What a Beauty

August 25, 2025

I have a new-to-me spinning wheel and I have no idea how to use it.

This kind of drawback has never stopped me before. I already have someone willing to teach me the basics so I’m feeling pretty confident that my lack of knowledge is a temporary problem.

Knitting is something I really only do for myself. I don’t often knit for other people. I’m also a pretty slow knitter. My last sweater took an embarrassingly long time to complete. That was an extreme case but even when things go well, I’m really not that fast. I think it’s safe to say that if I’m able to spin enough yarn to knit myself a sweater, I’ll feel pretty good about myself. I’ll feel even better if the spinning and knitting are complete in under seven years. I have high hopes.

This spinning wheel was a gift. Anna and I often get lost in the world of all things wool when we get together. I love seeing all of her knitting projects take shape. Then she started spinning. And then she started knitting what she was spinning. And then my brain exploded a little bit. I asked question after question until she was probably sorry that she brought it to my attention in the first place. I am awestruck by the beauty of this machine. I am endlessly fascinated by the fact that you feed little tufts of fluff into one end and out comes a beautifully spun length of yarn that you can shape with twists and knots to create beautiful clothes. It’s hard to believe that there was a time when almost every household had one of these and at least one person in that household knew how to use it and used it often. Take a look at the last photo to see how worn down the foot pedal is. This spinning wheel has put in a lot of hours and still runs like a dream. Anna knew of someone who was looking to rehome it and she instantly thought of me. I am so grateful. I’m grateful to have such a good (and patient) friend. I’m grateful to have this beautiful piece of machinery in my home where I can see it all the time. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn something new. Thank you, Anna!