The babe is a bobbin driven wheel or spinner, which means the drive band is attached to the bobbin and the bobbin turns as the wheel or motor turns. The flyer will not turn until a leader attached. Attach a 2 ft. or more length of string or yarn to the Babe Aid on the bobbin, wrap it around the core of the bobbin 2 or 3 times by turning the bobbin to the right, thread the leader through all the hooks or new style sliding key ring and then out through the orifice, which is the brass tube at the front of the flyer.

Holding on to the leader, begin to spin by treadling or stepping on the foot controller slowly. The flyer will start to turn twisting the leader. Lay the leader on your fiber supply while holding onto it and it will start picking up fibers. When you see that the leader has some fibers attached to it reach out and start feeding the yarn into the orifice. Once the fiber is attached to the leader, the spinning of the fiber into yarn begins. This is called spinning Z.

As the yarn is spun, it is loaded onto the bobbin by the brake tension and pull on the spun yarn, which slows down the flyer so the bobbin spins faster and it pulls the yarn onto itself until the tension is pulled back and the flyer resumes revolving. The machine does not work like scotch tension. You can spin without the brake being on and the bobbin will pull the yarn in. The leather brake helps to keep the flyer in place and when you need some extra pull in. If you pull the brake too tight the bobbin and flyer becomes like a single unit and all it does is twist the yarn. Start with brake loose and tighten a little at time until it pulls in like you want.

To ply with the electric put the motor on the left side of the flyer. Using the plying bobbin (red flange bobbin) or Standard bobbin, take the ends of the yarn to be plied and feed into the orifice with use of the orifice hook, then through the hooks or new style sliding key ring and attach to the Babe Aid, and turn the bobbin to the left 2 or 3 times wrapping the yarn over the Babe Aid. Now you are ready to ply. This is called spinning S.

 Important:  Oil bearing points when needed. That is the 2 PVC bearing that the flyer rests on, the leather brake where it meets the flyer and at each end of the bobbin  If things to not seem to operate right stop and do the oil process.

The goal for Babe’s Fiber Garden is for you to enjoy, have fun, relax and be happy spinning fibers into yarn. Good Luck

Update April 27, 2008