How about that.

A second post in a month! :-)  Mainly because I want to show off my latest find:

It's a clock reel!  I haven't cleaned it yet, but just spend some time looking it over.  It has the olde square nails, so I'd say it's definitely an antique, though I have no idea of it's age.  The bottom shows tool marks and is rather rough, but with a nice beveled edge:

That's a square nail holding the upright post in place.

The gears look generally ok:

and I can feel the popper 'clicker' (the popper is the long piece of wood):

Since I just got it home I haven't had a chance to see when it pops, if it does - but it should.  Thankfully I found a blog called Full Chisel Blog, written by a restorer of old things (including spinning wheels!) and he has some pictures of old reels on there, including one that looks much like mine.  (Interestingly, the current post is about restoring a Norwegian double-table wheel. When restored it looks so much like my Polonaise - including color - that I did a double-take!)

One thing that is probably missing, is either a hand for the clock, or a clock face.  It looks to me like there was something covering this entire circular area:

I think this 'ball' is for securing the end of the yarn, though I don't know as I've not seen any pics of reels that have this:

It looks like most of the repairs will be involving gluing the box back together, and conditioning the wood (and regluing that ball!).  DH had a few of those old nails in the shop so I may be able to replace the one that is missing from the top lid.

And in going over this clock reel, I'm wondering again if my skeinwinder is really a clock reel.  It has a popper on the side (at least I can't figure out what else that would be used for), perhaps since the upright is solid wood the gears were external on the back?  That kinda looks like a pointer on the top dowel, and it looks like it is supposed to go around. I need to pay attention next time I'm twirling it around.

In spinning news, I've actually been spinning on the Babe Production.  It's been awhile!

This is the first half of a spin-along, and it's undyed New Zealand Halfbred.  Lovely to spin!  The second half is dyed, and there are also mohair locks that I've been trying to figure out what to do with.


I've also been spinning on the Babe Bulky Pinkie!  That's been even longer, I think I started this Falkland two years ago!

I keep this wheel at my Mom's house, and often don't think of spinning on her when I'm there as I usually have spindles along.  I finished the first half of the top this time, and as quickly as that went *if* I keep at it I should have it ready to ply in two more trips.

Speaking of spindles:

The fiber isn't actually that bright, but that was the best photo I could get.  It's a beautiful top from Unwind Yarn Company, one of her unrepeatable (drat!) Kaleidoscope batts.  I had started it on a different spindle, but these Hipstrings zephyr spindles suit me much better. :-)


No weaving has been done since my last post, but hopefully this week I'll get back to the Sky Scarf. :-)

A long delayed update

It seems as though it was just last week that I made a post; time seems to be going faster and faster these days!

I've been concentrating mostly on wheel-spinning lately, trying to get some older projects finished.  I've been spinning on the Polonaise a lot lately, trying to get through that blue fluff. :-)  I finally had enough to ply this weekend, but still have a good chunk of it to spin. 

I'm plying on the Babe Production because she has huge bobbins - that's 8.1 ounces on one plying bobbin!

Still lots of fluff to spin though - apparently I bought more than I realized.

I finally got around to whipping up an oil bottle holder for the skinny oil bottles Kromski sends with their wheels:

Now maybe I won't keep misplacing my oil.

And I've been finishing off some spinning:

The upper left skein is a gradient single that's slightly overspun.  I'm debating running it back through the wheel to take a bit of the twist out.  Currently the plan is for it to become a Citron shawl.  The next one down is also a gradient, but I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet (nor the others - though the upper right art yarn may become a cowl).


It's been so gloomy here that I broke down and bought some bright fiber to spin!

Except for that dark one. :-)  Those are all from KnittyandColor on Etsy - she is a wonderful dyer!

I also got over 4 ounces of silk top to spin from a different dyer - that is a lot of silk.

It's as beautiful as the photo looks, and I did a test spin on one of my Woodland Woodworking spindles:

I might have to spin this silk on a wheel though - not sure I can get through 4 ounces of silk on spindles.  At least any faster than about 10 years!

I've finally gotten back to weaving on the Sky Scarf.  July is done, and I would have started on August but I was concentrating on spinning the blue fluff above.  Hopefully I will get around to working on it this week.

Oh I also crocheted a Bandito cowl:

It's a little stiff as I was using Bernan Denimstyle, I kept going up in hook size but really needed an even bigger hook.  I'll probably be wearing it tomorrow though as we've got wind chill warnings again!

That's about all I can think of now.  I'll definitely try to keep this up a bit more often!