Sunday Playtime With My Wheel

I must need help.

I woke up early this morning (like, 6am on a Sunday!) and went to the garage to play with my antique wheel - the one I snagged yesterday from a thrift store.

Someone on Rav said that the flyer set up is on the wrong side of the maiden and so I switched it to see if she was right. Right or not, this causes the drive band to become too loose as the mother of all doesn't go far enough to give it tension. It turns out that the best position for it is the way I had had it - with the flyer facing away from the wheel instead of towards it.

The treadle needs to be attached and Leo will be drilling a hole in the front peg leg to accomodate a metal rod so I can connect the treadle. Then the next thing on the menu will be to find or fashion myself a footman for it and once that's done, and the baby is oiled up, then it should be ready to go.

I have been spinning up some fiber to test it - just have to manually turn the wheel but it spins something fine! Can you tell I'm loving it?

When I first learned about wheels, I wanted a saxony, found a castle wheel missing the flyer and bobbin instead, and then settled for modern wheels like the Fricke, Louet, Ashford and a Babe after a spinning teacher said that modern wheels were just more efficient than old style ones. But I guess my first love will always be the saxony wheel.

An antique saxony wheel at that. I love the history part of it. Makes me wonder what the previous owner spun with it, and maybe what was knitted with it. Also makes me proud of the ecological aspect of it - reusing old wheels instead of having new trees turned into modern or reproduction wheels.

Besides, it's hard to take the image out of your mind - that first wheel you ever saw in Sleeping Beauty (the Disney movie) and then most of the old photos and sketches from times past. It's like a first love, after all.

I was planning on visiting the spinning group over at LisCat, my LYS for an hour today to show off my wheel before Leo and I go to attend his parents' 50th wedding anniversary party but that'll be for another day. Can't miss the party! Maybe by the time I bring it over there for show-and-tell, it'll all be complete and spinning.

Anyway, wonderful Raveller Nancy (link) just blogged about her (and my) Calorimetry earwarmer! When you have the time, do stop by her blog and see the latest knitting pattern she's done! I love the easy cowl she wrote about a few days ago and may just add it to my knitting to-do list!