Saturday 9 April 2011

Wheels Within Wheels

Spinning Wheels are beautiful and it is a joy to make your own wool.  Even your first efforts can be put to good use - thick bumpy wool can look marvellous when woven!  The greatest number of wheels I've owned at any one time is six and each one was put to work! 



My favourite is this wheel.  It was hand-made by a Dutch gentleman and it was the very last wheel he made.




This shows the cute little spinning chair my grandfather made from oddments of mahogony.  He also built the small mahogony stool displaying the Ashford carded wool.


This upright was a very smooth running wheel
that I used to pop it in the boot of my car to take
to spinning group meetings.


This is a very small wheel
that has a large aperture
for spinning very thick bumpy wool




This is small Ashford Traveller.  It's well-made and is so conveniently portable.  It has its own soft carry bag.  Another favourite of mine is the Ashford electric wheel.  I recommend a visit to the Ashford website if you're seeking a well made wheel.

My Grandfather also made a rather heavy, cumbersome mahogony spinning wheel that my mother used.  He built a very efficient drum carder as well.  There is something rather nostalgic about wheels and equipment with a history.

If you're handy with tools why not try making your own wheel?  Photo 8 shows my favourite wheel before assembly.

You may find wheels on auction sites such as Ebay.  There are often bargains online and don't forget to enquire at local spinning groups too.



This is my favourite wheel before it was assembled

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