I recently acquired a flick carder. I have now got a pretty good selection of tools – hand carders, drum carder and mini combs. I bought a Jacob fleece last year and have washed and combed some of it. I looked at again and managed to wash and dry some more locks (which with the summer we’re having so far this year is quite an achievement)!
I am not particularly good at washing fleece, but there were some white locks which managed to survive my processing attempts without turning into a mangled mess. I had planned to comb them to spin a skein for the local spinning show (it will probably be my only entry this year – so many plans that have fallen by the wayside over the last year). Instead, I tried out my new flick carder. I found that bravery and a firm hand was the key to success and ended up with a small bag of fluffy white fibre (and plenty of waste and vegetation).
I am aiming to spin a very fine yarn. Earlier in the year I had worked on fine spinning on my Ladybug, but that is still set up with the bulky flyer for some art yarn experiment I started a while ago, so I went back to basics with my tiny little turkish spindle:
It’s a long time since I used a spindle, but it came back to me. The tiny spindle is great for getting a fine yarn – it just keeps spinning and spinning. I’m not quite sure how I will go about plying from two balls of singles yet, but I’ll worry about that another day!
Spinstar Creations 
I have to say that the Jacob’s fleece has got to be my most favourite of fleeces. It is easy to wash and an absolute joy to work with. But, like you say, you do need the sun!!! Wish I could have Jacob’s sheep here in Luxor!!! I’be only been doing spinning for a couple of years and am in complete admiration at our spinning such fine, even wool! Once I get my spinning equipment over here, and some good spin-able wool, maybe with more practice I will get there!!!
🙂 I managed to get some Jacob fleece washed and dried all in one day, I must have just struck lucky with the sunshine. How long until you get your spinning stuff?
Nice one! Its brilliant when the weather is good to you! In a few months time I can pick up my stuff! I will have to get fleece sent over from the UK too as finance permits! In the meantime I am improving my newly learned crochet skills!!! I’ve got to do something with wool!!!
That IS a lovely fine yarn you’ve got started there. I just had my hand spindle out last night. Oddly enough, I sometimes to prefer to ply my wheel-spun yarn with my big drop spindle.
Wheel and spindle spinning do have a different feel to them, don’t they? I guess the spindle is easier to pick up and put down so better for spinning in little bursts – it has made a nice change to be spindling!