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What is wool roving & where can I get some?

Hi, I am just begining the whole spinning thing and would love info on what wool roving is. Where can I buy it? Any reccommendations on spinning wheels?

Roving, sometimes called top or sliver (the I is long in that one), is wool that has been washed, combed, and carded, as well as sometimes dyed, into a thick rope to be spun. You can split it down lengthwise–do this in two foot sections, just pull a length of it off the rope, trust me–to thin it down for spinning and then just tug it with your hands abour 3 to 4 inches apart to open up the fiber and get it to slide a bit for drafting. Most of the time roving has become somewhat compacted and needs this pre-drafting or attenuation. Woodland Woolworks (www.woodlandwoolworks.com) is a reliable seller, as is Little Barn in Kansas, among many others.

Since its spring, go to www.interweave.com to the Spin-Off pages and look in the Calendar for a sheep and wool festival within a day’s drive of wherever you are. At a festival you will find many vendors for all types of wool–always pat the fibers, touch them all and see which ones feel good to you, but don’t start with merino, it is gorgeous to spin, but can be difficult for beginners, Romney, Corriedale, Coopworth, and Shetland are all good choices for new spinners. Talk to the vendors, most of them want you as a customer, but stay away from anyone who wants to sell you cheap, beginner’s wool. It can be full of second cuts and hard to spin, although if you can make yarn with it you will be able to spin anything. Sit down at as many spinning wheels as you can and try them. Tell the vendor you don’t yet spin and ask for a quickie lesson. Most will give you one and let you have some roving to use and let you try all their wheels out. Buy the wheel you feel most comfortable with, regardless of it’s aesthetics . I have two Lendrum wheels–these are castle, or upright wheels and look very modern, but are easy to use, relatively mid-range in price as wheels go (it runs just under $500), and can accommodate a very wide range of abilities and have flyers in several ratios. I also have two Merlin Tree Wheels, although Dave is no longer making my big Canadian production style wheel right now (this one is a Saxony–Sleeping Beauty style–wheel), and a Hitchiker, which is small and portable (runs about $275, but it isn’t a beginner wheel, IMO). I also own a Kromski Prelude, also a Saxony style ($375 finished, less unfinished) and this one is very easy to use, I bought it for my 3 year-old granddaughter to use. Other not exactly aesthetically attractive but still very good, and inexpensive wheels, are the Babe wheels. These are made from PVC pipes and wheels, not pretty, but under $200 and spin quite well. Yes, I’ve used or tried all these wheels, and virtually every spinner I know has several different wheels–we will not go into the number of suspended or drop spindles and supported spindles I own, please. If you want to try this inexpensively, Spin-Off also has directions to make your own drop spindle with a dowel and CD, too. Wheels can cost about $150 to thousands of dollars, so it pays to try them out first even if you don’t know what you’re doing. A good vendor will help you out here. Be aware, though, wheels don’t lose their value much, and a used wheel can cost as much as a new one. If you have a friend who spins, take that spinner with you.

Also, don’t be afraid to talk to spinners at these things, especially if there is one spindle spinning, or there is a drop-in spinning booth. They will be very happy to help addict, um, enable, um, introduce you to this art .

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