Spinning Wheels and other such stuff...

Okay, yesterday I had a lot of errands to run, but I did manage to wind my route right to a local yarn shop (LYS) so I could check them out. This is the store I ran into at the Durham Fair. Very nice store. Lots of stuff and some really gorgeous yarns. Not cheap stuff, mind you, which can hurt the wallet nicely, but definitely a place I want to hang around once they open on Sunday for the "knit & chat" hours.

Anyway, my goal was to see if they had any drop spindles and info on some spinning classes. And what do I find when I turn a corner? A lady teaching a Mom and daughter how to spin on wheels. So my mouth engages and the next thing, I'm taking her card and promising that I definitely want some lessons in spinning. (Videos are terrific for technical things like how to thread a machine, but they can't teach you feel and touch. You need a teacher for that. ) The nice thing is that she loved my socks. (I took off the cowboy boots and showed her my Jester Fleece Artist socks that turned out simply gorgeous.) And, upon comparing notes, I'm doing what she did, only backwards. She spun for years and years and is just beginning to knit the stuff she spins. The mother and daughter don't know how to knit. Me? I've knitted since I was a kid and now would like to spin my own yarn to put on the needles.

And, yes, she's heard of the Rakestraw and would love to see mine. (How come I never toss that thing in my bag? Probably because it wouldn't fit. ) The biggest thing I got excited about was that I was watching Mom and Daughter for a few minutes and Laurie was encouraging them, which she should, but I'd already noticed that my technique is already much finer than theirs. I haven't learned how to be consistent in my yarn threads, but they are really fine.

Anyway, so I got all excited and came home and I'm checking out wheels. And Hubby suggests that I check eBay to see if there are any auctions. (After all, dropping anywhere from $500 to $800 on a first wheel does seem to grate on my Yankee penny-pinching ways. I mean... what if I don't like it? ) So I start cruising through eBay and, yes, there are ALL kinds of auctions. Some nice Ashford wheels that have been lovingly repaired and now for sale. Old estate sales. All kinds of wheels, working and non-working.

And I run across a listing for Copper Moose Spinning and Fibers out of Vermont. And they list a Kromski wheel, brand-new, out of the box for $342.00. And that's finished. Unfinished, it lists for $299.00. A Polish company known for their finely-turned spindles, etc. New to America, only sold in Europe in the past. I checked a couple sites to see what they had to say and they all agreed that the Kromski is a terrific first wheel. Especially this Prelude model. Best bang for the buck. Yeah, yeah, that definitely appeals to my Yankee side. It's got a traditional look to it, which appeals to the artistic side of me (sorry, but the solid wheels on the Louet models just drive me crazy. Maybe by the time I'm 100 years old, I might get used to it, but I love the spindled-wheel design of the old-time spinning wheels.) Moving on, no plastic parts. All inclusive and you even get an entire pound of roving to play with as well as a video to show you set up and how to spin.

Oh, and totally off the subject (not really ), but this is a perfect time to introduce it, it was through my Uncle Jack's book that I found out the origin of the term spinster. Way back in the Dark Ages, when men were called off to war (and fulfill their annual duty, etc to their lord, king, or whoever), the women would be left without any way to make income. So they spun yarn for the weavers. This was a way to bring extra income into the house, especially if a woman became widowed by war, how would she support herself and her family? She spun. The cost of a wheel was negligible compared to the lifetime income it could produce, so practically all the women in any given town would spin at night. Originally, it was the widows who would be called spinsters, but it later gravitated over to the older daughters who never married. And this made sense because a younger woman who wasn't working in the fields beside her husband wouldn't have the work-hardened hands and probably produced a finer thread on her wheel. Hence, spinning became a job. And they became spinsters. (Let's face it. If you're spending day and night inside the house, spinning yarn for weavers, I doubt you got outside much in order to meet anyone so you could marry. )

That appeals to my logical side.

Hmm... too many sides to me to be contained in one body. Maybe that's my problem... LOL!

Anyway, I really am trying to get back on topic here. So I'm looking for opinions. If anyone has used or knows someone who has a Kromski wheel, I'd definitely love to hear from you. I've already put my bid in for my Christmas wish list. I think this would be fantastic to be able to spin my own yarn and then knit my own socks from yarn that I've spun. Relaxing to the nth degree, if you know what I mean.

And, before I forget, I did drop money at the LYS. I bought two skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn. This yarn looks great. Has that nice smooth finish of Fleece Artist and Socks that Rock by Blue Moon and Gypsy Girl yarns. Wears SO smooth on the feet that you barely notice they're there, so I can't wait to cast this stuff onto my needles. But first I have to finish that Christmas project. That's still going to take a while. I figure definitely by the end of the month, if not sooner, but I was thinking the other day...

The kids will ask me once in a while what I'm working on when they pass me sitting in my car at work. And several (especially the guys, for some reason ) have given me their foot or shoe size. I could just imagine someone asking me how much I'd charge for this project I'm making. (Yes, I almost slipped and said what it is, but I'm going to try REAL hard not to reveal that. ) Project cost is probably somewhere between $60 and $70. I don't know about that because I haven't worked that out. (Doesn't matter because I'd already bought the yarn months ago.) But the time invested? Geez... I'd probably have to charge somewhere between $250 and $300 for this thing. I'll probably have 90-100 hours invested by the time I'm done. And that would be half of minimum wage.

IOW, for those of you who wonder about all those handmade gifts? They're priceless, babe. No way you can put pricetags on those. Think about it. If you asked a whole bunch of people on the street what they'd like more of, what would be their answer? Okay, negate money. We probably all have jobs and someone else has already determined what we're worth. If you could really get more of something, what would it be? Time. We'd all love more time to do what we want (like spin it up so I can knit it.) Those precious handmade gifts were all made using the most expensive commodity on Earth. Someone invested what little free time they had in order to make you something. Money can be replaced. Go get another job. Wait another week or two for another paycheck. But once time is gone, you can never replace it and someone invested their time for you.

Appreciate that. With Christmas coming, that's my little piece of advice for everyone.