Addition to Family

OMG - my life has been so whacked, I haven't posted for over a month! Have I subconsciously been waiting for a momentous occasion - like today - in order to have something half-way interesting to blog about? Who knows...? In any case, today was truly momentous because I witnessed the birth of my spinning wheel, an Ashford Traveler. Here's a photo diary of the day's events. I'll add a little commentary, too!

After the great eBay defective wheel debacle/disappointment earlier in this week, I decided to go to a nearby fiber shop, Stony Mountain Fibers, and purchase a wheel from shop owner Barb Gentry. Barb has a great little shop with a wide variety of spinning wheels to choose from and one particular wheel kept popping into my head after the Majacraft ordeal - an Ashford Traveler. Stacey & I made a quick shop visit on Friday afternoon, but didn't have enough time to play & purchase, so decided to make to 45 minute trip again this morning - 11-8-08.

When we arrived, Barb had begun putting together my wheel.









Meanwhile, around the shop, Stacey was busy trying out wheels of her own. She settled on a Kromski Sonata, only in the lighter wood. Here she is playing around with its cousin!





Finally - the wheel was ready! Isn't she beautiful?



Here we are - all loaded up & ready for the trip home. I made Stacey promise to drive v-e-r-y carefully!



Now it's time to think of a name for her.....and practice, practice, practice!

Test drives and socks

Stacey & I went on a field trip recently to test drive spinning wheels. We visited Stony Mountain Fibers just outside of Charlottesville. The owner, Barb Gentry, has a wonderful shop full of fiber, yarn, looms, and spinning wheels right next to her barn and pen full of sheep!

Barb invited us in and started pulling out wheels, left and right! She got us two seats, told us to take our shoes off, and start treadling. It was amazing how quickly we formed opinions about the different wheels. While we were there we oohed and ahhed over and play with these: A Majacraft Susie Pro, a Schacht Ladybug, an Ashford Joy, a Kromski Sonata, a Louet, and one more...can't remember because I did not bond with it. Here's Stacey testing one amidst all the yarny goodness.

We ended up liking we the same wheels, in the same order:

• Kromski Sonata
• Schacht Ladybug
• Ashford Joy

Stony Mountain also sells yarns, and rovings, and dyes, and all kinds of yummy things.

Before leaving we each bought a spindle and a pigtail. (My spindle is the Kundert zigzag one right in the middle )
Tomorrow we're going over to Janice's to test her Ashford and the other one-can't remember what it is. Thanks to our outings, I'm feeling a little more knowledgeable about what I want in a wheel.
I've also been knitting a little. The Slave to the Plurk socks are underway. I changed yarns, though. Originally I was going to knit them in JoJoland Melody, but thought it felt too soft - if that's possible - so I'm saving the JoJo for a scarf and have switched to some yummy Cherry Tree Hill I scored from TLE.

Once I get to the calf, I'll add beads.....oh - and I signed up for Dish Rag Tag. Sound like fun? Hit the link & sign up! (Once you've linked, you have to scroll down the page a bit to read the description)
This is my last "free" week before having to officially go back to school and I'm determined to have as much fun as possible - I wonder how much of it will be fiber-related?