Wednesday, March 19, 2008

If I could have your attention, please

Lookie!!
It's here! It's here! The ginormous box was waiting for me when I made it home (late again) last night, and of course I promptly sat down and put it together (with a lot of commentary from Daughters, both Older and Younger). The woman who shipped it to me very kindly put little numbered stickers on the all the bits so that, if I lined up the numbers with each other, it would all go together neatly. She also included a printout of the Ashford instructions, which might be helpful if you're putting it together from all of its little pieces, but which I found confusing, since it had only been minimally disassembled. Isn't it luuurvely? It's an Ashford Traditional, and it came with a distaff, which I don't have attached in this picture, but only one bobbin, and no lazy kate, so I'm keeping an eye out.

Of course, I had to spend some time spinning last night (right?).
The fiber is more of the wonderful merino/tencel blend I spun a bobbin of at Common Threads; I figure if I can get another bobbin spun, I can ply it and see what it turns out like. This is definitely turning into a take-it-as-it-comes sort of experiment for me; I'm not being too scientific about it, but I think that that's not such a bad thing. I'm very glad that I spent some time playing with spindles before getting a wheel (I know, it wasn't a lot of time, but it's still true). The spindles slowed down the drafting/winding on process, such that I had time to let the spin run up the fibers before winding on, if I was spinning too tightly, and I could more easily stop and re-start if I wasn't drafting quickly enough. It is a nice way to take the process apart and to work on each bit.

Today, both of my students cancelled their independent study, and I got to come home an hour early. To an empty house. A whole hour to myself. It's been untold ages since I got to do that, and I've been feeling the lack. I'm trying to get to a place in my head where I feel like it's OK to say "no" to the things that people propose, without fretting unduly that they won't understand. This feeling of freedom, though, at being alone (blessed, blessed solitude) may be a good incentive. I practiced piano (and how long has it been since I did that?), and petted my dog, and just enjoyed silence. Yup. Must create time like this more often.

The Daughters are home from swimming, and the baked potatoes are starting to smell baked, and there's a spinning wheel calling from the other room. (Note: This was actually ready to be posted ages ago, but Blogger's been having issues. Here's hoping it makes it through this time!)

13 comments:

Lynne said...

Hip, hip, hooray! I'm so pleased for you.

Marianne said...

Oh, she's a Beauty, alright. I love those particular spokes, the clean lines, that's my favourite Ashford Tradi!

I know just what you mean about the quiet solitude time... I'm quite greedy about mine. I'm glad you got some!

Anne said...

Yay! Both for the quiet and the arrival of your lovely wheel. What FUN.

p.s. the tail of the dragon gave a great performance last night--she spoke out her lines clearly, and, at the key moment in the play, calmly picked up the sword and disposed of Old Roger. (It sounds more gruesome than it was--it's a mummers' play after all)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new beauty!

Enjoy the silence and the spinning :-)

My spring break starts at 2 pm today so I am looking forward to some quiet myself. And warm weather -- I'm flying to Florida to visit my brother this weekend.

How bad is it that I've already googled the St. Petersburg yarn stores?

Happy Spinning!
SciencePrincess

Nana Sadie said...

OOOHHHh!!! Tippy-tappy toes! Dancing for you!
YEAH!!!
I know you're having fun...
((((hugs))))

Margaret said...

How exciting! Congratulations!
I totally agree about starting on a spindle. Even though I only lasted about two months before I HAD to have a wheel, I felt learning on a spindle really gave me a great grounding in the fundamentals of drafting and twist, and as you said just being able to stop and use up some twist if you need to.
Have Fun!

Anonymous said...

Hooray! I'm so glad it made it home.

And hooray for a quiet hour. They're rare.

Anonymous said...

Woohoo! She is a beauty!

Now remember that new babies sometimes evoke great jealousy amongst the older siblings. ;-)

Bea said...

Yay! I'm so excited for you that your wheel is here!

Helen said...

I'm so glad it's arrived. Although I was trying to be positive, I was a little worried :)

Alwen said...

Little numbered stickers - what a cool idea. My husband could maybe even put stuff together if I did that.

Anonymous said...

Hooray for the wheel! And the free all-by-yourself time. That sounds loverly.

Willow said...

Yay! Oh yes! That's a wonderful Ashford Traditional wheel. ('Scuse me a sec while I endure a little green envy attack!) OK, I'm back. It's perfect! Enjoy spinning and spinning and spinning! When is your spring break?