Ah, Spinning! It’s gentle, rhythmic, meditative, calming, and relaxing to the point where it’s possible to fall asleep at the wheel. That is until something goes wrong which, as we all know, will happen from time to time. The “fix” is almost always easy. But finding what, exactly, needs fixing can be difficult because it can be one small thing or a combination of small things that have gone wrong at once.

When a problem occurs beginners can be easily become frazzled simply by not knowing where to look and what to look for. Since there are many little things that can go wrong even experienced spinners can become puzzled when things just are not going smoothly and they can’t find the source of the problem.

Here is a list of various things that can go wrong, the causes, and ways to resolve the issues.

Problem: The yarn is breaking and/or falling apart.

Causes: Twist. There is either too little twist or too much twist being inserted into the yarn.
Too little twist and the fibers will tend to drift apart. Too much twist at a given point and the fibers will snap. To tell the difference, look at the ends of the yarn at the point where it broke.
Fluffy fibers indicate that the yarn drifted apart from too little twist. If the yarn looks as if it was cut or snapped apart, then there is too much twist.

Another cause is unevenly spun slubby yarn. The thick slubbly areas have less twist, the thin areas have more twist so the yarn could break at either or both points. (Note: Some novelty yarns are spun to have slubs - the difference between a good novelty slub yarn and a poorly spun slubby yarn is that in the former the slubs are planned: sized and spaced at regular intervals along the length of the yarn, taking staple length of fiber into consideration so the slubs are firmly anchored.)

The tension setting on the wheel can be yet another cause of yarn breakage.

Solutions: Adjust the tension on the wheel. If there is too little twist, the wheel may be taking up the yarn too rapidly. In this case, loosen the tension to slow down the take up. Or add more treadlings per draft. It there is too much twist, tighten the tension to make the wheel take up faster. Or decrease the number of treadlings for each draft. If your wheel has more than one ratio, changing the ratio is another way to overcome this. If more twist is needed, use a smaller diameter (faster) whorl; if less twist is needed, use a larger diameter (larger) whorl.

If the problem is caused by slubby yarn, watch your drafting to eliminate slubs. The key to even yarn is even drafting - meaning that the same amount of fibers are drafted with each and every draft. Thick clumps of fibers in the drafting zone create slubs in the finished yarn.

Problem: The yarn is quite over twisted, corkscrewing back on itself and is harsh feeling.

Cause: Too much twist. Treadling speed and drafting speed do not match each other and work together.

Solutions: Match drafting speed to treadling speed. Either slow down treadling or speed up drafting or vice versa. If you tend to draft rapidly, check to see if the yarn is winding onto the bobbin too slowly and add more take up tension if this is the case. Consider setting the wheel to a different ratio: a larger diameter whorl will add less twist per treadling. Check your bobbin: is it half full or more? The cause could be that the tension needs adjusting as take up changes as the bobbin fills.

Problem: The wheel is hard to treadle.

Causes: Too much tension. The treadle bearings need oil. The drive band or brake band is badly worn, frayed, and just on the verge of breaking.

Solutions: Reduce the tension. Oil the treadle bearings (these are the points where the treadle attaches to the wheel). Change the drive band and/or break band. Note on fishing line brake bands: These do wear out and it is hard to see when they are worn and on the verge of breaking. A close examination will show a thinner, worn spot where the band fist over the whorl.

Problem: The fiber is not drafting well.

Causes: A death grip on the fiber supply. Twist has gotten into the fiber supply. The fibers have not been well prepared for spinning or have become compacted. The spinner’s hands are too close together. The fiber may be directional.

Solutions: Relax your grip on the fibers, hold them gently as if they are a baby bird you don’t want to crush. If twist has gotten into the fiber supply, it’s started to become yarn and will not draft well. Break off the fibers back behind the twist, and then let the fibers still attached to the spun yarn untwist. There is not much to be done about poorly prepared fibers except to recard or comb them. While it takes time, it’s worth doing to save headaches while spinning. Compacted commercial preparations can be gently attenuated before spinning. Check the staple length of the fiber - hands should be just over one staple length apart while spinning. Check to see if the fiber is directional. This is easy - simply turn the fiber supply around and spin from the other end of the preparation. If it drafts better from one end than the other, it’s directional.

Problem: The wheel will not take up.

Causes: The causes of this bug-a-boo are many. I’ll list each with its solution.

1. A fiber is caught on a flyer hook. Even one fiber will stop the yarn from winding on. Tugging back on the yarn while spinning may clear it. Or, stop spinning and find the fiber and remove it. Note that a nep in the wool may also hang up on a hook causing the same problem.

2. The bobbin is not rotating on the flyer shaft. Check to see if the bobbin is turning freely and if not, oil the flyer shaft.

3. On double drive wheels, the flyer whorl may be on backwards. Check the position of the flyer whorl. Also check to see if it is firmly attached.

4. The Maidens may be out of alignment. Check and adjust if need be.

5. The drive band and/or brake band may be old and worn or installed incorrectly. If the drive band or brake band is new, check to see that it is installed correctly. If a band is obviously worn, replace it.

6. The yarn is too kinky or too large for the orifice and/or hooks. The wheel can’t handle that particular yarn. Spin smaller diameter, smoother yarn.

7. The spinner is holding the yarn back, preventing it from winding on. Remember to release the yarn so the wheel can take it up onto the bobbin.

8. The flyer may be binding up in the bearings. Oil the flyer bearings.