KnitMe

A Scarf, Two Hats, and Some Old Spinning Wheels

I have been quiet this past summer and fall, but things have been pretty busy around here. Time to catch up.

First, a pretty silk scarf from a Silkworker tussah top called Candy Apple.

The body is the Shetland Chequered Acre pattern.

The perky edging is called Doris.

Fall is a good excuse for hats. I knitted two.

A no-fool-roun'-warm hat from a friend's BFL handspun, as a joint gift to the fellow who keeps our wheels up and spinning happily.

A fat fuzzy pull-it-down-to-your-chin-warm hat for me from handspun mill end wool and mohair.

The biggest part of my time this fall, though, was taken up with spinning wheels. A (ulp...cough, cough) HOUSEFULof spinning wheels.

My cozy knitting corner.

The rest of the kitchen story.

Today the kitchen, tomorrow the world!

The office crowd.

The studio, storing wheels for long-tem rehab.

And holding most awesome pride of place among the wheels--
A castle wheel and reel from Maine.

The first of my little collection to be restored and returned to useful life is a wheel brought from Sweden by homesteaders in Maple Plain, Minnesota. The story of its remarkable rescue and transformation is too big, and the details too beautiful, to tell now, but here is a glimpse of a grand old Swedish wheel, humming as it makes yarn in a kitchen once again.

It was in pretty tough shape when I bought it on eBay a year ago (Thanks, Detta, for the photo).

With generous help and information from owners of similar wheels (story with names and links to be fully told later), Erwin Nistler of Maple Plain MN repaired broken parts and recreated a host of missing parts.

Now my Swedish wheel stands majestic and tall and beautiful.

The wheel has come back to life, and oh. how it spins. It flies with a feather touch. It runs relaxed and easy, true and fast and fine. The first time I sat down at it I spun half a two ounce tussah top in one sitting.

It is nothing if not consistent.

Tussah singles, first half.

Tussah singles, second half.

The deep grooves in the flyer arms say that this spinning wheel was a well-used production wheel. Now it is back to doing the work it was made to do.

In a few days (and way too many packing boxes between now and then) I will be leaving for Hawaii for the winter.The old wheels will be tucked away in North Dakota, and hopefully my next blog post will begin "Aloha from Molokai......"

Posted by Jan at December 11, 2009 12:38 PM