M a d e l i n e T o s h

Victor :: Victoria

Guess who came to dinner last night!

Why Ms. Victoria of course.

Louet Victoria :: S95-S96:

Ratios: 6:1, 9:1 and 14:1

Wheel Dimensions: 21" high - 15" wide - 15.5" deep

Drive Wheel Diameter: 14.5 inches

Flyer and Bobbin System: single drive, flyer-lead (unique for Louet as all other wheels are bobbin-lead)

Brake System: Scotch tension

Weight: a little over 7 pounds on my scale :: 11.5 pounds packed inside the carrying case with all of the attachments tucked in.

Orifice: two choices - a 1/2 inch orifice is fitted with a nylon bushing that if left in place gives you a 5/16" orifice. you can chose between the two by using or not using the nylon bushing.

Color: Birch (also available in Oak finish)

Includes: carry-case, 1 lazy kate, 3 wooden bobbins and guide outlining how to set-up the wheel and get started.

My take:

This is my first experience spinning on Louet wheel and the advantages of such a simple and functional system really sing to me. Everything is minimalist, functional and easy to use mechanically.

The wheel takes little set-up, attach the bobbin and flyer and pop on the footman rod to the drive wheel and you are ready to spin right out of the bag. And no oiling, the ball-bearings are ret to go, it easily folds completely in half and is easy to carry about by the leather strap attached above the flyer assembly.

Going for a spin:

I spun and plyed about 70 yards of a domestic wool blend roving for a test run. The orifice was easy to maneuver around given the lack of a flyer hook and the treadling was even and smooth but best operated on a smooth floor (no shag carpets for this baby).

The scotch tension was very touchy and needed little adjustment. With the bobbin half-full I did not need to increase the tension as I often do on the Gem, it just held steady with a nice taught pull to the yarn from the flyer.

I filled two bobbins and placed them over the threaded shafts on the lazy kate. I have never plied on a upright lazy kate before and must say I enjoyed it. The uprights provided just enough drag to prevent tangles and the like when plying at quick speeds.

Spinning was pretty effortless, I was able to do short and long draws and the double treadle made for consistent rotation of the flyer - read no dead spots which might be the case if this little girl where a single treadle.

Upsides to the Victoria:

- Truly portable - seriously.... carrying through an airline terminal and stowing away above your cabin seat kinda portable.

- The flyer and flyer orifice are tilted up towards the spinner making feeding the bobbin a    comfortable one for such a petite wheel.

- The flyer shaft is held in place by a small magnet inside the pulley system, which unlike my Gem makes for really quick and easy bobbin changes - read pop-on and pop-off.

- The sliding yarn guides, no pinching or pulling, just push with the tip of your finger to wind the bobbin. The easiest yarn guide system I have run into - Woolee Winder not included of course.

- The bag! - it is truly functional, wear it as a backpack, nap-sack, or carry it like a briefcase it just plain works, plus real pockets for fiber, accessories, zines etc. And better yet, it looks like a pretty decent bag - read not made out of bright metallic post NASA reject material.

Downsides to Victor/Victoria:

- This is an honestly portable wheel and one you will not mind taking with you to spin on as it is a pleasurable and smooth spin for its size, BUT this is not a heavy production wheel or a wheel you want to spend 2 days plying a heavy aran/worsted yarn for that Starmore cable sweater you plan to knit next year.

- Medium to fine yarns are what the ratio's on this wheel are set for - fantastical, slubby, novelty yarns? - not so much.

- The foot treadles are quite small - not conducive to man feet (ahem i refer to mine here), but admittedly i really did not have a problem slipping of the treadles.

Better than a Majacraft Gem?

- Given the small circumference of the Gem's drive wheel, I often feel like a hamster on speed trying to treadle fast enough, even set at the highest ratio, to produce the yarn I want make.

- The delta flyer on the Majacraft wheels have their perks, ease of threading being the greatest, but if you do not sit completely horizontal to the flyer assembly and feed directly into the delta flyer the yarn gives off an annoying vibration in your hand as it passes onto the bobbin.

- I actually found the Victoria much, much lighter and easier to transport both in and out of the bag.

- In order to ply on the Gem you must first reach down and flip the drive wheel band reversing the peddling motion for plying mode, a minor annoyance for some, as the band is hard to pop on and off, but big enough to be listed here for me.

So who would I keep. Tough decision. I am actually still shopping around for a full-sized production wheel and leaning towards double-drive set-ups, so honestly the verdict is still out. BUT - for a portable, public spinning, show friendly wheel, honestly, I would have to go with the Victoria.

treetops raglan

So the collection of handspun below has now become a raglan sweater for the wee one.

The colors just asked to be knitted together and conjoined like happy twins. The fibers include everything from Blue Faced Leicester and Merino to some mottled Jacob farm wool pictured below which I over dyed with rusty, reds and oranges.

The sweater is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's EPS system. I added a hemmed edge to the bottom and have already tacked it down as it kept rolling up under my fingers as I knit around, minor annoyances.

I am so in love with the entire theory behind the magic loop method. Magic loop sleeves are just another plus!

As this sits in the knitting basket. I may just have found another addiction which might include color-work swatches. Colorwork I declare highly addictive - dangerous, definitely dangerous!

