It has been a long time since I’d done any spinning, as I’ve been kept busy with weaving, cranking socks, and family matters. With Open Studio/Demo day coming up on Sunday, my spinning wheel was in need of attention. I bought it approximately 25 years ago from Michael Wilson, after reading a review of it in an issue of Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, and I wanted it in good working order for demonstrating spinning. I took it all apart, oiled the cherry wood, oiled the working parts, and re-assembled it.

Then I sat down and started spinning some Coopworth roving I’d purchased a couple years ago at the WI Sheep & Wool Festival. The Coopworth roving is lovely, and spins up very nicely. I want so badly to take the wheel out onto the lakeside porch and spin, but right now other priorities must come first. A treasure re-discovered that evening.

On June 1st I had a phone call from a weaving friend Joe, aka RUGSBYJOE, who asked if I was at my computer, and if I wasn’t, to go to it right away, as he had seen a Boyce Weavers Knotter for sale. We had both seen Ken Colwell use one at The Looms, long ago, tieing new warp to old on a drawloom. So I flew down the stairs, read the post, and immediately wrote to the seller that I was interested. She wrote back it was mine and it arrived not long after. It’s sitting on a shelf now in my studio, waiting for me to have an evening when I can sit down and try to figure out how it works as no directions came with it (seller had bought it used). If I can’t figure it out, I’ll ask WeaveTech members if anyone has printed directions or could explain it to me. I expect to put it to good use in the future. A new treasure in the studio.

Time to go check on the strings recital practice, then back to making my new warp for the countermarche loom. This one is 8/4 rug warp, stripes, approximately 14 yards, for rugs and bags.