Essential Tools & Accessories for Spinners
Honestly, how awful would it be if at a
spinning workshop or meeting or demo when you suddenly have a broken drive band, or a
missing orifice hook, or a squeaky wheel with no oil handy…? It’s bad enough
when it happens at home and you have to stop spinning and start hunting down emergency
substitutes.
A well-equipped spinning basket with just
the handy supplies you need (or might need) will afford you the luxury of worry-free
spinning and certainly less stress when mishaps strike.
The exact contents of your spinning basket
depend on:
Make and model of your wheel
Type(s) of fibers and preparations you
usually spin.
The level of preparedness you’d be
most comfortable with.
First, there are the
absolute
essentials:
Oil in a small needle-nose bottle
Schacht Spinning Wheel Oil, steel "needle" nosed plastic oil bottle to your spinning wheel.
*Ashford’s large bottle has a larger, plastic tipped dispenser top
– but also good to use to refill your Schacht oil bottle!) Kromski
Spinning Oil comes in a small bottle with a long thin metal tip.
Extra bobbins
Ashford,
Bosworth, Columbine, Fricke, Lendrum, Louët, Majacraft, and Schacht bobbins are available - see your wheel
section for ordering.
Then, consider the make and model of your
wheel and make a list of items that you’d like
to have as "spares". (Ashford wheel owners: items included in an
"official" Ashford maintenance kit are marked *Ashford.)
Drive band -
(*Ashford cotton, Ashford
"Turbo", Lendrum, Louët, and Majacraft stretchy drive bands
are listed with their wheels; Schacht cotton drive band.
Brake band (for Scotch tension)
- (*Ashford. Others: use a large gauge dental
tape, fishing line, strong cotton.)
Tension spring -
(In a pinch, a small rubber band makes a
handy, if temporary, replacement tension spring. ) *Ashford, Majacraft, Schacht
Flyer hooks -
*Ashford;
special sliding hooks for Lendrum, Majacraft, and Louet wheels)
Footman/treadle connectors
- (Many newer models use a flexible synthetic
material that is held with a screw. *Ashford; other wheels we carry – by special
order, inquire. Older wheels can be fixed with a piece of string or leather lacing.)
Orifice Hook
- Lots of pretty, fancy orifice hooks are
available. Just make sure the hook you choose fits through the orifice of your wheel
and is long enough.
Special tools to adjust your wheel
- (Louet wrench that came with your wheel;
Majacraft "key" to adjust whorl position by special order.; small phillips head
and flat screwdrivers)
Other handy little tools include:
Inch Gauge
To determine wraps or twists per inch,
, Schacht’s "Dizzy Yarn Gauge" includes diz, 1"
and 2" gauges all in one piece (at right).
Diz
with Threader- Majacraft Brass Diz with a small hook.
Sampler size
- Little Niddy Noddy
Spinner's Control Card
Spinning Project Cards, & the WPI Tool from
Nancy's Knit Knacks
Lantern
Moon Baskets - These beautiful and useful baskets can hold
equipment, fiber or yarn.
Hand Cream and Emory Boards
- see our Self Care section for great
products to keep your hands and nails smooth and snag-free.
Items
we don't sell but belong in your spinning basket:
Roll of "scotch" tape
(to attach leader to new bobbin and to help find the end of that fine
yarn that disappeared onto your bobbin).
|
