Our New "Baby"

This weekend I got to meet and take home my new baby, this cute little spinning wheel! Yes, I am in LOVE....


Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

It is an Ashford Traveller, single drive, and it spins very well. It is almost meditative, as my brain could use a little, um, slowing-down, let's just say. I have to constantly remind myself that my foot needs to SLOW down so my hands can catch up. It is very mindful, but also relaxing.


We purchased the wheel from Salli in Calpine, who lovingly taught me to begin to spin, and inspired me with the amount of beautiful yarns and weavings she produces. She is just amazing! She also pulled out a baby loom for Evan to learn on while I spun. He loved to weave! He wants his OWN loom now, that is after he learns to spin, he says. He liked weaving much better than the needle felting we tried.


Can I tell you what a joy it is to go from raw wool (from either a sheep, or a llama, or a French Angora rabbit)....to having some yarn to make a garment or blanket? I feel so proud. We fed, loved, and took care of these rabbits. They in turn supplied fun & happiness, and...WOOL! Then we harvested their wool, then spun it into yarn. Wow. I am in awe of how amazing it feels to produce something. That's it, I am hooked!


So far I have spun wool from a sheep and tried a little of our angora. I am going to try some alpaca from local suri llamas as soon as my machine oil gets here from Oregon (see earlier post on processing alpaca - whew, makes me glad our angoras are so clean to spin from). I put in an internet order for extra bobbins, hand carders, ball winder, machine oil, & wool dye from Pacific Wool & Fiber.


Here are my first four test skeins that I made from "bumps" of sheep wool roving. I hand-drafted the roving first, so I would be able to learn about long draw & short draw, learn where my left hand goes and what its job is, and the right hand, and learn to SLOW my foot down! All at the same time. Sounds complicated, but it's really therapeutic and rewarding. I feel pretty accomplished.


The earliest & first skein is on the right, latest skein on the left. I'm getting better....

Close-up of last skein. Very "homespun" looking, but will crochet up nice I think.