My amazon queue is now full of colorwork books and each book posted at schoolhouse press really should be mine, honestly.

Oh, and by the way, colorwork addicts I need some advice. How should I hold my yarn? EZ's idea seems the best thus far. I will learn the continental method yet.

tomten and toadstools

So I have cast on for the wee's tomten (it seemed only appropriate since he so loved this tomten from the library book) while waiting for more yarn to arrive for the hiker's waistcoat.

I grabbed a favorite sweatshirt of wee's and measured the circumference on it to be about 28 inches. So I worked up a gauge swatch, cast on 112 sts to some size 7 addis and have had trouble putting this thing down ever since.

I started with the Marr Haven wool at the border and then just started picking up different colors as I went along.

I ordered some Beaverslide Dry Goods yarn in greens, blues and a deep bison brown for a completely different project but they worked their way into the tomten very quickly. A strip of a leftover handspun single left on the bobbin, a few rows of various tweeds and did I mention I cannot put this thing down.

I cannot say enough good things about Beaverslide Dry Goods yarns, so incredibly soft and such crunchy, granola, earthy colors that just melt together like a landscape when blended.

MMmmm and for the i-cord trim. I spun up this wee skein of toadstool handspun from this South African fine roving, my first time spinning this stuff and it is so great to work with, very soft, yet easy to draw with a nice, long staple length.

..

and the wee skein...

One Planet Yarn and Fiber

I sent a boat load of fiber batts to One Planet Yarn and Fiber as well as some sock yarn last week. Run over there if you like and check these darlings out!

xo,

amy

Silk and Wysteria Vines

Before: Hand Dyed Tussah Silk Roving

and

After: 140 some odd yards of Wysteria Handspun

I have been coveting a few small 4 ounce packages of silk roving for awhile now. Every time I prepared to dye I would pull the bags out as if I might actually use them and then somehow they would always find their way back into the storage closet. I suppose, I was too fearful that whenever or however I dyed the silk it would definitly ruin it forever and gone with it would be any redeeming chance I might have at spinning pure silk.

I was fully aware that such a fear was completly illogical, but then again most great fears are.

When my sister-in--law visited, I seemed to finally get the courage to go for it. I told myself I was dying it to please my little niece who begged me to dye it the color of the wysteria vine on the trellis in our backyard.

Sooo, I grabbed some lilac dye, closed my eyes and splashed it headlong into the hot pot. When I pulled it out it was blue, mistake number one. When it dryed on the clothes line the fiber felt hard and crisp to the touch, mistake number 2. Yet, when I finally spun it up the colors melded into a beautiful blue tinted purple and the fiber softened to a dreamy buttery texture, perfectly smooth and absolutely delicious.

Now to spin the fawn alpaca that has been sitting next to the silk roving and seemingly experiencing the same type of fearful rejection.

Marie Antoinette

If you haven't seen the movie yet, just save the money you would spend on renting the movie and buy it already, oh yeah and the soundtrack too.

This movie was so stunning and well shot that it inspired me to craft this:

OK and one more view for fun.

This handspun really has a purpose, which is to become fabric, to make something of which I started on tonight. More pics later.

Estudiantes

This handspun is the product of the students who attended my spinning class at The Shabby Sheep in Uptown Dallas on Sat. I was blown away but how quickly they picked up the skill and started spinning lace weight like it was nothing straight out of the shoot.

You gals rock!!

And for all the custom orders... i'm a workin on them and they will be in your pretty hands soon!!

xoxo,

Madelinetosh

Let the spinnin wheel turnnnnnnnn!

Some of my new favorite little girls. Now if they would just learn how to multiply on their own. I nabbed the Twinkle's book yesterday. I am still in limbo over what to make. More inside shots tommorrow. Cross my heart and hope to die, but no needle sticking ... 

Spun til it broke

Okay,

So I am spinning a yarn for a custom order. Just finished a nice cup of hot tea and honey and ready to work when I see a bright green flash in front of me. The wheel makes a couple more rotations and then it dawns on me ... @$#$#$#@@! ... dangit if my frickin drive band didn't snap in two and fling itself limply on the floor.

So, no spinning until the precious UPS man shows up at my door. I may have to meet him by the curb. So to answer the above question, yes. But for all the wrong reasons ... i love him because he brings me gifts.

Here is some hand dyed I worked on after the spinning debacle. And since I have the time I finally cast on for the pinwheel blanket. Much love going on with that pattern.

I also picked up the newest Domino mag for the first time. I am really liking this mag it gave me at least 1001 new ideas for projects which I don't have time for. Very inspiring, I am actually considering buying a subscription. That happens close to never with me. It's the Polish cheapo thing, I can't help it.

Big news. Madtosh fibers are coming to Dallas at two different venues. I will also be teaching spinning classes and fiber based classes as well. More on that after the jump.

xoxo all you lurkers! 

A raffle ticket please...

Do you like this handspun?

Well me too.

Here is a great way to acquire some gorgeous handspun and donate money to a fabulous and very sweet cause. Miss Hawklet, of Spin to Knit fame, is raising money for charity by offering this beautiful skein of handspun as a raffle prize, with all proceeds going to charity. Click here for more info and to purchase your ticket.