# Spinning- my new wheel



## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

an ashford kiwi 2.
hubby bought it for me when he saw a you tube video of how fast this thing would spin.
so far i have been spinning with rocks and sticks and knitting needles and pencils.
and i got a little meggie.its wonderful.
so i was not excited at all.
i think i was overwhelmed with the mister saying he has a good couple of chainsaws and u have to have good tools to work with.
so he ordered it.
i was not excited totally till i got it today.
he was going to put it together for me but friends kept coming over today.
so on sunday he is putting it together for me.
just excited and wanted to share.
and there was the best magazine in the box...called the wheel.i loved it.
have u seen this magazine?


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

Beautiful... I bet you can't wait to get it together to start spinning. Don't you have a spindle type homemade wheel ? Or am I mixed up with someone else. I can remember the web page it was on.


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## nittineedles (Apr 14, 2011)

Congratulations. But why wait for hubby? I've assembled four Ashfords. The instructions are simplicity themselves. It looks unfinished. Are you going to oil it or stain it first?


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

crafterwantabe said:


> Beautiful... I bet you can't wait to get it together to start spinning. Don't you have a spindle type homemade wheel ? Or am I mixed up with someone else. I can remember the web page it was on.


dear crafterwantabe.i do but its not homemade.the foot goes down and does not come up.the wheel has a string on it.
i was thinking i could get an elastic band to give it more foot return power.as it is now.i push the pedal down and there it stays.
i have to use my hand to put the pedal back up.
i was on you tube after i told the mister i was gonna get an elastic strip on the wheel instead of the string.
guess what i saw on you tube?? that very thing.someone had the one foot pedal and had a piece of elastic on the wheel instead of a cotton string.
i am still gonna work with that.
u are correct.we bought it i think for under 100$.
this new one is the real deal.
i showed the one treadle pedal one to someone on line in a group and they said if u can spin with that thing.u can spin with anything.i dont know what that means but i am glad i got one with two pedals.it shall work out way better.
thank u.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

nittineedles said:


> Congratulations. But why wait for hubby? I've assembled four Ashfords. The instructions are simplicity themselves. It looks unfinished. Are you going to oil it or stain it first?


thank u.
i got intimidated by the bag of screws.lol.
hmm.i am going to oil it...oil it,wait 24 hours.oil it,wait 24 hours,oil it and then wait 24 hours.
then use it.


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## Spooly (Oct 22, 2011)

Looks like a box full of fun. Looking forward to seeing the kiwi and what you will be spinning with it.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

oh you will enjoy it it will be worth the wait in oiling it. I like the natural color to. Oh so much fun you will have. Congratulations.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

I am so excited for you getting your new wheel. What fun! Happy spinning.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

Thank u so much everyone- I am excited too.


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## JuneB (Oct 10, 2014)

How exciting... I remember my first looking like that and staining every little piece waiting for my husband to put it together and that was over 20yrs ago. A far cry from sticks and stones your gonna love her


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

You will love your wheel for years to come. My first (and only for over 30 years) was a Louet it that I sanded, stained and put together. I love it. Only last year did I add another and I still enjoy the Louet best.


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## Goodshepfarm (Jul 20, 2014)

Wow! Lucky you! Enjoy!


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## henhouse2011 (Feb 20, 2011)

I am enjoying the excitement and anticipation along with you. We are reminded of our first real wheels and the joy they brought us...right ladies?


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

henhouse2011 said:


> I am enjoying the excitement and anticipation along with you. We are reminded of our first real wheels and the joy they brought us...right ladies?


Absolutely! Good vibes!


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## nittineedles (Apr 14, 2011)

henhouse2011 said:


> I am enjoying the excitement and anticipation along with you. We are reminded of our first real wheels and the joy they brought us...right ladies?


Not me. I was terrified of my wheel, an Ashford Traditional. I assembled it right away but then it sat there mocking me for about six weeks. The place I had ordered the wheel from sent two small bits of beautiful, dyed top. It was the only fibre I had and I knew I would ruin it on my first attempt. I had no one to teach me so after a look on YouTube I finally gave it a whirl. The chunky, thick and thin mess I ended up with was very disappointing but I persevered and have won first place ribbons at our local Fall Fair. I never bonded with that wheel so I ordered an unfinished Ashford, double treadle Traveller, stained her a light teal, painted flowers and ivy on her and named her Grunhilda. Yes, Grunhilda and I have bonded. I use her for spinning and I use the first wheel for plying. I love spinning. I love spinning with Grunhilda.


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## henhouse2011 (Feb 20, 2011)

Glad you persevered. Your pleasure was delayed but experienced none the less. I salute you for starting on this adventure all by yourself...doubly satisfying and impressive.


