Today there has been much excitement chez Tregenza, as I was successful in bidding on a spinning wheel on eBay - fellow-members of the Online Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers will be aware that I have been watching this wheel, and asking for their advice as to whether I should bid on it, and how much I should be prepared to pay. The vast consensus was that I should go for it, indeed many people said this had been their first wheel which they now bitterly regretted selling when they 'upgraded'! It is an Ashford Traveller, but a very early one - I believe it to have been made between 1977 and 1979. It is generally in good condition, needing only maintenance - the one issue, which is a bit of delamination of one of the joints on the flywheel, can apparently be easily fixed (if indeed it needs attention at all - if it doesn't affect the smooth running of the wheel it can safely be left) - I took advice from Joan at Woodland Turnery, who are leaders in the field of spinning wheel refurbishment and who (conveniently) are only 10 miles away from me should I need their services!
The picture is the one which was on the eBay listing - the wheel is currently living with its (sheepfarming!) owner in Dorset, but should hopefully be with me next week some time. I am sooooooooo excited!
As regular readers of this blog will be aware, I had been researching spinning wheels for some time and had come to the conclusion that symmetry was vital for ergonomically safe spinning, given my height/back/shoulder problems. This wheel does not have a dual treadle, but the treadle is wide and, crucially, central. This means I can use either foot, or both feet. And the orifice is central above the wheel, at a good height for me, which is also all good. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will all work for me...In the end, I couldn't NOT try to buy a lovely vintage wheel, rather than a modern one - given my passion for upcycling and vintage, it just felt like the right thing to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment