Looking for Resources

Since I didn't get to work on the wheel this past weekend, I started looking at the library for resources. I found a couple of books and a video at the library, including this one, Spinning Wheels: Building and Restoration by Bud Kronenberg. It seems to be out of print, but with a hold request from my library, I checked it out within the week.

The book, in my opinion, is a great resource for someone in my situation. Having no knowledge and feeling lost when trying to get help, this book has diagrams explaining the parts of the wheel, and since it is trying to help you build a wheel, talks about the different types of heads, in detail.

After reading the relevant parts of the book, I have decided to start with a removable direct drive spindle, which requires only a couple of parts, which I think I'll be able to improvise.

After fixing the leg, and getting these parts, I should be ready to learn to spin.

Once I've learned a few things about spinning, I think I'll buy a Minor's head, to speed things up some. Hopefully learning on the direct drive spindle will be at a speed that works for me.

I'm still working on cleaning up the wheel, and have started drilling holes to repair the leg, though this a slow process, plagued by the lack of necessary tools and supplies.

Slowly, but surely, I am plugging away.

Looking Forward to the Weekend

Last weekend, I mostly focused on trying to clean the wheel, and looked around for some solutions to the broken leg problem.

My intention, since this great big wheel lives in the living room, is to set it up on the weekends, work to get as much clean-up and fix up done, and then take it apart on Sunday evening, to keep Ethan's little hands off of it. He may appear sweet and innocent, but I'm pretty sure that he isn't quite coordinated enough for spinning. All in due time, I'm sure.

In the meantime, I've been knitting on a couple of projects including this sweater for Ethan, and another February Lady Sweater for my mom.

Welcome to the Start of a Great Adventure

So, last Tuesday, I turned 30. For my 30th birthday my husband, Day, found an antique great wheel for me to learn to spin yarn on.

I had mentioned a desire to learn to spin, and he took the ball and ran with it. I even tried to deter him, having found out about this surprise, saying that I really didn't need another hobby, with ALL of my knitting, and a 1 year old running around. I thought maybe when my son, Ethan was a little older, I'd start trying to learn.

He must have known something I didn't because when I saw the wheel, I was so excited! I really do want to learn to spin, and there is definitely a part of me that really likes the idea of restoring an antique back to working order, choosing the appropriate fiber to learn with, and finally spinning yarn to make something really special.

This is going to be a long process, but I'd like to have a record of the process of restoration, and of learning to spin. In addition to a record of progress and journey, I'd also like the comments of those who know about this sort of thing, to help make this journey as successful as possible.

As you can see in the first picture, the wheel is propped on a stack of books, because one leg was broken in the shipping process. Here is the detail of the broken leg:

I'm thinking that there are two fixes for this: either drilling a hole in both the leg and the "table" of the wheel and using a dowel and wood glue to reattach, or having a woodworker re-make a leg and attach it for me.

Amongst the other fixes for this wheel are a couple of missing nails on the spokes of the wheel, and the spindles head is missing some parts, which I assume will have to either be tracked down or re-made.

At this point, I am going to start with cleaning the wheel and restoring the wood, while I search out solutions for the leg, spokes, and spindle head.


If you have any ideas, suggestions, or other useful bits of information, please leave me a comment.
Meridith