Dying to spin

Yes, I have been - dying to spin and dying to spin! When Rick picked up Friday's mail on his way home, there was a parcel notice from the post office. Suspecting it to be the used Louet S10 I had purchased off eBay, I impatiently waited for Tuesday to arrive so I could pick it up. Then, of course, the roads were treacherous and my truck's 4x4 hubs wouldn't lock in and by the time Rick picked me up to deposit payroll taxes there wasn't time for a side trip to Amity (the clinic is in McMinnville). Wednesday I was determined to make the trip (Rick got the truck's hubs to lock), but waited until after lunch to give the ice on the roads as much chance to thaw as possible. In the meantime I busied myself with clients' jobs, household jobs, and some carding. (My friend Kathy LeFevre had made copies of some instructional DVDs for me, which taught me the right way to card - what a difference!) When I weighed my bag of "cloud" and saw I had five-plus ounces, which is what my bobbins hold, I decided to take the plunge and dye a batch. So out came the second-hand crockpot and my assorted packets of Kool-Aid, and in went the wet wool and chosen colors - Blastin' Berry Cherry, Berry Blue, and Grape. (I only used one packet of grape, in the middle, so it kinda got lost.)

In due time, off we went to the post office to pick up - YES! - a box from The Netherlands! Considering it held a spinning wheel AND skeinwinder, it wasn't that big; but of course it was all dissembled. All I had time to do last night was gaze at the carefully wrapped parts and contemplate with happy surprise the three baggies of sample wool included.

Today I put "Louie 2" together. Although used, the wheel is beautiful, and nicer in every way than my S17, which is an inexpensive kit version Louet. (Anyone want to buy an inexpensive wheel?) The skeinwinder is new, a prototype made by the Louet dealers from whom I bought the wheel.

After putting Louie 2 together, I had to decide where to put him. Louie rests in a storage space away from little meddling fingers, but there isn't really room in there for Louie 2, too. I eyed the dormer window nook in my office. It's a cozy little space; when we built the house I thought it would make a nifty reading nook someday. Now it looked like the perfect spot to spin, out of the way, with lots of available light day or night. But since Emma lives at the front of that space, I could imagine the "novelty yarn" I would be spinning, with little feathers and bits of birdfood debris in it. After a moment's thought, I ran downstairs to get a pillowcase to use as a cover. Too small. So I grabbed an old bedsheet, pulled out my Featherweight, and sewed up a quick cover for Louie 2, sans skeinwinder. Voila!

I wanted to initiate my "new" wheel today with my freshly dyed wool, but the wool isn't dry yet. Haven't really had time to spin anyway. So Louie 2 sits tucked back behind the antique display case in the window nook, waiting for our first tryst.

That's it for now at . . .