I really want a new spinning wheel and I cannot afford that kind of money at the minute. Sadly I'm on my lonesome, well I say lonesome but CGBF is in the next room. However he has a friend over for dinner (which has very handily helped me to clear the fridge out pre holiday) so I'm in self imposed isolation in the bedroom.
Am I the only one (I am so wandering away from the original point here) who believes that the friend and partner barrier shouldn't be breached? They have been friends for years, long before we met. They have all those shared piss ups and beery nights out mixed with perving on the local wildlife ahem experiences, the in jokes and having another person, especially someone who is a bit shy like me (its bad, trust me) there wouldn't be comfortable. For me or for them. So into (utterly self imposed and enforced) exile I do go.
Which is why I am searching for spinning wheels and feeling a bit depressed. I am really protective over my stuff, I like to ensure it is well maintained. And since I swapped the flyer unit including the Mother Of All (the bit of kit that holds the whirly bits (flyer) that the wool goes into) that the wheel came with for another one then swapped back one of the Maidens (two upright pieces of wood that holds the flyer) has started to rattle. I should elaborate on that one. The Flyer unit is all the fancy rather compact and complex bit that sits above, to one side or in front of the wheel. String (the "drive band") which goes around the wheel to the flyer (a smaller wheel) and causes it to turn (the ratio). Causing the wool to twist creating yarn. By changing the size of the flyer you change the number of times it revolves per one turn of the big wheel. The faster it turns, the more twist and the thinner the yarn that can be spun. Thinner yarn needs more twists per inch to hold it than thicker yarn.
I exchanged my regular flyer kit (Mother of All) to a jumbo one designed for chunky yarn. Because it is so large it is perfect for plying because you can fit two regular bobbins worth of yarn onto it with ease. Allowing you to create a longer length of uninterrupted yarn. But since one of the two legs as it were powers (Maidens) has been loose. I think I'd need to fill it with filler and have to re drill the flyer in. But since its wood I can't tell how well this would work. So it'll have to be a repair job. Sigh.
Here is a labelled picture of my regular bobbin (this holds the yarn) beside a jumbo bobbin and the jumbo flyer (which is holding another jumbo bobbin). Which shows the size difference between the two. I've also included a 15 inch/38cm "Niddy Noddy" which is used to make skeins to act as a scale comparison. Its a pity I don't have a lace flyer unit as of yet to use as a smaller comparison.
I've just realised that the purple isn't standing out as much as I'd like. The Wool/yarn goes in here also looks like I've written Wod/yarn. Brilliant. Well hey, its better than the previous colour.
But with all the problems and worries about damaging the wheel I'm at the point of wanting a second wheel to ply with. Actually that's a point, I really should try spinning chunky yarn. Once I get a new wheel. Maybe that'll be a festive folly gift for myself.
I shall have to ponder what one to get in the mean time. I would like one with as many ratios as possible. I'm not even sure if I want to stick to an Ashford. I love their nice clean lines, lack of over fussiness, but I've never tried anything else and I must admit to being a bit curious... And I've heard of an Orkney make (Haldane) as well as one in Wales or England (Timbertops, who also do repair work). It'd be nice to support a "local" maker. Or as local as being in the same country as that counts.
Oooh, I've found a fool proof way of getting CGBF to seriously look at what I'm knitting or weaving. I now take my top off and drape it across my boobs. Works every time ;).
Well its late and I'd better head off to bed. Clothes shopping tomorrow. Blagggh (still).
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