I am working on new flyer and bobbin assembly for my spinning wheel. This time, I will be using a 6mm steel rod for the axle instead of wood. I made a new bobbin to fit the new axle. Initially, I tried to use old CDs for the bobbin ends but abandoned the idea because I thought it will take more time to make. So, I ended up turning the ends on my lathe again. For now, I stayed with the PVC for the bobbin core, but in the future, I will probably make bobbins entirely of wood as I can now turn faster with my new gouging chisels and the tool rest I hacked.
For the orifice, I am suppose to use a PVC pipe but ended up using a steel rod instead, only because I wanted to practice on my metal turning. It took me more than half a day to bore a hole through the rod. I will definitely use wood in the future. I am trying a new flyer configuration where the whorl is mounted near the orifice. And since I also want to use double treadle with two arms to spin the wheel, I guess I will have to rework the spinning wheel entirely.
Meanwhile, I am back to using a drop spindle. I made a new one. This time a top whorl spindle. I turned a two inch diameter disc for the whorl and used a cheap 6mm bamboo knitting needle for the spindle. I decided to use the entire length of the needle, about 14 inches. That way, I can still use the needle for knitting if I need it again. The extra length gives me plenty of room to hold and it seems to reduce wobbling when I spin.
As for the cotton, I am now using natural cotton fiber. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend a free seminar on cotton production sponsored by H.A.B.I. The guest speaker was Dr. Edison C. Rinen, Regional Director of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority. At the seminar, I met someone from the the textile industry who was willing to sell me some cotton fiber. Two days after, I was at their factory to pick up the cotton I ordered. Shipping the cotton via LBC cost several times more than the cost of the cotton. The staff at Nooks was very kind to offer me a tour of their facility. I naturally accepted!
I also found some tiny cotton carders at a local mall and bought a pair to try them out. Exactly what Phreadde Davis suggested in his blog Spindlicity. They are not actually carders but combs for cats, but they are made of the same material. So this finally solved my cotton preparation problem. With the carder and natural cotton fiber, I can now make better punis. In fact, the more time I spend preparing the cotton, the easier it is to draft. I can now spin faster and the yarn thickness is more consistent now with less lump.
To summarize, if you are in the Phillipines and want to take up yarn spinning to complement your crochet and knitting, or even weaving, it is very much possible. Like knitting, you do not need expensive tools or equipments. With Php 500 or less, you can probably spin enough yarn to knit a cardigan. We can buy carders at the mall or petshops. For drop spindles, you can use an old knitting needle and CD discs. For natural cotton fibers, though a bit short on supply, we can still buy some locally and not import anything. H.A.B.I. and the Philippine Fiber Industry Davelopment Authority are doing their best to revive the cotton industry by encouraging farmers to plant cotton again. If more people decides to spin yarn, demand for cotton will definitely increase and this will definitely help encourage our farmers to plant more cotton.
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