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I asked the folks on Ravelry if anyone had ever seen a wheel like the one I just bought last week- and someone referred me to the following video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2iY4VFDiZI&hl=en&fs=1&]

(My wheel makes her entrance at about 1:15)

So, it would seem that she’s more likely Serbian or Croatian in origin than Welsh,, though she certainly might have come through the UK on her way here.

Neat, eh?

(I’m still not decided on a name- gonna take another week to think about it, though I’m leaning towards Sophie.)

Yesterday, the man installed nylon bearings for her wheel (where there had previously been small pieces of cloth and axle grease). Big improvement. Wheel spins more freely now.

I think what we’re going to do next is redo the threads on the flyer shaft so that it can use Kromski whorls.  The current threads are a really odd size (no surprise there).

Here is the girl hanging out in the yard with the first two skeins of yarn that we’ve collaborated on.

With her current ratio (approx 5:1), she does a really nice soft spun single.

Anyone know of a woodworker that makes custom bobbins?

In other news, I’ve reworked the Zauberball socks through the heel. I was distracted for a bit trying out a different kind of heel shaping, but in the end, decided to stick with my usual style.

And in honor of the lovely fall weather we’ve been having, I dyed some East Friesian wool and blended it with white alpaca. I’m calling it “Nothin’ but Blue Skies”.

Have a good week!

Look what I found this week!

Cute, eh?

It’s an old wheel. Seller was told it is Welsh.
Single treadle. Double drive. Only one bobbin.

Here it is next to my Kromski Minstrel:

And from the side:

It’s about 6 inches shorter, and quite a bit lighter than the Minstrel.
And the back side is pretty much flat,, so I can lay it down on the backseat of the car.
I plan on using it as my traveling wheel.

The flyer setup is pretty much identical to the Minstrel. It’s got the screw-on whorl that sits behind the bobbin and the flyer shaft rests in a block that is adjusted with a screw on the back vertical wheel support post.

The Minstrel’s whorls don’t quite fit (dang),, but it looks like if we created a front flyer bearing that sat a bit further forward, I could actually use the Minstrel’s flyer with this wheel! Then I’d have the benefit of more ratios.

Many thanks to The Man for helping me rig a scotch tension (because I prefer that to double drive),

fixing up the bobbin with a liner so it doesn’t wobble and chatter, and tightening up a couple connections that were a little loose.

Now she needs a name.

Suggestions?

It’s Boo Kitty!

Here are a couple of clips of the girl in action:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSUvhseEG1g]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK5harOsUXQ]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfWqJBeOCOw]

Sock before size-check:

Sock after size-check:

Dag.

But if it’s not right, what are you gonna do?

First time out I cast on 80 stitches, assuming that the gauge was gong to be about the same as the last pair of socks for The Man.

(Well, you know what they say about assuming…)

So, I’m re-knitting.

Thankfully, it’s really neat yarn, and I’m easily amused, so the color changes are enough to keep me entertained as I k3 p1 my way down the leg.

In other news, the peruvian wool scarf/shawl finally got it’s loopy fringe and went off to it’s new home.

And I’m still spinning Inky Dot (fleece from Black Sheep Gathering) for The Man’s sweater. So far, I’ve got 6 skeins and almost 2 full bobbins towards another batch of 3.
It is such pretty yarn- I’m dying to get started with the knitting!