Back in the spring, I entered Shiela’s competition on the Handspinner website to create a blossom themed project. My hat was selected by the judge as a winner and the voucher I was given has been burning a hole in my pocket for a couple of months.
Now, I love my Ladybug wheel dearly, but have never been too happy trying to ply multiple singles from the inbuilt lazy kate. I tried a four ply. Once was enough… So, I decided to use my voucher to buy an Ashford Competition Lazy Kate.
I’ve only used it once, but what a difference it makes!
I had been working on spinning a consistently fine yarn. About a year ago a group of us on Ravelry were trying to spin 800 yards of two ply from 100g of fibre. I had been spinning for about six months back then and got to about 500 yards and was pretty chuffed with that 🙂 I didn’t start spinning this fibre with a goal in mind, but I ended up with around 550 yards of three ply – so that’s 1650 yards of singles and if I’d made two ply I’d have got just over the magic 800 yards.
The fibre is Whisper from World of Wool – £3.50 for 100g:
Spinstar Creations 
Wow. Seriously impressed with the spinning. Lovely fibre too.
Thanks Linda!
So the Ladybug bobbins fits this lazy kate? Fantastic! I can understand that you are happy with the LB? I have been wanting to buy this forever, but in Denmark we have none Schacht dealers, so I will have to buy it from Germany unseen and untried..
Is it easy to threadle and can you do it for a long time at a row?
I have been very happy with my Ladybug from the very first treadle! I had been on a learn to spin weekend where I tried out various Ashford wheels and fell in love with spinning, but not with the Ashford wheels. After a lot of online research I bought the Ladybug untried and was pleased when it was as great as I had hoped 🙂 It is very smooth and easy to use and over the last 2 1/2 years I have tried out all sorts of things and gradually built up more and more bits of kit to go with it.
Also, Ladybugs are always in demand so if you did not love it I’m sure someone would be willing to buy it off you! Have I got you reaching for your credit card yet??
You have actually 🙂 What you write is also what I have read on Ravelry too, so I think I am going to order one for myself now! Just need to figure out which lazy kate to get – do you like your new Ashford Lazy Kate? Have you tried to Schacht Matchless lazy kate?
Oh btw, where did you buy your Ladybug?
When I bought my Ladybug the UK only had one dealership – Fibrecrafts.com – and although they are only about 70 miles from me I didn’t bother visiting in the end as they don’t have wheels for you to try out! There is now a second dealer http://www.threshingbarn.com who I have seen at shows letting people try the wheels.
The Lazy Kate that you can get for the Ladybug is useful for bobbin storage and OK for plying, but the Ashford one could be put behind you, which I thought was much easier to cope with. I chose it because I liked the tensioner. I haven’t tried the Schacht Matchless version – before the Ladybug I was plying from spindles pushed through holes in shoe boxes 🙂
Now, when is your Ladybug being delivered???
I just ordered it! Can´t wait for it to come 🙂 I bought it at a german shop – Wollinchen. Thank you for your help – I might come back for more 😉
Hope you love it as much as I do mine 🙂 Please ask if you have any questions – I keep meaning to add some info about changing bobbins, setting up double drive etc but it was a while since I got my wheel so I have forgotten what confused me back then!