Franken-Wheel

Alice found a really cool spinning wheel...affectionately known as the "Franken-Wheel". It's made of the parts from several different wheels, plywood, random wood bits, and a stool. It spins amazingly well. I loved checking out all the "parts" it was comprised of - I found it fascinating!

It looks like the orifice is from an antique wheel and the "base" from a small wooden stool. In spite of the variety of components, I think the over-all look of the wheel is nice...perhaps even a bit elegant.

This time of year is perfect! "Nature's Bounty" is definitely evident as I stroll through the neighborhood. The wild raspberries and the Queen Ann's Lace are definitely in abundance.

The past two days, I've been able to pick enough wild raspberries for DH and I to each have a refreshing bowl of fresh berries. It was the perfect summer "after dinner treat.

I also noticed that there was an abundance of Queen Ann's Lace...all ready for the picking and the dyeing. It produces a very nice "baby yellow". I didn't pick any - I've done this in the past, but since I'm not a fan of yellow, I didn't feel compelled to try it again. There are a number of great tutorials that detail the process of harvesting the Queen Ann's lace, making your dyeing "liquor", and the preparation and dyeing of wool. My personal favorite is Toni's instructions at The Fold.

I haven't tried plying the 2 ounces of Shetland that I'd spun on my drop spindle last month. I guess I'm afraid to try - it will be my first attempt ever to ply on my drop spindle. Instead of plying, I started spinning a new color of Shetland. This roving is a greenish-blue. I love this - it reminds me of the ocean. The Shetland is very easy to spin...and I find it very relaxing. When I drag my drop spindle with me, I somehow manage to find a number of unexpected opportunities to work in some spinning.