DIY Tensioned Lazy Kate

Some of you may remember this bit of spinning I’d done. As it happens, I filled another bobbin and was itching to ply it up. After watching Audra ply her fine laceweight sparkly yarn on Sunday, and thinking back to my own first time plying singles into “yarn” (and I use the term loosely) I decided the most important factor for success is tension. And yes, I’d been looking at those nice Lazy Kates online but flyball season is starting so I’m on a budget.

Allow me to introduce you to my new tensioned Lazy Kate.Very little assembly required, all materials were from a local discount store and it works just as well as the expensive wood ones that are so pretty.

Here’s an illustrated list of materials:
And that’s no typo: $5.87 (+tax) and I’ll bet some of you probably have more of this hanging around your house and could put it together even less expensively. Usually my brilliant ideas are fiascos but this one is a keeper.

And you wanna see how well it worked? This, my friends, is a FULL bobbin.

And now I need a niddy noddy. Let’s see, Home Depot would have PVC…

Comments

[Donna]

Gorgeous yarn! Simply gorgeous!! You are doing so well. That tensioned Kate is ingenious, too.

[angela]

Beautiful. Simply Beautiful. Those jewel tones are incredible. I can't wait to see it in person. It's so cool for me to tell others "Hey, I have a friend that spins her own yarn!" they're so damn impressed.

Oh, I should tell you, I surprised the hell out of Candee today. She heard me using a "bad word" and was shocked. Can you imagine. Me. Using a bad word? who the fuck would have thought I'd do such a thing?

[Julia]

Aren't you clever! And resourceful. Great job. And that yarn is gorgeous! About how much is on a bobbin and what gauge is it? And how does one who does not yet spin obtain some?

[Audra]

Wow! That yarn is gorgeous! I can't wait to see it in person. The basket was truly an inspired idea. What a great lazy kate! Now if only we could create bobbins from the local discount store... *g*

[Risë]

Great idea! My wheel came with a lazy kate but it wasn't tensioned so I added nylon line and a spring and presto I have a tensioned lazy kate. It makes all the difference in the world when plying. PVC works great for a niddy noddy. I just happened to have some 3/4" id on hand (even had the tees to join everything together) and made one in about 10 minutes. The total length is 18" so it's really easy to calculate the yardage of my skeins.

[abby]

Must.Learn.To.Spin.

That is just gorgeous.

[Janice in GA]

Beats the heck out of the shoebox solution.
Do you have any trouble with the bobbins moving back and forth on the axles? Or does the elastic cord keep them pretty well in place?