New Tools?/Toys?

I suppose they are both. New tools for me to play with, making them toys? Yes?

As it seems to be established on my blog, my husband is a very handy and helpful fellow. So when I mentioned that I would like a few extra tools for my spinning hobby, he gladly set to work and made them.
I asked for a Wraps Per Inch guage, and a diz, in one, after watching a few youtube videos on using them. He handily whipped one up out of some clear poly carbonate. Just like that. Well, I guess it was, I wasn't around to hear him cursing if it didn't go like that - teehee.

The second tool was a Lazy Kate (though with a slight name change) to ply my singles from (and if you have no idea about spinning, then it is a bit like a thread holder for a sewing machine - helps keep even tension when plying (twisting) 2 or more lengths of wool together). It is heavy as, so it won't slide across the floor/table and it can happily hold 3 jumbo sized bobbins at one time. It is tensioned with some fishing wire and a spring - basically like the brake band on my wheel. It also works brilliantly.

The third tool is a niddy noddy - and one of the simplest versions - PVC pipe and fittings. This is just fantastic for me, as it is very light and I can twist the arms so that it can be stored with minimum room.

I also purchased a few new tools too - some hand cards and a jumbo flyer and bobbin set for my wheel. This means I can now fit more yarn into a skein - two standard bobbins ply together nicely to fill a jumbo bobbin. More yarn, longer length, less joining :) The hand cards are to try another way of prepping the fleece to get different results. I must admit, this learning journey is definitely a fun and squooshy one :)

Here are just my latest squooshy examples - all from the Corriedale fleece. L-R are: leftovers of the multi-coloured dying fun, n-plied, 9m, 5g; leftovers of natural coloured ~8ply weight, andean 2-plied, 46m, 29g; natural coloured ~10ply (aran/worsted weight), 240m, 173g.

Cheers!