Taking a Spin

The spinning wheel pictured above is one of the nicest gifts my father has ever given me.

He and my mom have a neighbor who does spinning & weaving. A few years ago, my dad was getting serious about woodworking again. He thought making a working copy of his neighbor’s spinning wheel would be an interesting challenge. It’s made of black walnut, and it took him 3 days to carve, turn and assemble all the parts. (He’s retired so spending an entire day on a project is not a problem for him.)

After completion it was displayed it for a few years in the great room of my parents’ house. Considering the hours he invested in it, Dad certainly deserved to enjoy the appreciation of visitors who came by. Naturally, the first time I saw it, I didn’t just admire his wheel, I coveted it.

Many knitters and crocheters eventually want to learn how to spin their own yarn. (A few of us also fantasize about owning a farm with some fiber-makers like sheep, alpacas and angora bunnies.) Learning to spin has been on my bucket list for many years, since I learned to knit when I was 19. Marina, the lady who taught me to knit, was from Bolivia. She learned knitting and spinning from the Incas who lived in her community when she was a girl. Along with knitting lessons, Marina attempted to teach me spinning on a spindle. While the knitting was progressing nicely, the spinning lessons were a bust. Apparently, it wasn’t a skill I was ready to master yet.

Spinning with a spindle is an inexpensive way to begin learning the craft, and less complicated than using a wheel. So I may still get started that way. Still, I’m really excited to have the spinning wheel. They can be a bit expensive to purchase, and this one is very special because my father made it. It is an heirloom I can pass on. Last year when I visited my parents, I didn’t notice my dad no longer had it in the great room. I actually hadn’t thought about it in a while. Imagine my pleasure when he asked me if I wanted to take it home. I wasn’t tremendously surprised however. Though my dad gets involved in some very challenging projects, he does have a practical side. Neither he nor my mom work in the fiber crafts. He had enjoyed making and displaying his wheel for a while, and it was time to pass it on to someone was interested in putting it to work.

Right now my parents and I live 4 states away. I made the trip with my younger daughter who had just graduated from high school. She was interested in attending college in their state and was living with them to establish residency (and to get a taste of being away from our home.) She was bringing her belongings with her, so we drove. I was facing a 2-day drive back home by myself. Taking the spinning wheel with me made the trip special and was a fair trade as far as I’m concerned. Now, I need to quit admiring it and get busy taking some spinning classes. Who knows? Perhaps someday that farm with the fuzzy yarn makers can be crossed off my list too.

The Project Queen