An Incredible Day
Things got off to a good start this morning, getting a chance to sleep in. When I woke, I checked my e-mail to get directions to our band gig that evening. Immediately realizing that it was a mere 10 miles from The Fold, I planned my day around getting there in time to try out and potentially purchase a spinning wheel.
Before that, however, I made a trip to the local mall to get fitted for wedding formal wear. While I was there, I stopped by a used CD store on the off chance they would have something good. It turned out that they had three excellent compilation CDs of some of my favorite artists (Andy M. Stewart, Phil Cunningham, Beausoleil, etc.) The three CDs cost me a grand total of $7, and they make an excellent companion in the car. On my way home, I stopped by our local tea merchant and purchased a few of my favorite varieties (a China Keemun and an Indian Nilgiri). I had an exquisite cup of the Keemun after lunch. I highly recommend you try both varieties, if you ever get your hands on them.
So there I was, driving out to the Fold, with aftertones of tea in my mouth and incredible new music playing over the stereo. Plus it was a bright sunny springlike day outside, and I was going to a spinning studio. I was so happy I could have cried.
I arrive at the Fold at the perfect time of day. Toni was not teaching a class and so was able to show me how to operate the various wheels. Wow, they are amazing contraptions! Everything I found annoying about drop spindling was did not exist in the wheel world.
I ran into the Keyboard Biologist while I was there. She was messing around with a drum carder in the back room with one of her friends. She owns a Lendrum wheel and promptly sang its praises when she heard I was looking for one. After trying many of the wheels, I concurred with her opinion and bought a Lendrum. I found to be really smooth and easy to operate. I also ended up playing a fiddle tune for everyone at the request of one of the ladies present.
The gig was fine, but really it was just prolonging the amount of time I had to wait before I could go home and try out the new wheel. I spun for about three hours and tried each of the four rovings I own. They are all a little bit different, and I'm getting a good feel for the motions. Spinning on a wheel seems so much more natural to me than a drop spindle. I'm really liking it.
So that was my day. It is now time for bed.
Before that, however, I made a trip to the local mall to get fitted for wedding formal wear. While I was there, I stopped by a used CD store on the off chance they would have something good. It turned out that they had three excellent compilation CDs of some of my favorite artists (Andy M. Stewart, Phil Cunningham, Beausoleil, etc.) The three CDs cost me a grand total of $7, and they make an excellent companion in the car. On my way home, I stopped by our local tea merchant and purchased a few of my favorite varieties (a China Keemun and an Indian Nilgiri). I had an exquisite cup of the Keemun after lunch. I highly recommend you try both varieties, if you ever get your hands on them.
So there I was, driving out to the Fold, with aftertones of tea in my mouth and incredible new music playing over the stereo. Plus it was a bright sunny springlike day outside, and I was going to a spinning studio. I was so happy I could have cried.
I arrive at the Fold at the perfect time of day. Toni was not teaching a class and so was able to show me how to operate the various wheels. Wow, they are amazing contraptions! Everything I found annoying about drop spindling was did not exist in the wheel world.
I ran into the Keyboard Biologist while I was there. She was messing around with a drum carder in the back room with one of her friends. She owns a Lendrum wheel and promptly sang its praises when she heard I was looking for one. After trying many of the wheels, I concurred with her opinion and bought a Lendrum. I found to be really smooth and easy to operate. I also ended up playing a fiddle tune for everyone at the request of one of the ladies present.
The gig was fine, but really it was just prolonging the amount of time I had to wait before I could go home and try out the new wheel. I spun for about three hours and tried each of the four rovings I own. They are all a little bit different, and I'm getting a good feel for the motions. Spinning on a wheel seems so much more natural to me than a drop spindle. I'm really liking it.
So that was my day. It is now time for bed.
Comments
Beware of the addiction, however. I find myself zoning out whenever I'm spinning. It takes either running out of roving, fed-up cats, or my family calling to see if I'm still alive to get me to stop sometimes.
Yay for you!