What kind of wheel do you have?

natalie · What kind of wheel do you have?

I have an Ashford Kiwi.
I learned to spin on a drop spindle and then tried a wheel. I borrowed one from my local guild, and brought it home, fully expecting to be able to master it. What a disaster!
We have tiled floors at home and I spent the next few weeks chasing it around the kitchen, treadling away. The Guild members were great, and when I went back the next month they let me try their own wheels. By the time I got to the shop I was able to choose properly. I think trying to choose a wheel before you can spin is a bit like trying to choose a car before you've had any driving lessons. I chose the Kiwi because it was easy to use, and because I wanted to paint the wheel... and since it was relatively inexpensive, I could still afford to buy some fibre as well!
natalie

cledry yarner

I have an ashford traditional which is a bit ropey to be honest but I love it to death. I got it from the classifed ads in the local rag and the lady threw in carders, a ball winder, some dyes and loads of bits and pieces. I've also got a 2nd hand (and very old) country spinner which has whopping 2lb bobbins Shocked

and an old hand made wheel which was made in Cornwall but I can't get bobbins for it any more so it just sits in the corner looking pretty. It was made in a place called Bugle and it's a really plain and simple wheel.

I've been spinning for 18 months and have 3 wheels - it's all a bit addictive really Very Happy

natalie

I looked for a second hand wheel for ages, I tried putting a "wanted" post on my local Freecycle group as well, but had no luck at all. It got to the stage where it was stopping me moving on with the spinning, so I ended up buying mine new. I am really pleased with it though. There is the option for a high speed flyer and a "fat" yarn flyer, but I haven't decided about these yet.
Just after I got it I was on a training course at work and one of the "winding down" questions was "What would you do with £100,000?". The facilitator kicked off by saying she would buy a few acres and start a smallholding. Some people wanted to go on the holiday of a lifetime or set up a cafe. I said I'd like a few sheep and the time to improve my spinning. The facilitator came up to me at the end and said she had a wheel in her garage if I was interested. I was about to go on holiday, and I had forgotten all about it until now... maybe I'll give her a ring and she if it's still there.
I have wondered about the country spinner. Do you use it much, or do you find you can do most things on the traditional?
natalie

cledry yarner

I bought a jumbo flyer for the traditional so I can do most things on that really. I find the country spinner very heavy and fast, it's easy to snap the yarn or overtwist it. The wheel itself is a beast - solid wood and that doesn't half take some turning!

wendy

I have a ashford traditional that i won on ebay, its a great little wheel thats like new, i dont think the previous owner used it. I`m playing tug of war with it at the moment.The wheel grabs the yarn out of my hands so its wheel- 10 -moi -0. Embarassed

I`m looking around for a day course, in the meantime its read and re-read hands on spinning...

sally

Mine's an Ashford traveller that I had from my parents for my 18th birthday, it went all through University with me in my room too Cool

Don't get a huge amount of time to spin at the moment so its looking a bit dusty right now, but its a lovely wheel to use.

natalie

wendy, I found this

http://www.londonguildofweavers.org.uk/html/guild.html

spinners meetings at the weekends and on Wednesdays 12-4 in Barnes.
Don't know how near that is to you. My Guild in Edinburgh are just so helpful, might be worth a call to them to see if they have any suggestions about where to do courses.

natalie

Davy

I have the Ashford Electric spinner that I purchased from Twist Fibre up in Newburgh. I have been spinning about 7 months or so and love the control that an e spinner gives me. It's also a great tool for plying, but does my head in having to stop every few min's to move the yarn onto the next hook Mad

. So getting a Woolee Winder for it shortly.

Davy.

wendy · Thanks Natalie

Thanks for the link natalie, there are a couple of places near me. Very Happy

spinningsue

I've just got an Ashford Traveller which I bought from the Alpaca Spinner http://www.alpaca-spinner.com/ through Ebay. Very nice lady, we were chatting like old friends in about 2 seconds. Smile

There are pictures on my blog of the wheel and the spinning I haven't been able to stop doing since Saturday!

Spinning Sue (I notice there are a few of us! So I'll call myself this to save confusion as its also my blog name.)

