More new toys!

So after the new sewing machine came the new car and now the new spinning wheel. Where will it end!

A couple of years ago, I invested in a Lendrum wheel because it looks nice and is easier to transport than the Ashford. It also has a double treadle, a good thing for those of us expecting the hips to give out at some stage. But, (there's always a but!) I find the flyer doesn't fit all that well into the maiden and is quite floppy, and being a scotch tension set up, it is difficult to loosen the tension for cotton or silk spinning. It has also been difficult to get the tension cord set so that it is not knocked off the bobbin by the back end of the flyer. It does spin well when it's set up, and I like the tensioned lazy kate, but, I do not feel it is the wheel for me. So, as a new Timbertops wheel is out of the question, I have invested in a Kromski Symphony.

Easy(ish) to assemble, and I was spinning within a couple of hours of buying it. It has a heavier feel than the Lendrum, but the double drive band makes it much easier to get the sort of tension I prefer. It is not transportable, but you can't have everything!

So I decided to finish the silk and cotton started on the Lendrum before launching into the Kromski. It is set up differently with the orifice well on the left so I may need to revise my technique a bit. Practice as usual is needed. No photo of the new wheel just yet, but here is my silk. A little uneven, but shiny and just waiting for the dyes to make it really special. I am still plying the cotton, and given the number of times it has broken, it will not be a thing of beauty, but it may come in useful for something oneday!

The next decision is do I sign up for the certificate in hand spinning? Hmmm!