two singles drafting together with a strip of my braid, and then I'll ply them together for my drafted together yarn.

First I divide my braid in half longway. We'll only be using half of the braid for the two yarns, so put away the other half for your own fun later. I know you have your own sampling ideas, I see you.

I then divide my half a braid in half longway again, each half (a quarter of the original braid) will become one 2-ply yarn.

One of these becomes one ply of our plied together yarn. The other gets split again to be drafted with minnies.

For our plied together yarn one bobbin is a braid strip, the other bobbin is four minnies spun end to end. You can divide each mini in half for more color distribution if you want.

For our drafted together yarn each ply will be the same. Divide the four minnies you have set aside for this yarn in half longway

Divided the mini strips equally into two piles, one for each ply. Draft one ply's worth of minnies with one strip of the braid. Repeat for the other ply/bobbin. Then ply the bobbins together.

Plied together yarn

Don't forget to label your yarns. It can be hard to tell the differnce between plied together and drafted together/plied together with all of the color going on.

Take some pictures of your fiber and yarns and post them on Instagram, #samplealong2.

Ask any questions you have here in the comments. I hope you are having fun with this sample along, I know I am.

Drafted together, then plied.

Now before the urge to start making more samples (different braid dye patterns, natural minnies plied with a braid, coordinating solids with a braid, there are so many things) takes over, I am going to knit at least part of each of my yarns.

I hope you are all well, and are finding small ways to relax and find joy.