Fascinating Wheel Spinning Merino Wool

Wheel spinning merino, turning roving into a strong 1 ply yard is fascinating. I have a homemade spinning wheel which I am learning to use. Normally I use drop spindle whorls for most of my single ply spinning. I do, however have a project in mind and need to speed my spinning tasks up a bit, hence this wheel spinning trial for lovely Merino wool roving.

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What is Merino roving?

Roving is merino wool that has been washed and combed. It can then be dyed into awesome colours. It is one of the easiest rovings to start spinning with.

What is the difference between roving and yarn?

Yarn is the result of roving being spun. Roving is the raw form of fibre.

About my project – spinning various wool roving.

Over the last year I received various 100g roving to try out on my drop spindle whorls. Most roving was purchased through The fibre Hut and the World of Wool. My aim for the project is to spin various wool roving and find the one type I like best. I would like to make a blanket out of the wool I spin. So far I have spun, Alpaca – Eiger Grey, Jack Rabbit, and Merino.

Type of Wool	Roving Original Weight	Roving End Weight	Spun with	Wheel or Whorl
Eiger Grey Alpaca	100g	83g	Single Ply	whorl
			Plying	whorl
Comments:
Beautiful to work with, easy to spin and fluffs up nice and soft once plying is complete. The whorl gave a nice even twist and I could control it. Once washed it was soft and springy.

Type of Wool	Roving Original Weight	Roving End Weight	Spun with	Wheel or Whorl
Jack Rabbit	100g	87g	Single Ply	Whorl
			Plying	Wheel
Comments:
This spun wonderfully but it is a bit scratchy. I struggled with the drafting of it to start with. Fibres are much shorter that the merino. Spinning on the whorl enabled me to get a nice thickness and twist. The wheel did put a bit too much twist in. This was down to my not really knowing how my wheel worked yet.

Type of Wool	Roving Original Weight	Roving End Weight	Spun with	Wheel or Whorl
Merino Cerulean SKU 308	100g	98g	Single Ply	Wheel
			Plying	Wheel
Comments:
Very easy to spin on the Whorl or the wheel. Prepared roving is easy to draft and it is a relaxing spin. Yarn not very even, some places I managed to get it perfect but then it gets thickers again. All in the drafting control I think.

Type of Wool	Roving Original Weight	Roving End Weight	Spun with	Wheel or Whorl
Merino un dyed	100g	94g	Single Ply	Wheel
			Plying	Wheel
Comments:
Very easy to spin on the Whorl or the wheel. Prepared roving is easy to draft and it is a relaxing spin. The yarn is not an even spin, I seemed to break the roving a lot of times, felt my control could be better. It washed up nice and soft but I think it had too much twist in the plying.

Can you use the 2ply yarn for knitting?

You can use the yarn you spin to knit with, but you need to spin 1 ply first and then ply 2x 1 ply yarns to make 2 ply before you use it for knitting. Some people do knit with one ply but 2 ply give a more stable knitting wool which won’t skew with the twist in the wool.

Can you use 2 ply yard on a knitting machine?

When you first start spinning, often your end yarn is not a suitable weight or thickness for a standard gauge knitting machine. It could be used on a chunky knitter or a new type circular chunky knitter.

Wheel spinning Merino Cerulean SKU: 308 from the World of Wool.

This was the first time I used my homemade spinning wheel to spin a 1 ply. I had used it before to ply 2 single ply yarns spun on a drop spindle whorl. I did a lot of preparing for the spin by breaking the roving up into manageable sections.

How did the wheel spinning merino roving fare go?

The merino roving was easy to seperate. It drafted well once I had prepared it by loosening the pieces I had torn off. As a first time wheel spinning merino 1 ply, my spinning was a bit hit and miss. By the end of wheel spinning merino (100g), I had a bit of an idea what to do and it was easier.

Beginner Errors – wheel spinning merino

Spinning the wheel faster than I could draft.
Not putting enough spin on the yarn causing the thread to break easily.
Uneven thickness due to drafting issues.
Putting too much spin in the yarn and causing twisted bits.

Learning Curve – wheel spinning merino

Find a nice slow rhythm.
Prepare smaller pieces of roving.
Draft and pinch to always be ready for the twist.

How many bobbins did 100g of roving take for 1 ply?

I spun 2 Bobbins which were both quite full.

How I plied this yarn on my spinning wheel.

I have a handy box with two holes either side, I use a knitting needle to hold the 2 bobbins in place. I ply these threads by twisting the wheel the opposite way.

How do you treat the wool yard after plying?

Once I have plied the yarn I wrap the yarn around a Niddy Noddy. This allows you to make a skein. I then wash it with some soft liquid detergent in warm water. I let it soak for a while and then give it a light rub. I rinse in clean cool water until there is no sign of soap. Squeeze the yarn very lightly and hang up to dry. Once dry, shake lightly and roll into balls. I used a wool winder to make my yarn balls.