Spinning Wheel Rescued

Right, it's all done now. I've even had it up and spinning with some Wensleydale (loving washing those curls!) Sorry about scuzzy garden, it's ripe for a spring clean. I've taken a picture of the wheel with it's distaff, but dressing the flax was beyond the call of duty!

I'm off to wait for call from the vets, one of my dogs seems to have a stick lodged in her chest and they've taken her in for surgery so I'm all fingers and thumbs.

Anyway Zoe, it's over to you for the naming ceremony!

Spinning Wheel Rescue (or, that job I've been putting off for two years)

Thanks for all of the entries for our wool comp. While we regain our composure and gird our loins for the next challenge, I thought that I would share with you a job that I've been putting off for far too long.

About five years ago I bought an old Lithuanian spinning wheel. It's from the mid 1900's and, like me, looked a bit rough. Once I'd dosed the wood for nasties, I decided that it needed a bit of TLC and decided to wax it. The wax I bought was coloured (bad idea!!) - the colour being Georgian Oak - "fantastic" I thought, "it will really make this wood look lovely". No, it made the wood have a hideous greenish tinge, which isn't that apparent in the photo's, but is there, trust me! Anyway, back the wheel went into its box and has stayed there ever since, just waiting for me to strip that awful wax off and give it a loving coat of oil instead. Ha! finally got round to getting all of the neccessaries and making a start (must be the warm spell).

So now I have stripped away the green and I'm waiting for the wood to dry so I can get in there with my wire wool and wood oils.

The wheel is in its natural state in the photo. It all comes apart without any screws or bolts. It was carried from farm to farm by women when the sheep were shorn. I have a strong suspicion that it was also a flax wheel as the diameter of the wheel is small (plus the distaff gives it away a bit)

Now, Zoe hasn't seen this wheel and , as she has a penchant for giving everything a name I want to keep it in pieces till the last minute so she can't sneak in and name it!

Hopefully by the end of the week it will be up and running again, it's a lovely wheel, a real workhorse. So any spinning wheel questions, just let us know.

It's Up To You!

Yes, Zoe knows my personal demon colors only too well. Thanks for all of the ideas - I've got a few personal favourites in there so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they keep on coming up. Just posting some pics of the wool as it was washed (please note Lurcher is v. stupid he thinks I have a new friend.... either that or he wants to be a wolf in sheeps clothing... Sorry.... Okay my computer stupidity has got the better of me, so I'll explain where the pictures should be and what they are. Jim is sitting on the fleece before it's been sorted for washing.
Above jim is the sorted, unwashed fleece. Lots of grass and dirt. It's best to wash it little by little, so it's then sorted into 500g pieces and washed (top left). This is done with Orvus paste, a baby bath, V. hot water and a lot of patience! You have to soak the wool. agitating it in any way just makes it felt. The first soak takes out most of the surface dirt. Then it's repeat and repeat until the wool is clean. Then a couple of rinses later, you're ready for the next step. The wool is spun out in an old twin tub I keep outside and finally spread out in a hammock to dry in the sun (ever hopeful of a British summer, but we've had a few nice days up here recently so I grabbed my chance! Then the work begins!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO POST YOUR SUGGESTED COLOURWAY FOR CHANCE TO WIN 100G OF YARN