Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Antique Spinning Wheel!

Tonight we headed over to Special K's father and step-mother's house for our Christmas dinner with them before we headed to Ohio. We had some YUMMY fried turkey with all the fixins. After dinner, we did our gift exchange and well...they got me an antique spinning wheel!! When I saw it I was so shocked and excited! My FIL got it from a local man, who used to be an antique dealer. He said it is possible from Nova Scotia. It is very different than most the wheels today, as it does not have a treadle and you crank the wheel by hand. It's missing some parts but if I can find a picture of what it looks like complete my FIL, Special K, and I may be able to make what we need. If you know anything about this wheel...please let me know!
Ok...so here are the detail pictures I snapped of it as soon as we got home tonight.

Here is the maiden and the mother-of-all and it is missing the flyer, which would hold the bobbins and also most likely missing the rest of the leather straps that hold the flyer or bobbins on.
Here is what you use to get the wheel to spin. It's only missing one spoke but I think that's pretty great for an antique wheel! My FIL says he may be able to make a replacement.
Here is a close up of the tension knob..which is set up in such a neat way!!!
If you look down in that hole you'll see that the tension knob is kind of like a screw and it moves the whole mother of all with it!It also appears to be missing another piece because there is an extra hole on the base of it that seems to have a purpose.

Well...I think this is a pretty amazing gift! I can't wait to find out more about what's missing and hopefully find a way to at least get it into working condition! The wood is such a beautiful color and it's just so pretty!

Thank you Ken and Lynne for such a great gift!

Ok...now off to bed because I'm exhausted!

11 comments:

  1. That's a very neat gift. :-) Even if you never fix it up, it's still an amazing piece of history!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! That is a wonderful surprise. You'll be spinning on it in now time as soon as you fit it up. I'm sooo jealous. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a wonderful gift. I do think, though, that the crank is supposed to be attached to a rod that is then attached to a treadle. Do the legs have a hole at the bottom that might indicate that something should go in them?

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is an awesome gift! Just think of all the people before you that used to make yarn from that..such history

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not that I know much about spinning but that is a beautiful wheel!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. There are threads in a couple of different groups on Ravelry to assist in identifying antique wheels. There's even an antique wheel group, if I recall correctly...

    What a wonderful gift. You have exceptional inlaws!

    ReplyDelete
  7. awesome to think who's hands have passed over it and passed on from family member to family member...the history behind it.....what a fantastic gift, something to really cherish! Love ya!

    ReplyDelete
  8. this *almost* looks like an older Ashford Elizabeth, but I would think that it would have some kind of marking, but check out the style when you have a sec: http://www.ashford.co.nz/helpandadvice/ESW2B&W.pdf if nothing else, might give you an idea of the country of origin and that sort of thing and I would give Rosemary a shout about it too. Best of luck and like Bubbles said, even if it never gets fixed up, what a thoughtful and beautiful gift!!! truly a treasure!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a wonderful gift!
    Here are two links that have similar wheel plans, they might help you re-create what's missing. :)
    http://www.craftdesigns.co.uk/spinning1.html
    http://www.woodcraftplans.com/osc/small-spinning-wheel-plans-p-684.html
    These two plans are VERY similar. I have the second one, my dad might actually attempt to make it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Its beautiful!! I have one very similar, except mine isn't in nearly as good condition, and I think its a bit of a Frankenstein.
    Aimee aka FunFairiegirl was very helpful in her knowledge of wheels when she came to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Don't you know that's what Sleeping Beauty got poisoned with!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving a comment! I appreciate them all!