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## kiwirose (Aug 19, 2011)

That looks wonderful and I'm sure you will have many years of enjoyment from it. I feel excited for you and remember my first wheel from many years ago, an Ashford traditional, stained polished and assembled by my son. I couldn't wait to get started. 

The Wheel is a very interesting magazine published by Ashford annually, I think. It has lots of great articles. The glossy version is sent to members of the Ashford Club - one can subscribe online. I have got a few of the newsprint version over the years, from an Ashford dealer.


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## kwharrod (Jul 24, 2012)

There is nothing like the feeling a fiber artist gets when presented with a new machine! Enjoy your new wheel and give your hubby a big hug!


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

henhouse2011 said:


> I am enjoying the excitement and anticipation along with you. We are reminded of our first real wheels and the joy they brought us...right ladies?


thank u everyone.
thank u henhouse so much.
i think your thought is lovely of reminding u more experienced ones of your first wheels.
thank u.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

JuneB said:


> How exciting... I remember my first looking like that and staining every little piece waiting for my husband to put it together and that was over 20yrs ago. A far cry from sticks and stones your gonna love her


JuneB.hee hee.u are so right.a far cry from sticks and stones.love that quote from u.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

nittineedles said:


> Not me. I was terrified of my wheel, an Ashford Traditional. I assembled it right away but then it sat there mocking me for about six weeks. The place I had ordered the wheel from sent two small bits of beautiful, dyed top. It was the only fibre I had and I knew I would ruin it on my first attempt. I had no one to teach me so after a look on YouTube I finally gave it a whirl. The chunky, thick and thin mess I ended up with was very disappointing but I persevered and have won first place ribbons at our local Fall Fair. I never bonded with that wheel so I ordered an unfinished Ashford, double treadle Traveller, stained her a light teal, painted flowers and ivy on her and named her Grunhilda. Yes, Grunhilda and I have bonded. I use her for spinning and I use the first wheel for plying. I love spinning. I love spinning with Grunhilda.


thats me...sort of hoping i can get the rhythm of it all.
i am intimidated cause the mister is gonna be right here watching me mess up.ha ha ha.
i admire u putting them together.i think 500$.yikes.i got all scared i would mess up something.
he seems to think it was easy as pie.another of his buddies came over and was all interested too.
i love the name of your spinning wheel.it makes me laugh.
another lady named her spinning wheel "douglas"-that is funny too.
mine is called spinny.
i bonded with my little meggie.i love her but i feel rather like a skateboarder.
then the one treadle thingy i have.not impressed but i may have to spend more time with her.
i call little meggie just that.
i call the one treadle wheel...old one foot cause it goes down and does not come back up.
i got free bags of llama.i taught myself to wash it.dry it.and i wish i had known about skirting 
before i washed it all.
so now i fingerpick ...but that is even fun.
there is so much to learn.
i liked the rock and stick i was spinning with cause it was basic but slow.
so i am excited to see this ashford cranking along as everyone else seems to do.
i cant believe i can make my own yarn.
so far i have alpaca,llama,and wolf hair.
my friends have angora rabbit they want to share with me.
tonite i get to start spinning.
i looked on you tube to learn to spin on a rock.on a stick.on a knitting needle by rolling it against my leg.
on a pencil and a dollypeg.
now i have looked on you tube to use the ashford.
Grunhilda sounds beautiful.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

henhouse2011 said:


> Glad you persevered. Your pleasure was delayed but experienced none the less. I salute you for starting on this adventure all by yourself...doubly satisfying and impressive.


thank u henhouse.
yes i am so interested...in making my own yarn.
i have some yarn made from llama and some from wolf.
i have yet to use my yarn to knit with or crochet with yet.
i have some rabbit fur.i skinned the rabbit myself and tanned the hide.
i plan to crochet some gloves out of my spun wool(llama)
and then put the trim of my rabbit fur around the wrist.
then do i want to wear them?
no i want to frame them.lol.
i have taught myself all of this.
a hawk must have dropped a rabbit when we came out side.i think the poor rabbit died of a heart attack
cause there was no marks on him.
so i skinned him and used his fur.it is waiting there for my gloves to be made.


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## raedean (Apr 25, 2011)

kwharrod said:


> There is nothing like the feeling a fiber artist gets when presented with a new machine! Enjoy your new wheel and give your hubby a big hug!


thank u kwharrod.
i surely will and have.
he tells me we bought it with my money.haa haa.i give him my social security and he runs the bills
but he is the one who pushed for it cause i never would have ever thought to purchase something so costly.
so yes.he does need a big hug for suggesting,demanding i get this machine and ordering it for me.


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