JJ worked today so Sophia and I had the perfect opportunity to head down the the Allegan fairgrounds for the Michigan Fiber Festival (warning, their website isn’t very good). I attended the festival a couple of years ago but didn’t attend last year so I was anxious to see how it has changed over the past couple of years.
First, it’s a fun festival at a great price. It cost $5 for the day ($8 for the weekend) and parking was free. We had a great time checking out the Angora Bunnies, the LLamas, the Aplacas, the Sheep and the Goats. We watched an overly anxious dog give his try at herding a handful of skiddish sheep, and we checked out a lot of booths.
Rule Number 1: Walk through the whole festival WITHOUT buying anything. Yep. That was my rule. I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy ANYTHING the first time through. And yes, I kept that promise. Amazingly, I didn’t buy much at all. Indeed, I only bought 1 thing: a Shedua wood Lucet. Lucets date back for a handful of centuries and are a convenient way to create a cord (similar to an I-cord but less stretchy). Actually, I bought two of them (but I’m not going to say much about the second one since it’s a gift and the recipient occasionally reads this blog….)
The only other goal I had was to check out some spinning wheels. I’d like to get a wheel eventually and want to be prepared when the opportunity arises. I checked out a Louet S51 (liked it), and Ashford Joy (didn’t), a Ladybug (ok), a Babe’s (the one made out of PVC… less expensive but not very attractive) and… to my great surprise, fell in love with the Lendrum Double Tredle. Honestly, I’d never even heard of the Lendrum. I was walking through a booth and saw a woman spinning on a “different” looking wheel and asked her about it. She chatted about it for a while and sent me to the booth right next to her where she’d purchased her wheel almost 8 years before (Maple Row Stock & Wool from Sherwood, MI). Turns out they still sell ‘em. They’re a hair more expensive than the unfinished version of Mach1 (which I’ve also fallen in love with although I’ve never seen one in real life) but similar to the finished Mach1 and Lendrum has been around a LOT longer so I know their history and have been assured (by someone who doesn’t sell them) that replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to get. Anyhow, I’m still not buying one right away, but I do have a favorite right now!
We also had the chance to meet up with a handful of other Ravelry members. Fun!
If you’d like to see some pics, I put a few up at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24266318@N00/sets/72157606765395698/detail/
What a great day! Still can’t believe I only bought 1 (2) thing(s)!
Grace and Peace,
`tim
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August 16th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
David has a Lendrum, but it gets used very little these days. I last used it to do some plying. Personally, if I were spinning enough tom make it worth my while, I would love, love, love to have a Kromski. Probably a Mazurka or Minstrel (which I’ve had a chance to play with), but really, all of their wheels are works of art.
August 17th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I didn’t get to try a Kromski. I like the musical names (duh… what a dumb reason to buy a wheel, but I guess I’m like that!) and I’m not about to buy anything right now. I looked at their charkhas once… before I decided I just wouldn’t be happy with that.
I’ll drop you a note, I’d like to hear what you have to say about the Lendrum….
Grace and Peace,
`tim
August 17th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Were I in your shoes and I was looking at buying a wheel, I’d head over to the Spinning Loft in Howell, MI. Beth has at least 10 wheels there that you can try out, and she’s very knowledgable about all of them, and will help to guide you in your purchase. She will advise you on the best wheel for you in your price range. She can also sell you quality fiber to get your started. (Buy at least a pound: you’ll be surprised how fast you go through it when you’re just starting. Tell her I told you that.)
She doesn’t sell Lendrums. They’re very good wheels; I have one and like it very much. Majacrafts are also good. Both Lennies and Majacrafts have additional flyers that you can buy, so as your skills grow and you start spinning a wider range of yarns, the wheel grows with you. She also has several models of Kromskis, so you can try them out.
Regards–
Ted
http://knitterguy.typepad.com
August 17th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Ted…
Thanks for the advice. I’m still a ways away from a purchase. But I’ll definately keep that in mind. Howell is a decent drive, but well worth it for a life-time wheel….
I definately have to give a try to the Kromski Minstrel - I want to try the Sonata too, although it’s not as “classic” looking, to my eyes, as the Minstrel.
Glad the posting worked for you!
Grace and Peace,
`tim