My new Wheel!!!

So I have been spinning on a drop spindle for a few months. It’s thanks to Rosemary that I’ve become addicted to spinning. It’s also her fault for inviting me to a spinning group in Westcliffe a few months ago. Everyone had a spinning wheel other than her and I. Watching everyone was so much fun! I met some fun and interesting people. People who were so nice, I won’t mention any names (Sharron and Julie) that towards the end of our trip I was invited to use a wheel. I never really got a feel for the treadle and keeping it going in the right direction, but I fell in love with using the wheel! From then I was stuck!

So within a week or so I was looking around online for new and used wheels on Ebay and Craig’s List. I knew that the local shop had one for about $300-325. I even told my family that they could help with payments when it came to X-Mas and birthdays. My mom just looked at me and told me to save my money. So sadly, for awhile I gave up the search.

I was approached about mid June with a proposition to work the amount of the wheel off in the local fiber shop. Every day I’ve peaked into the window and saw it behind its glass prison. I’d tell myself, “It will be mine. Oh yes! It will be mine.” So for weeks I’ve been doing inventory for the store. I am happy to say that all of the counting and checking is done!

What was even better is that my friend Rosemary had invited me to a fiberlicious party in Springs with a whole group of spinners this last weekend. It would be sad for me to go with only my drop spindle (sorry Rosemary) and not be able to bring my new wheel. So I asked if I could get my wheel out of jail a little early. I was sooooo happy to hear that I could! So this last weekend I had sooooooo much fun on my new wheel! As we walked into the backyard of Peggy’s house all I could see was a circle of women and their wheels! It was so cool. I was also happy to see that a woman, Sylvia, had a Traditional Ashford too. She helped me oil my new wheel that had been in a display window for at least 2 or 3 years. Once she showed me what everything was and I had practiced peddling, I was on my own and spinning on my wheel for the first time! It was soooooo cool!

Learning the drop spindle really helped with the drafting. It took me a while to get used to peddle and drafting at the same time, but what I was producing was awesome…well for a beginner, I think so anyways. ;) Rosemary kept shouting “Look at her go! She’s spinning!” I could only sit there and smile…while peddling and drafting at the same time of course. Everyone made fun of because of the look of my yarn. They kept telling me “You’re allowed to have bumps, you know?” I kept telling them, “No bumps!” While being distracted, I created a bumped…looked at it and kept going. “There’s your bump!” I told them. I only stopped to eat and drink, but I had to been going for a good 3 hours or more. It was a blast. Stupid me went and rushed out the door without her camera. Darn it! It was a nice, but warm day. I was glad when the wind brought in the clouds towards the mid to late afternoon.

Later that nite I stayed up late (1 am) and filled up my first bobbin. By the second nite I had my second and by the third nite I had the two bobbins plied onto 3 full bobbins with a 2-plied yarn that I had spun and plied on my new spinning wheel. I’m so proud of myself. ::tear & a sniffle or two::

I’m working on a nice 8 oz. roving of 100% Merino now. I’m spinning it pretty thin. I thought that I’d try something different. With all of the 24 oz. of fiber I bought at the Estes Park Festival I should be busy for awhile. The only thing that will put a kink in that is that the end of summer break is coming up faster than I think. I’ve also been looking into moving out of the house and one place that I looked into has a really nice sun room in the back of the unit. I’m thinking that this will be perfect for when I want to spin, especially with the great light that comes in through the windows.

Tonite’s special: Rented movie and more spinning! Come one! You should’ve gotten the last part of that at least. ;)