Oh, Joy!

A baby Joy all my own!

As soon as I borrowed a friend's Ashford Joy last spring, I knew I wanted one for my own. I've been scouring spinning ad sites and put the word out that I was on the hunt to spinners in different parts of the country. Every time I came across a used wheel, it seemed it wouldn't work out for one reason or another. I was on the verge of buying a new one. In fact, I did check some out at shops but they just didn't feel right.

Then on a whim last week I called Susan's Fiber Shop to see if she had any in stock. No, she didn't, but she did have a friend wanting to use one as a trade in order to get a Lendrum wheel. It was an up again, down again transaction but Saturday afternoon I drove down to the shop to try out the wheel. The price was right so home she came with me. :)

It's in wonderful condition, a few minor scratches and a little oil stain on the footman. Neither one bothers me much. I'd rather see an oil stain because at least that shows it was oiled instead of used without any. tI've never bought a used wheel before and it's kind of nice adopting and giving it a home. I'm thinking it will fit in nicely with my other wheels. Gads, I never thought I'd have more than one!

The seller wanted to get down to one wheel after having collected a few. I'd sort of been feeling that way about my spindles. Then, completely unlooked for, a new spindle ended up in my lap and spindle fervor was restored.

This is an Avi Wasserman. The whorl is Maple with Wenge and Ebony inlay and a Mahogany shaft. At 40 gm, it's a little heavier than most of my spindles but oh, what a sweet spinner it is! The fiber is superfine superwash Merino from Gypsy Girl Creations in the Blue Hawaii colorway.
One of the best things about Avi spindles is that the inlay goes right through so they're lovely from the bottom, too. This may just be my favorite spindle ever. The workmanship is impeccable and the finish on the shaft is just right--smooth but not too slippery. It doesn't have a notch but I learned I didn't really need one. And, that for this spindle I needed to adjust the way I wound on a a beehive shaped seemed to work best. Yes, this was discovered after the photo was taken.

I'll leave you with one last photo. This is of the Moody Blues Coopworth/Silk shown on the bobbin last time.
Let the knitting begin!