Spinning
There are few things in life as satisfying as spinning your own yarn. The rhythm of the treadle, the softness of the fibers sliding through your fingers, the beautiful color variety of the fleece, and the history and craftsmanship of the spinning wheel itself combine into a mysterious pleasure uncommon in the 21st century.
I am adding this page to my website to encourage everyone to learn to spin. If you happen to live in Lancaster County, PA we have many spinners who will be happy to teach you (myself included) and there are Spinners & Weavers Guilds and Shops around the world who will know someone who teaches. Even if you don't knit or weave (yet), your knitting and weaving friends will love handspun yarn as gifts, or sell your finished yarn for cash money! Spinning is a great way to connect to our HERitage (femine for HIStory) and slow down from our fast paced modern world. Give it a try, I know you'll love it!
From time to time I will be introducing you to some of my spinning wheel family, (and some I wish I could own). The history of spinning wheels is as diverse as the men who made them (yes, almost all were made by men, I only know of 1 that was actually made by a woman) and the 4 corners of the world they came from. Each culture is represented by it's unique style, design or decoration of it's spinning wheels and it is a facinating study of women's history.
Unfortunately, most if the stories of the women who used the spinning wheels have been lost, but many 21st century spinners are looking for these stories and saving them for future generations. If you know of any, please let me know, even if it is only a few details, it all adds up.
Until our next visit,
~Diane
For lovers of antique and unique spinning wheels from around the world:
I recently found an amazing publication called "The Spinning Wheel Sleuth" a newsletter about Spinning Wheels and Related Tools. It is full of photos, info and history about spinning wheels and their makers, as well as a classified listing of spinning wheels and related items for sale. The newsletter has been around for 18 years (I can't believe I've just found it) and back issues are available.
Email Florence at ffw@spwsl.com for a free pdf copy of Index to issues #1 to #70. Subscription is $24.00 for 4 issues (USA), and back issues are $3.00 each (+ $1.00 shipping for first issue and 50 cents for each additional issue). I highly reccommend this newsletter to anyone who loves spinning wheels!
The wheel pictured above (with me sitting behind it) is a modern reproduction made in the early 1970's by the Ashford Company in New Zealand. The model is called the "Traditional" and it is probably the most popular of the modern spinning wheels due to it's very reasonable price, ease of use and beautiful design. It has been modified slightly since mine was built and is still being produced today.
You can see all the beautiful Ashford Spinning Wheels, accessories, etc. at www.ashford.co.nz
This is (almost) a Louet s 70 spinning Wheel. It was made in the 1980's in Holland by the Louet Company, a modern spinning wheel manufacturer. It is made of oak (the only oak wheel this company ever produced) and is an updated version of the "Cottage" Style spinning wheels popular in Scotland & Ireland in the 17th-19th centuries. This particular one was missing it's original lazy kate and has a newer version added to the base on the left. I also added a WooLee winder flyer that winds the yarn onto the bobbin like a fishing reel (makes spinning while watching TV very easy). It treadles easily making it a great wheel for beginners to learn on and is very easy to transport for spinning away from home (I just set it on the car seat, and seat-belt it in). This wheel has a large orifice and is versitle in spinning very thin to very thick yarns. Over all it is my most used (and loved) spinning wheel.
See Louets current line of Spinning Wheels and more at www.louet.com
This tiny little wheel itself is just 2 feet tall x 2 feet wide, but the (5 piece) flax distaff extends to over 5' 4" tall! Made circa 1760, most likely in Norway, it still is a working spinning wheel after 250 years! I just love it's dainty size and colorful painting.
The story that came with the wheel is that each woman added her own color when she inherited it. The primary colors are green, red and an amber gold. There is also some blue and cream. The colors appear washed out in the photos (due to the camera flash), they are actually much more vibrant than they look.
The treadle may have been replaced along the way, it is very heavily worn and has no finish on the wood at all. Several places on the wheel the finish has been completely worn away from generations of use, especially the tensioning knob and parts of the distaff.
The lower right photo shows the support between the rear legs with it's tiny decorated finial, similar to those between the wheels spokes (designed to add weight & momentum to the tiny wheel making it easier to keep it spinning).
This is definately the Queen Mother of spinning wheels. Made, with the modern spinner in mind, by the Merklebach Company* in Holland in the early 1970's it has a built in 3 bobbin lazy kate and skein winder! It also has a bobbin holder above the skein wider which is powered by a band to the back side of the wheel so you can wind a finished bobbin of yarn onto the skein winder while you are spinning the next bobbin of yarn!
It is heavy and has an old world look to it, but spins very nicely with a generous sized orifice. Although it has the look of a traditional saxony flax wheel, it must have been designed for spinning wool and similar fibers, since with all it's fanciful options, it does not have a distaff, nor place to put one unless it would be free standing.
*Sadly, the Merklebach Company is no longer making spinning wheels, it now produces wooden furniture.
Coming Soon: Photos and history of my newest spinning wheel, a Canadian Production Wheel (aka CPW) with wrought iron treadle and tilt tensioning!
Do you have an antique or unique spinning wheel or one with a story? I'd love to post it here for all to share! Please send me a photo (or photos) and your story. Thanks