Intro and a quick question..

[TrinaOR]

Hi Folks,
I have been lurking for several weeks now...I am new to spinning and have been bit hard by the bug :muah: ....I bought a used ashford travelor off ebay last week, It should be here tuesday next. :happydance: I also made a trade for some alpaca and cant wait for that to arrive as well..

I have spun so far: a generic wool ( meaning I have no clue what is was)
mohair
hemp and flax...

my question is this... is merino wool easy to spin or difficult?

[Julie]

Welcome! :waving:

Merino usually isn't recommended for beginners, because it's slippery and the staple length is a bit shorter than coarser wools. That said, some teachers start with merino because they figure if you can master it, then you won't have any problem with other wools. :D

I had only spun a few things when I bought a merino blend -- I think because it had some mohair in it that made it easier to spin. After that I moved on to 100% merino and it took a bit of getting used to, but it wasn't super challenging. (Like the 100% tencel I attempted this morning :wall: )

I say go for it, if it makes you :!!!: then put it aside for a while and move on to something else!

[Doublereeder2]

So Julie - being the beautiful spinner you are :muah: and me being the total newbie (1st lesson yesterday) :oops: what fiber would you recommend for beginners to spin? :thinking:

[Julie]

I loooove Blue Faced Leicester...I find it so easy to draft, and it makes a wonderfully soft yarn. The first time I spun it, I thought, this is the stuff everyone should be recommending to beginners. :D

[Liliyarn]

I'm with Julie ditto on everything said. Merino and I didn't get along well at first, but a merino and silk blend was wonderful. Maybe try easing into it if you're intimidated...

BFL IS oh so very soft and easy to spin. :drool:
Second runner up would be corriedale
Then Targhee I think would be third.

However, my opinion for first fiber ever to spin is silk hankies. It doesn't get any easier than that...IMHO. Really good for spindlers.

[Liliyarn]

PS my first wheel was a travie too!!

[TrinaOR]

PS my first wheel was a travie too!!

Your first wheel? :?? How many do you have :rofl: I picked the travelor because it seemed to be one that could do it all so to speak with just one wheel... DH isnt thrilled about 1 let alone 2 or 3, plus my weaving looms :teehee:

Thank you for the responses, It will be fun to try all the different types of fiber out...

[Doublereeder2]

Thanks Julie and Lilyarn. BlueFaced Leicester is what we started with but I just ordered some bats of Wensleydale to try.

I also have a Traveller, TrinOR. I bought it because it seems versatile and will grow with me. I am hoping it will be my permanent wheel since more than one seems out of my realm too.