Q&A while I spin some yarn on my Ashford Kiwi 3 wheel!

[@ballooooooo0o0oooon]

Cutting your fiber can cause weird short bits that will pill or cause neps. It's more common practice to pull the fiber apart to maintain the staple length, but if you are getting the results you want, keep doing what you're doing.

[@brookwillow]

This makes so much sense haha 😂 I’m definitely going to start putting that into practice. Thank you!!

[@kaesnow2380]

I started on a wheel... I hated it! Lol...but persevered because I lived in a fiber community ( it was pure peer pressure!). Then, after my daughter was born I made a drop spindle out of dowels and cds...then any thing that looked like a disk that would work. I loved making spindles and experimenting with spin. That was 25 years ago and my poor wheels just collect dust. I LOVE spindles! I can take them anywhere and spin whenever, so I actually get more yarn spun than my designated wheel time. Also, I can have 20 different types of yarn and projects going at one time, which fits my adhd, lol. But more variety leads me to follow through😂. Spinning is my meditative yoga. I have a bad spindle and roving addiction! Enjoy your podcasts so much!!

[@brookwillow]

I love hearing your passion for drop spindles! They do feel even more hands on than a wheel. And I love them for that 😊 I think I’m at a point to start trying out some different styles!

[@cheesefriday]

Loved hearing about spinning!! Since your last ep where you showed your BEAUTIFUL!!!! handspun yarn, I went down the rabbit hole and watched a bunch of videos about spinning. Thank you for the inspiration ❤❤ And omg I loved getting to see all your cute furry babies

[@brookwillow]

Ooh you’ll have to let me know if you give it a try! It’s so fun ☺️

[@charlot-temisery]

when you oil your wheel, you only need like one or 2 drops in each moving part, and you need to make sure you've wiped off the oil from last time you oiled it before you do so. there shouldn't be staining of the wood from your oil if you're not using too much of it. also, for taking care of the wood of your wheel, get your hands on some of the ashford wheel polish. it smells amazing and is really good for keeping the wood in good condition. it should only need a polish once a year with it.

[@brookwillow]

I’ve only been putting a drop on but not wiping off before doing it. So that is probably the culprit! Thank you for recommending the wheel polish!! I’m going to check that out 😊

[@christinegiroux8471]

I use an oil specifically for spinning wheels. And clean my wheel with orange oil. I was lucky enough to learn how to spin at a nearby yarn shop, and ended up buying the one I learned on. It is great to live near fiber festivals where you can take classes in person and get individual help, but for people who don't have that available, KZbin videos are the best resource! Would love to see your playlist of music.

[@brookwillow]

Oooh I’m going to check out cleaning with orange oil! I imagine it smells nice too ☺️

[@christinegiroux8471]

@@brookwillow what I have is called Feed n wax beeswax orange oil by Howard. I used to have a small bottle, but was only able to get a big one last time I purchased it.

[@hthrchrry]

I would love to watch one of these with you showing us how you knit!!

[@brookwillow]

Oooh that’s a good idea! It certainly would be a little bit easier than a spin and chat 😂

[@ashleighsauve5965]

Ashford makes a great spinning wheel oil with a convenient applicator tip!

[@brookwillow]

Good to know thank you!!

[@cydniejohnson-shreve8934]

Navajo ply makes it easier to do 3 ply. Also omg cutting that fiber 😭😭😭 lol you said ur new but it would break away just fine if you pull it like ur drafting

[@NaturesCozy]

Thanks so much for sharing, both about your knitting journey and personal life! Really enjoyed hearing about your time out west 🙂

[@brookwillow]

Of course!! Thank you for watching ☺️

[@lycopodiumobscurem]

Love your playlist! You need to add Iron and Wine, Bonny Light Horseman, Laura Veirs, Laura Marling, Bon Iver, Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Innocence Mission, and Nation of Language - although they are not indie folk but they have a great 80s New Order vibe. Have you ever listened to Brian Eno Music for Airports? I could go on with the music....

[@brookwillow]

Oooh these are Great recs!! Some i know, some I don’t know and I’m excited to check them out 😄

[@madisonmonteze]

Loved getting to know you better Ahna!!! I’m a big Kevin Morby fan too (he’s so good live??!), and your fur babies are so cute! ❤

[@brookwillow]

Ahh I would LOVE to see him live 🤩

[@ruthmcniff4765]

I really liked the way you set up this podcast with a split screen. You seemed so relaxed while doing two things at once!

[@brookwillow]

Thank you! It was much easier to do than I was working up in my head ☺️

[@QueensYarnBoutique]

It was fun to watch you spin and to see Kevin, Marshall, and Lou again.

