Double Trouble!

I've had a single treadle Babe for a little more than a year. I found it the perfect wheel for me to learn to spin and it is amazingly versatile. I spin alot of 2 ply laceweight on it. It even spins cotton and camel down. The trick is to take the some of the strong pull off by lacing (like a shoe) or zigzagging on the hooks on the flyer(same thing..just a different term). Judith MacKenzie McCuin taught me this trick last year at Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat. (I just discovered she has a book coming out March 07. I'm very psyched because she is wonderful!)
Time has kind of marched on and I feel the need for a new wheel. It seems I'm always lacing my flyer on the Babe no matter what kind of spinning I'm doing. I guess I just don't like so much take up.
I was able to try out different wheels at a spinning retreat and I felt right at home with the Ashford Joy but oh so especially with the Schacht Matchless. Since I'm in a hurry, a Joy is first on my list.
But someone was selling a Babe double treadle with a Bulky attatchment. The price was incredibly good. Since I didn't really need it, I offered a little less and so now I have 2 Babes!
I really like the double treadle better than the single already.
I tried the bulky attachment and although I was able to get even, consistent and thicker yarn, I have a long way to go before it could ever be considered bulky.
It is my goal to not get too stuck in a rut. I like the yarn I spin..the kind that just seems natural for me but I don't want to be limited to that. So I'm practicing. It can be a little frustrating when you move from doing very satisfactory yarn and try something new and totally fail and fall down flat.
The other thing that I don't attempt too much is changing my drafting hand but can see how that could be very important.
I'm working a bit on the alpaca hat. I've been sick with a cold so I haven't really gotten very far.The gray really does have alot of blue in it. I could see that in the dyepot but I didn't think I'd really be able to see it in the yarn. (Strange reasoning, I know.)





Today I came home with my new Babe and found 2 new things waiting for me.
A Rowan book that someone was destashing. I saw the hat on the cover and thought camel down. (It's because I saw the most beautiful lace hat made out of Nomad Yarns yarn from Mongolia...Bactrian camel down spun mostly on spindles.)Now I just have to find a person with straight, tame hair I can give it too.
And Shelridge Farm yarn! Sand and Charcoal fingering weight yarn for socks and their new laceweight in natural (the white stuff).



Working a little bit on the Ashland Bay silk blend as I pause repeatedly to wipe my nose.