Sunday, November 23, 2008

When do wheels become a collection?

My sunday morning laze-around was interrupted by the newest entry at the Bellwether:
http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/ suggesting that my foot size was as long as the distance between my elbow and wrist on the ourside of my arm; foot sole to outside arm is not the easiest of positions to maintain before my morning coffee, but it does beg the question: who decides what average measurements are? And who decides that clothes that sit beautifully on an anorexic model are ideal for the more Juno-esque?
This was not supposed to be a rant against fashion designers with tunnel vision, but to lead nicely into the supersized spinning wheel I have just bought myself - an Ashford Country Spinner. I'm a sucker for Fairs, particularly when they are to do with spinning, and there was one at Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills on thursday to sell excess equipment. There were three of us from the Elizabethan Spinners, in a tiny car, with an elderly traddie to sell, as well as my spindles, and I was determined I did NOT need any more fleece.
I resisted temptation! I ignored all the luscious bags of fresh fleece displayed about the hall! but the wheel was too much for this little black duck! I've been searching for one for a few months, and anyone who has ever picked one of the older ones up knows they do not travel well by mail! I also picked up an Ashford bulky flyer with matching bobbins, and my favourite Finn breeder was there....................fortunately we sold the elderly traddie, because there was not much room in the car on the return journey!
The Country Spinner works well, although I am still a bit tentative as to how few twists I can put in the yarn before it drifts apart. I wanted it for bead plying among other things, and its nice to think I can spin longer skeins without having to worry about joins! A few tweaks, and it will work better than ever before, which just goes to prove the adage, one spinner's junk is another spinner's treasure!

3 comments:

Amelia of Ask The Bellwether said...

I'm totally with you on the models' sizing thing. I've seen some great wheel collections ... check out these:
http://habetrot.typepad.com/habetrot/2008/06/the-more-things-change-2.html

It made me feel better about my own collection (which recently shrunk by 2, to better fit the 2 new looms in my life, plus the future wheel that's being made now ...)

ChelleC said...

I am getting ready to rent a Country Spinner to do some art yarns. It looks like fun!!

spinningdownunder said...

Mine is a very early model, without its tension device, and while I don't use it all the time, it cannot be beaten for plying with that large bobbin, and for spinning soft low twist yarns. The newer wheels are much lighter than mine, and I have heard good things about them!
I've added the new Ashford e-spinner to my collection, which has large size bobbins, so the Country Spinner is its perfect partner.
I hope you have as much fun as I have with mine.