Spinning Notes

• Setting the Tension   (Scotch Tension Brake or Double Drive Band)
  • Too little tension allows the bobbin to turn at the same speed as the flyer => the yarn does not wind on & overtwists.
  • Too much tension will stop the bobbin from turning => the yarn will wind on too quickly with insufficient twist.
  • Spinning Wheel Flyer Tension Systems:   Double Drive, Flyer Lead, & Bobbin Lead
• Too much twist in the yarn (winding on too slowly):
  • Slow down your treadling or pull out more fiber
  • Tighten the tension on the drive band or Scotch tension
  • Use a larger whorl size (pulls in faster)
• Too little twist in the yarn (winding on too fast):
  • Loosen the tension on drive band or Scotch tension (a small adjustment is usually enough)
  • Use a smaller whorl size (pulls in slower)
• Direction of Twist (typical)
  • Singles - treadle to the right (clockwise) => Z-twist
  • Plying - treadle counterclockwise => S-twist
• Set the Twist - soak the yarn in warm water then roll skein in a towel to squeese out the excess water. Hang weighted for weaving else flat for knitting (more twist, elasticity).
• Twists Per Inch (TPI)
  • If one revolution of the drive wheel puts 10 twists in an inch of yarn then you will have 10 TPI if you draft one inch of fiber for each wheel revolution.
  • Coarse bulky yarns will only have around three twists per inch while fine spinning requires about thirteen with cotton needing even more
• Ratios
  • Ratio = how many times the flyer will turn (and twist the yarn) with each single rotation of the flywheel.
  • Note: Change the band to a different groove on the whorl and the band will adjust itself pretty-much automatically to the best-fitting groove on the big flywheel.
  • MajaCraft Spinning Ratios:

    Whorl	Includes Measurements From 2 Wheels	Whorl Groove
    		Large	4	3	2	Small
    Large	Literature	4.25	6.0	8.0	11.0	14.5
    	Rose 1	4.3	6.1	8.4	11.3	15.6
    	Rose 2	4.4	6.2	8.4	11.6	16.0
    Small	Literature	6.0	9.0	13.25	16.5	19.5
    	Rose 1	5.9	8.9	12.7	15.4	19.0
    	Rose 2	5.9	8.8	12.9	15.8	18.8

• Troubleshooting Twist with a Spinning Wheel - Tutorial - Expertly Dyed   YouTube Video
• How To Spin - Some Basics   YouTube Video
• Spinning with a Long Draw   YouTube Video
• JoyOfHandSpinning.com   "The Website for Handspinners" - view spinning videos of a variety of techniques