Black dots developing 110 film in old Neofin Blue

[LCL999]

See attached image.
I have on loan an old Pentax 110 which takes 110 film.
fyi 110 is an obsolete and now quite rare film format. I believe the only supplier on the planet is Lomography.
The film is 16mm wide, sprockets one side only, paper backed (like 120 format), 24 frames each about 17x13mm.
I was using their ORCA B&W 110 pocket film, ASA 100.
I developed it in Neofin Blue, about 11 minutes from memory, at 19 degrees Celcius. Fairly dilute, one vial to 500ml I think.
The Neofin was in glass with plastic stopper, a pale brown colour. It was bought in 2004, but reading some other comments it seems to keep quite well. Up to 30 years someone was saying.

Any way, any comments as to where those black spots (white or clear on the neg) are coming from?

btw, 110 won't go into a normal Patterson spiral, so I stretched it between two posts and developed by dipping into a triangular tray. Happy to provide more info if anyone is interested.

 

[foc]

My first thought, after looking at the image supplied, was backing paper sticking to the film. When you say "black spots (white or clear on the neg)" are they white on the neg or are they clear on the negative?

Your method of development is ingenious, well done, and I don't think that it would have caused the little spots. Just remember that the 110 negative is so small that any spot or mark can look very big in a scan or print.

Maybe if you could give us a photo of a strip of the negative, it might help.
Something like this:

 

[LCL999]

Following from start and middle of strip. White dots scattered throughout, including between frames.
It is as if particles stuck to the emulsion blocked development. Emulsion side looks quite smooth now.
I agitated gently during development, so if that did not remove the particles, then washing would not.
Perhaps when I wiped the strip before hanging it up to dry that removed them.

Comments welcome