Another prop to occupy my time

You get props too if you know what the title refers to.

I took a wheel spinning class this weekend at Springwater. Woo what a big mistake - don't get me wrong, I loved the class and I feel like I sort of know what I'm doing. The problem is that now I want a wheel and a drum carder. I don't just want them, I am consumed by the desire for a wheel and the desire to be spinning on a wheel at all time.

The first day of the class I used a Schacht Matchless single treadle wheel (the one I used had a single treadle, but only on the right side somehow). Of course I fell in love with that wheel, but when I went home that night and found out that it cost $800, I decided to try a different, cheaper wheel the next day. So, the next day I used the Fricke S-160-F which is less than $300. Right now I'm thinking about the Fricke s-160-DT and the Ashford Kiwi. I would really like something that folds like the s-160-f, but that only comes with a single treadle and I definitely want a double treadle. I think I might be able to convince one of our woodworking uncles to create some sort of conversion for me so that I can have something like the s160f but with double treadles. I'm thinking like the way you can get the Ashford Kiwi "converted" by the Merlin Tree.

Also on my list of wants are scotch tensioning and the ability to add a jumbo plying head and bobbins.

Every now and then I think about just getting the Lendrum original or the Schacht, but we'll see. I told myself and Isaac that I won't be buying a wheel until I can fit all of my clothes in the closet (I have a 2 foot pile of pants and an overflowing laundry basket of clothes from my parent's house that have no home) and I clean out the area between my craft table and the wall (where I'll ideally be able to store the wheel). That's definitely not happening in the next couple of weeks, so we'll see when I get a wheel. Also, I'll probably go to the Springwater spinning group to try out the wheels again before I actually buy one. Or I'll stalk around the internet looking for a really great deal (it has to be pretty good, I get 10% off of anything I buy at Springwater).

Oh, I learned so much this past weekend - like how to draft better and make joins better (my drop spindling has benefited from that one), you can buy silk waste (little end leftover from fabric making or sari making), cut it up and card it into your wool (so cool!), I learned how to ply, that I need to card my wool into batts or rolags before I spin it and I hate handcarding (hence the desire for a drumcarder - I'm too impatient to handcard).

Here are the 4 skeins I made this weekend - when I got home Isaac asked my why I didn't make them all smooth - I told him I couldn't. Silly boy!

The plied skein is on the left.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm back from my travels and I am so jealous of your spinning. I'm trying really hard not to get caught up in that part of the craft, but you all keep tempting me! Sheesh.

Your KSKS pal

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