Spinning Fishwife

I have five wheels at present...my first was a really early painted Louet S10 from Ebay. Then I bought a Louet S40 (the "hatbox" portable Louet) and an early version Kromski Mazurka from Ebay as well. My fourth wheel is an Ashford Country Spinner that I found in a local charity shop and the fifth and currently last wheel is a Frank Herring that Hubby bought me as a surprise peace offering after he dinged my car while driving it to get its MOT. (It failed because of the ding!!!!!!)

My favourites are the Louet S10 and the Mazurka ...the Louet because it`s so easy to use, the Mazurka because it`s so beautiful. I`m thinking about selling the Ashford Country Spinner because the sort of yarns it`s good at are not the sort of yarns I use.

sal the spider

My first wheel was aquired for me by a friend. I had no idea what it was till I went to collect it! It's an Ashford Elizabeth and came with a jumbo flyer and bobbins. I treated myself to a Louet s10 as a more portable wheel for guild meetings and taking to demonstrate at festivals. I love them both Very Happy

I love the fact that they look so different and feel so different, they are a good pairing I think and cover most bases. Of course I could take a leaf out of Fishwife's book and get another........ Wink

hellomango

I have a lovely antique Louet S51 that I got from the York Spinning Guild. I love it to bits. However, woollywormhead has tempted me into lusting after a Hitchhiker wheel...I would soooo love one of those as it is so cute and would be perfect for travelling and spinning.

I also have a couple of lovely handmade drop spindles, but I rarely use them now as I prefer wheel spinning.

spinning jenny

[quote="spinningsue"]I've just got an Ashford Traveller which I bought from the Alpaca Spinner http://www.alpaca-spinner.com/ through Ebay. Very nice lady, we were chatting like old friends in about 2 seconds. Smile

There are pictures on my blog of the wheel and the spinning I haven't been able to stop doing since Saturday!

Spinning Sue (I notice there are a few of us! So I'll call myself this to save confusion as its also my blog name.)[/quote]

I also have an Ashford Traveller which I bought second hand and I am very pleased with it. I started with a traditonal wheel but it was akward to get into the car when I went to meetings and often bits dropped off it in the car park so I changed and am very glad that I did. I used to have to sit in an upright kitchen-type chair but with the traveller, I can slouch in an armchair and spin to my hearts content!

Bovey Belle

As of today I have a 2nd hand Ashford Traveller, which seems a lovely wheel to use. I had a similar one years ago (on/off experiences with spinning due to bringing up a family) but it was middle-European. I also have an 1830's Welsh? spinning wheel, but it needs repairs and may turn out to be unmendable, so it may just have to look interesting in the corner of the room.

natalie

And what are you going to spin first?
Details, we need details!

n

Kathy

Well done BB, as n says, we need details!!

Bovey Belle

Well, I'm going to get some coloured tops and spin some sock-wool. I think that's a very noble thing to do . . . I also want to do some more home-dyeing with the Merino tops I've already got, though it's not a good time of year for natural dyeing, but I think I shall see what I can manage anyway. My onion-skin dye produced a lovely peachy colour, so I am now keen to get going on something else. I dare say Dock roots will be fine whatever time of year and I have more than a sufficiency in those . . . I also want to see what sort of colour I get from Elder leaves in autumn.

Kathy

We ordered some tops from http://www.craftynotions.com/dhf.htm yesterday afternoon, they arrived this morning. Excellent service, the tops are "ethical" and lots of wonderful colours. Very Happy

vanessa

I started with an Ashford Traveller back in 1981, this worked well when we were moving every few years when we were in the services, my younger daughter has sort of inherited (appropriated) this one now, although it has come back home for now as the house they are in at the moment is too small!!

My main wheel is a Schacht single treadle, but as this is another 'upright' wheel, the treadle is so broad that I can use either or both feet if I want.

I also have a 'Journey' wheel - a travelling one that folds out from a box about the same size as an old Dansette recordplayer! - This one I need to perfect a little more as I've not had much time to work on it for all the fact I have had it a few years. We got a caravan last summer so I can take it with me next year.

What kind of wheel do you have?

Thanks Natalie