One Year of Spinning

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One year ago today I brought home Alice, my first spinning wheel. It’s a funny thing about spinning and anniversaries of spinning. All the spinners I know can remember the exact date that they learned to spin. I don’t think we have such vivid memories of when we learned to knit and I think that’s interesting. But anyway, today is my spinversary.

If you recall, on this day last year I innocently suggested to Dale that we take a drive to Mind’s Eye Yarn in Cambridge just to look at spinning wheels. Lucy sat me down in front of an Ashford Traditional wheel and had me treadle. Then she had me draft. Then she whispered in my ear, “you can take this wheel home with you today.” She might as well have said, “your first hit is free,” because I was completely addicted.

And you all know that I’m addicted because since the introduction of Alice there have been several other spinning wheel acquisitions. Of course you remember:

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Lucy, January ’06

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Rosie, February ’06

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Tallulah, February ’06

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Abigail, July ’06

One year and five spinning wheels. Whoops. But I don’t regret any of these purchases. I’m the first to admit that good tools are essential to me and my wheels are all excellent tools, each one unique and each one with a purpose. Alice was my first and she will always be special because of that. Right now she’s on loan to Kathy but I think she’s going to be returned soon as Kathy takes the plunge and buys her own wheel. Lucy was bought for portabilility. I wanted a wheel to bring with me to fiber events and she fit the bill. And truly, Lucy is a workhorse. She also is the wheel I turn to for plying as she’s the one with the Woolee Winder. Rosie is my special girl and I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. Unlike the other wheels, who were named with much consideration, Rosie’s name was on my lips the minute I sat down and started to spin. She and I were meant to be together. Tallulah was a stow-away, just ask Cate. But she serves a purpose for historical reasons and, while she may be relegated to the upstairs guest room these days, she will be on tour with me next year, I’m sure. Finally, there’s Abigail. This Canadian Production wheel just fell in my lap via an email to a spinning list I belong to. I knew some day I would buy a CPW but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. When an opportunity comes your way, however, it’s best to grab the chance. Or wheel, in this case.

Spinning has added a new dimension to my life. I have taken trips and made friends because of spinning. I have made loads of yarn, some of it okay and some of it crap, but I have enjoyed every spinning moment of this past year. Some of you have taught me and some of you have enabled me and all of you have encouraged me. My favorite memories from this past year have involved spinning and hanging out with my friends.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning.

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Comments (56)

  1. Oh no, I’m doomed;-) All your wheels are lovely and serve a purpose. It is hard to believe you have only been spinning for one year…you must be a natural!

  2. Congratulations on your spinniversary! You have a lovely and impressed cast of characters for your spinning adventures. I hope your second year is as enjoyable as your first!

  3. Congratulations on your spinniversary! You have a lovely and impressed cast of characters for your spinning adventures. I hope your second year is as enjoyable as your first!

  4. Congratulations on your spinniversary! You have a lovely and impressed cast of characters for your spinning adventures. I hope your second year is as enjoyable as your first!

  5. Happy spinnaversary my dear. You’re one of the funnest people I’ve ever had a hand in enabling. And I’m so glad Tallulah has a nice home. She looks happy. Keep spinning! See you soon…

  6. Congratulations on your spinniversary! You have a lovely and impressed cast of characters for your spinning adventures. I hope your second year is as enjoyable as your first!

    If I posted this multiple times, I apologize — the comments weren’t loading very well so I had to keep retrying.

  9. wow! what a great journey you have started. I am itching to start spinning, but afraid I will be swept away, so I am holding back. it looks and sounds like so much fun! keep sharing, at least I can read about it for mow…

  10. wow! what a great journey you have started. I am itching to start spinning, but afraid I will be swept away, so I am holding back. it looks and sounds like so much fun! keep sharing, at least I can read about it for now…

  13. This post is my husband’s nightmare. I’m going to take a class in December and I’ll get my *first* wheel after that. I think hubbo is afraid that, in the future, wheels and roving will invade the house like the yarn has.

  14. Happy Spinnaversary Carole 🙂
    Wow, I had no idea you had so many wheels! I used to be much the same way with treadle sewing machines. They somehow would end up in the back of my minivan and I would “find room” in the house somewhere for them.
    I imagine spinning wheels will start to outnumber the treadle sewing machines at some point, but right now I’m content with just one. That, and small children and spinning wheels are a recipe for disaster. My spinning wheel collection will have to wait until the caboose child is not so curious 🙂

    Again, happy spinnaversary!

  15. This post is my husband’s nightmare. I’m going to take a class in December and I’ll get my *first* wheel after that. I think hubbo is afraid that, in the future, wheels and roving will invade the house like the yarn has.

  16. wow! what a great journey you have started. I am itching to start spinning, but afraid I will be swept away, so I am holding back. it looks and sounds like so much fun! keep sharing, at least I can read about it for now…

  20. This post is my husband’s worst nightmare. I’m taking a spinning class in December and he’s afraid of what might follow me home.

  21. So many wheels, so little time! They’re all so darn pretty, too….

    I have to say, though, that I can’t remember the day I started to spin. It was two years ago, right around the end of November, first week of December. Thanksgiving weekend, maybe? Somewhere around there, but I don’t remember the actual date.

    It didn’t take me long to get my first wheel, though–my Kiwi came around December 15th . . . My Mom would know the exact date because the wheel came on a Thursday and that Saturday, she went to a Carly Simon concert and had guests for lunch . . . all while I was miserably sick with bronchitis. I put the wheel together when it arrived because I HAD to, but it took me about a week to feel physically and mentally up to trying to figure it out! (grin)

    Anyway, your wheels are gorgeous. I’d really like to buy another at Rhinebeck, but need to get rid of my Kiwi-for-sale first! Well, ideally….

  23. I feel like I’m getting a little peek into your “brag book” photo album — the little one that you can tuck into your purse so you can sneak a peek at your precious loved ones during the day, show your friends so they can say, “Oh, that Lucy, she’s a little trooper, isn’t she?”

  24. Hee hee! I managed to collect two wheels in one year, but you have me beat by a long shot!

    Great collection Carole!!

  31. Happy spinaversary! It’s really been a year?? FIVE wheels? I am such an amateur. Mr. Etherknitter (I read him the part of your post about Lucy) asked why I was such a disappointment to my peers.

    It’s been a wonder-year. You do such good work. And not just with fiber.

  37. Happy spinniversary!

    Hate the break the rule, but I don’t even remember what month it was when I learned to spin, much less the exact date. It was fall 2002, but beyond that, I couldn’t tell you. And I didn’t start the blog until May 2003, so I can’t even cheat and check my archives!

  38. Happy Anniversary Carole! I am still working on working at my first one (an as of yet unnamed Lendrum) so I am very impressed with your collection. You are going to need a separate room pretty soon just for your spinning girl! Clearly you must be a born spinner – the girls are all so lovely looking and they probably get along well. Maybe you will be able to figure out how to spin on more than one wheel at a time!

  39. I didn’t know you had 5 wheels! I knew you had more than one but not 5. That is awesome! How do you decide which one to sit down in front of. Or do you give them all equal turns? Is spinning on a CPW like learning to spin all over again?

  47. Happy Spinniversary. 5 wheels. Sigh. I’m quite jealous, but then if I tried to bring 4 more wheels into my tiny little house, there wouldn’t be any room for people.

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