June 23, 2015: fiber arts Tuesday

One of the many things I enjoy about spinning is that the tools are often as beautiful and artful as the yarn that's being spun. I have seen some amazing and creative wheels and drop spindles lovingly handmade by artists in this area and in other parts of the world. Like playing a beautifully made instrument, spinning with well crafted tools can be enjoyable and inspiring.

My own wheel (yes, I only have one spinning wheel!) is  Kromski Minstrel.

I chose this wheel because it's versatile in terms of the kinds of yarn I'm able to spin with it, and also because I like the way it looks. Our house is rather small, and I knew this wheel would often be sitting in the middle of the living room, so I wanted something that would look nice. When I do spinning demonstrations people often ask if it's an antique! It's a new wheel, though, made by Kromski, a Polish company which makes some very good spinning wheels.

I've seen some hand-carved spinning wheels that look more like museum pieces than functional devices, although I'm sure they are quite functional.

Golding Fiber Tools has a great selection of amazing work. I've also seen spinning wheels inspired by classic cars, which look nothing at all like great-grandma's spinning wheel.

Wheels can be very simple, too, made from inexpensive pvc pipe; there are collapsible wheels with carrying cases that can be easily taken along in a car or airplane. The basic components of a spinning wheel can be arranged in a few different formats; the diagram below is a good guide.

A - Drive Wheel
B - Drive Belt
C - Flyer
D - Mother of All
E - Front Bearing
F - Tension Screw
G - Treadle
H - Footman
I - Footman Connector
J - Treadle Bar
K - Sloped Bed
D - Distaff
Please keep in mind that above diagram is for reference only. Spinning Wheel types vary, so some wheel may not have all parts shown in this diagram, but will still spin yarn without them.