Embarrassed.

[Kade1301]

Actually, you could also go to a music shop (or the internet) and buy a recorder swabbing stick - they already have the "eye" for inserting a cloth. Or one of the little microfibre brushes Mollenhauer sells nowadays for soprano recorders (picked one up during a recorder festival - I might even have used it once or twice). Though when I asked the question here I was informed that whistles don't need swabbing out at all (the hole at the end of a Sweetone is so small that not much cloth fits anyway).

And the lady in the knitting shop was an idiot, as Nanohedron said. How did she know that you don't have mountains of wool at home (or spin your own) and knit following your inspiration instead of a pattern? (Both true for me - though I still buy knitting needles every now and then, without anybody ever asking me to justify myself.)

[afl2277]

Actually, you could also go to a music shop (or the internet) and buy a recorder swabbing stick - they already have the "eye" for inserting a cloth. Or one of the little microfibre brushes Mollenhauer sells nowadays for soprano recorders (picked one up during a recorder festival - I might even have used it once or twice). Though when I asked the question here I was informed that whistles don't need swabbing out at all (the hole at the end of a Sweetone is so small that not much cloth fits anyway).

And the lady in the knitting shop was an idiot, as Nanohedron said. How did she know that you don't have mountains of wool at home (or spin your own) and knit following your inspiration instead of a pattern? (Both true for me - though I still buy knitting needles every now and then, without anybody ever asking me to justify myself.)

I didn't know swabbing sticks were sold for recorders. But the sorry tale has a good ending. My mate next door does a lot of knitting and has a couple of spare plastic needles she no linger uses. And a needle with some thin cloth will go in my Sweetone. I have the cleaning brush already

[Nanohedron]

And the lady in the knitting shop was an idiot, as Nanohedron said. How did she know that you don't have mountains of wool at home (or spin your own) and knit following your inspiration instead of a pattern? (Both true for me - though I still buy knitting needles every now and then, without anybody ever asking me to justify myself.)

Well, it must be obvious - afl2277 is just plain suspicious, pure and simple. Anyone in jeans and leather jacket obviously doesn't belong in a knitting shop; only those of more genteel apparel need apply, because that is the done thing. All else would be skulking. If you're going to rock the boat, don't be surprised if your fellow passengers toss you overboard.

It's why I learned how to swim.

You spin your own wool, Kade1301? How is it you don't hew your own needles?

[afl2277]

Well, it must be obvious - afl2277 is just plain suspicious, pure and simple. [/quote]

Suspicious? Me?

Suspicious would be someone who drives about in a black van like a spook...a van that used to belong to the local undertaker which is now camped in at van meets.

Suspicious would be someone who sits in a plain back van at the side of the park making screeching noises.

Now does that sound like me? Really? Suspicious indeed. Actually.....now I think about it ...

[Nanohedron]

Suspicious would be someone who sits in a plain back van at the side of the park making screeching noises.

I do hope you mean on your whistle.

[afl2277]

Suspicious would be someone who sits in a plain back van at the side of the park making screeching noises.

I do hope you mean on your whistle.

Oh yes, of course on my whistle....unless I haven't taken my medication

[DrPhill]

Although I must say the word "sewers" made me do a double-take. For a moment I wondered how you do things over there across the Pond.

I don't even know if sewers is a word now I think about it...it must be, mustn't it? People who sew, multiple sewing people, sewers. Although reading it back now it looks like I refer to a drain (sewer). I don't envy anyone trying to learn English.

William Shakespear, Macbeth Act 1 scene 7: "... Enter a sewer and divers ...."

[afl2277]

William Shakespear, Macbeth Act 1 scene 7: "... Enter a sewer and divers ...."

"Alas, poor yorick"...is that the chap?

[Kade1301]

...

You spin your own wool, Kade1301? How is it you don't hew your own needles?

Because cable needles with interchangeable cables and needles are beyond my skills. And dowel rods are not available in as many sizes as knitting needles and I'm too lazy to sand them down too much. Besides, Bamboo DPNs from China come in sets that are a lot cheaper than my time (or were when I bought them).

As for the variety of people in knitting shops: On Knitter's Review Forums there was a guy who said to fit the stereotypical biker's image - hair, gut, black leather, gun where appropriate and, of course, bike. And he was not afraid to knit in public; whenever somebody asked a stupid question about it he said "it's a condition of my parole" with a nasty grin...

[Nanohedron]

On Knitter's Review Forums there was a guy who said to fit the stereotypical biker's image - hair, gut, black leather, gun where appropriate and, of course, bike. And he was not afraid to knit in public; whenever somebody asked a stupid question about it he said "it's a condition of my parole" with a nasty grin...

"Gun where appropriate." ... Well, aside from that, I like his style.

[pancelticpiper]

I was keeping an eye out for anything I could use ....like a stick...to wrap a cloth round to dry the inside of said whistle.

I don't need to do that often, but when I do I use a cleaning rod. Yes, they make a thing specifically for the purpose of swabbing out instruments, a narrow aluminium stick with a slotted end to pass a bit of cloth through. If you don't have the cloth passed through a slot it's possible for it to remain jammed in the intrument somewhere.

About Singers, my dad used to drive one.

For sure there have been many times when the music world has put me in the position of shopping for something for a purpose completely different than the thing was designed for, like gun cases for whistles or bagpipes, a yoga mat for lining the bottom of an instrument case, velvet and fringe for bagpipe bag-covers, Gaffer's tape for tuning pipe chanters, and so forth.

[Chifmunk]

BTW rifle bore cleaning rods are made exactly the same way as aluminum recorder cleaning rods, with little slots on the end to pull the swab patch halfway through. The rifle rod screws apart into sections so the rod will store more efficiently. I use the 'business end' section of my rifle cleaning rod to swab my whistles, which I very seldom need to do anyway.
I've found that after playing for months I no longer produced as much moisture condensation as I did in the very beginning. Do beginners maybe slobber more?

[afl2277]

Do beginners maybe slobber more?

Slobber..

If I play normally no....but blowing over the top somehow makes it quite damp.

[Matt NQ]

I've found that after playing for months I no longer produced as much moisture condensation as I did in the very beginning. Do beginners maybe slobber more?

A possible hypothesis: Perhaps the angle of your head has changed? When you started were you looking down at some music, and now playing from memory is your head more upright? An upright head posture will assist saliva to flow down your throat instead of to the front of your mouth.

[afl2277]

I've found that after playing for months I no longer produced as much moisture condensation as I did in the very beginning. Do beginners maybe slobber more?

A possible hypothesis: Perhaps the angle of your head has changed? When you started were you looking down at some music, and now playing from memory is your head more upright? An upright head posture will assist saliva to flow down your throat instead of to the front of your mouth.

Now this has been mentioned I know what's causing mine. I'm drinking a mug of tea then playing.