By george, I think I've got it....

[LynnNH]

I posted below about having trouble with the drop spindle, but I finished the scarf I was knitting out of roving (kit from a wool show), and then have been using the left over roving to try the spindle again. And by george, I think I have it! It is turning out quite nicely, and soon I'll wind off what I have on the spindle and do another bit so that I can ply them together.

I'm wondering if the other stuff I was using it just too thick - there is a lot more material than in the roving I was knitting with. Can I just split the roving down the long way and then spin? Of should I just do a lot of predrafting?

Thanks so much for the help in this threads. I'm so glad I went back and tried again!

Lynn in NH

[Plantgoddess+]

If your roving or top is very thick then yes you can split the fiber to make it easier to handle. I have found for me that I like pulling off short chunks of top and spin from those with no predrafting. I didn't like having long pieces of top wrapped around my wrist as it was always getting in my way.
The way I do it means more joins, but after you get comfortable doing a join it's not a big deal. The more you practice the more you'll find what's comfortable for you. There's a lot to learn, but boy I find it addicting.