[@brookwillow]

Thank you ☺️

[@TakitiTakitiTak]

Im in love with what I see ❤ I live in Germany and I have no idea how to get the material

[@brookwillow]

I get a lot of my fiber from fiber festivals! Maybe there are some near you 😊 or Etsy has a lot of different dyers too!

[@lucilesenseney5556]

Love your podcasts!

[@brookwillow]

Thank you so much 🥰

[@originthreadcraft]

Great ep as always! I actually got to interview Kurt Ville in college… it went horribly 😂 I was incredibly unprepared for it but he took it really well lol. Excited for the playlist 👏

[@brookwillow]

Omg what that’s so cool!! That makes me like him even more knowing how he was with you

[@julieb9579]

I'm sorry if I missed it I home school and my kids kept wanting to chat. I'm curious about your beautiful dress, did you make it?

[@brookwillow]

I did make it! 😃 it’s the zero waste gather dress by Birgitta helmersson. I’m actually coming out with a video on Monday with everything I’ve ever seen so I’ll talk more about it in that!

[@MyaMarieBoutique]

Did u put a finish on the wheel? Or is it just the natural finish it came with

[@brookwillow]

At the time of this video it was unfinished but I have since finished it with a wax 😊

[@MyaMarieBoutique]

@@brookwillow thank you so much, I've been looking into getting one and liked the color of yours so if that's the color it came with I'm gonna buy the laquer finish one so I don't have to worry about finishing it myself

[@priscillajimenez203]

What are your top 5 knitting podcasts?

[@brookwillow]

Ooh I love this question!! I love so many but I would say the top 5 that I immediately click to watch (and regularly post, there’s so many that I love that don’t post often) are: Madison Monteze Youngfolk Knits High Fiber Knits Anna Passey Trevino Knitting Traditions

[@lindapankhurst4513]

I’ve just built my Kiwi 3 and am starting to try to spin on it, but I am hugely over spinning, which is a pain when plying or even just running the single onto the spool. But I don’t feel I can treadle slower because it seems to try to go backwards. What can I try next? I’m using the biggest groove on the whorl and the smallest groove on the wheel. Is this right? Would it be ok to use the biggest groove on the whorl with the biggest groove on the wheel, or would that overstretch the drive band? I’m now going to continue watching the video…….if I find answers I’ll wipe this message. Thanks

[@brookwillow]

Hi Linda! I use the biggest groove on both the whorl and the wheel. I had the same problem when I first started. There’s that fishing line that’s attached to the 2 coil springs with the hooks. Loosen that up by untwisting the nob it’s attached to and that should help a lot.

[@lindapankhurst4513]

@@brookwillow Thanks so much for that……I shall try it tonight! And will let you know how it goes…….

[@lindapankhurst4513]

Well…..it’s a great deal improved. No pigtails!!! I’ve still got a long way to go, but progress has been made!

[@brookwillow]

@@lindapankhurst4513 I’m happy to hear it’s a little better!!

[@latahvalleyfiberco]

I have the same wheel!

[@brookwillow]

Aww friendship wheels!

[@Serenity-fu8xz]

Hey, we can’t see your hand staying here. I hope you make another video where we can see your hands and what they’re doing.

[@nicolawarn5809]

Agree - would be nice to see how you're teasing the fibre as it feeds in

[@ginnied7346]

I desperately need help I've just received a jumbo flyer kit that I'd bought on Ebay, anyway the bobbin spin's but the flyer's not turning , like at all even when there's no tension band on it, does this mean it's broken and i need to send it back or am I doing something wrong, it starts to try to go round when I hold on tight to the yarn ( shop yarn ) but then it stops the wheel from going round and I can't seem treadle, can anyone help, please

[@brookwillow]

Oh gosh I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that? Have you tried contacting a shop like woolery? I know you didn’t buy it from there but they may still be able to help? Unfortunately I have no idea

[@patriciasullivan8462]

I have the same problem. I can't figure out what is wrong.

[@ginnied7346]

It's just cause your not used to the Irish tension, I'd not long been trying to learn to spin when I got the jumbo flyer, but through all the frustration I managed to carry on and finally I'm starting to get the hang of it When I fist started to try to use my jumbo flyer, I just couldn't get the flyer bar to spin around the bobbin, it was due to the tension, have a fiddle with the tension start at lose and then start to tighten up until it starts to pull up the yarn, but you have to keep a tight-ish ( but not too tight ) grip on your fiber when you get those both right the bar on the flyer will start to spin round as needed Hope that helps a little