Handspun mini skeins of yarn

Well, I'm slowly learning to use my new drop spindle. I still can't actually drop the spindle consistently to spin, but I have managed to make some lovely mini skeins of wool yarn. I ordinarily resort to the "park and draft" method of spinning with my drop spindle. If you're not familiar with it, it is where you build up the twist on your fiber, then park the spindle, or sit it stationary, while you draft the fiber out, or pull the fiber out as the twist spreads up it. It is much slower than actually dropping the spindle. I compare it to using training wheels, but it does get the job done and produce some nice quality mini skeins of yarn.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my little yarn skeins. They are only 5 - 15 yards each. Really not enough to knit or crochet with, but I think that they will make lovely embellishments or add-ins on felted items. I've also listed some matching yarn and bead kits in my Etsy shop for others to use for embellishment, sewing, crafting, felting, etc., etc., so please check it out.

My mystery spinning wheel . . .

My parents were at a flea market about a month ago and came across this antique, used spinning wheel. They've always been very supportive of my artistic endeavors and knew that I have been wanting a wheel. Of course, I really thought that it would be a year or two before that happened because I had planned to save up for a new spinning wheel, but the loving parents that they are, they went ahead and surprised me with this unusual antique wheel. Now I have to figure out what to do with it and what kind of wheel it is.


I've looked up info on wheel styles in books and on the internet to find the style of wheel that it is. The closest thing that I've found is a Country Craftsman, but the mother-of-all looks very different from that on one of those wheels. The flyer area also looks like that found on a large antique Great Wheel and not more modern spinning wheel designs. I've also asked my local fiber supply shop owner, PJ, at Cottage Fiber, to see what info she might know. She thinks it is a hybrid wheel made from pieces of two other wheels and perhaps made in Canada due to its style. From what I can gather, it is either a modified saxony wheel, entirely home made wheel, or combination of two wheels put together. There aren't any maker's markings that I can find on it for identification. This wheel is a mystery to me . . .


I would certainly appreciate any help in figuring out this wheel. Please post a comment or contact me via my website if you might know any info about my mystery spinning wheel. I'd also be happy to know the titles of any good books on the subject or website links that I could research. Although I'd really like to be able to use my new (old) spinning wheel some day, for now it looks really wonderful as a decoration for my living room.