Spinning Wheels

I have desperately been trying to get a spinning wheel because I would love to learn to spin my own yarn from the fiber raised on my future farm. I want to get a start on this as soon as possible so that by the time I have the farm I will be skilled enough to spin sellable, high quality yarns.

In the mean time, I'll just spin mediocre yarns for my mediocre knitting projects.

When I started my spinning wheel research, I was actually shocked to find that there are many more varieties and designs of wheels than I ever imagined. Initially, I pictured myself with the kind of spinning wheel that has shown up in fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty. Through exhaustive online research, however, I found myself favoring more modern-style wheels. Below are two collections of some of my favorite traditional and modern wheels.

Traditional wheels clockwise from top left:

-Kromski Minstrel $419-$539

-Clemes and Clemes Traditional $855

-Schact Reeves Saxony $1268-$1520

-Kromski Prelude $349-$435

-Ashford Elizabeth $690-$1030

(Variable pricing is due to wood and finishing options)

Modern wheels clockwise from top left:

-Schacht Ladybug $525

-SpinOlution Mach II $649

-Clemes & Clemes Modern $459

-Hitchhiker Spinning Wheel $289-$349

-Lendrum Original $500-$622

If I could afford any wheel I wanted, I would absolutely buy the SpinOlution Mach II. I absolutely love the look of it and it would perfectly compliment our mixed modern style. Since I would practically consider my spinning wheel a piece of furniture when not being used, the MachII would be the most aesthetically pleasing for me. Second choice would be the Schacht Ladybug, as I like the mixed media metal and wood combination.

Since I have virtually zero dollars at this moment, I will probably end up getting one of the cheapest spinning wheels around. Babe spinning wheels are actually very well rated and the only reason they are so cheap is because they are made using PVC pipe rather than wood.

This is the Babe Production Double-Treadle wheel made out of white PVC pipe, a black wheelchair wheel and some pieces of wood. At $239, this will end up being the rig that I learn on while I save up money for the more expensive and more attractive Mach II.

An Entirely New Endeavor

Recently, I have been transitioning towards a significant change in my life. I have decided to pursue the life of a fiber farmer, hand-spinner, knitter, fiber artist, entrepreneur, and shoveler of animal droppings.

The Fiber Flock is going to catalogue the most interesting aspects of the millions of things I will be learning on this grand new adventure with all these new labels.

I have always had childlike affection for sheep, goats, and other farm animals. As I have become more involved in the world of crafting, self-sufficiency, sustainability and homesteading- all of these concepts have collided in my head as a gleaming vision of me in Carhartts and knee-high Wellies proudly holding up the newest lamb in my flock.

I don't currently live on a farm, and I am either inexperienced or a complete novice at every one of the aforementioned labels, but I have plans to make the dream of running my own fiber farm a reality in about a year (two at the most). Until then, I will be learning as much as possible about being a shepherd, and about the ins and outs of processing fiber and making them into raw material and finished pieces. I will be posting interesting finds, great books, amazing artists, and whatever else I am learning about or find to be particularly interesting at the time. I could write about spinning wheels one day, and tractors the next. I never really know what I'll come across in a day's research.

So, here we go.