Prototype Kate
A short post today... a nice weekend with my parents marred only by the fact that my poor husband has been pretty miserably sick. But dad did bring me some spinning inspiration.
Dad and I have been talking a bit about spinning tools. One of the things I have complained about the most is not having a Lazy Kate that I really liked. Dad, who has just gotten to the point in his own spinnign where he needs to ply things, decided to take on the challenge. This weekend he brought me a proto-type to test out. Pretty neat, eh? Dad figured out a clever way to make the tensioning easy and adjustable, and how pretty is that walnut with the oak base and the brass pins? It's also quite solid and has enough weight that it wouldn't slide around easily.
Sadly enough, I have not been spinning all that much, so I had no way to test it out this weekend. But it has given me motivation to get back to a project that would give it a real work out: spinning the rest of my moorit CVM. I spent a little time doing that Sunday afternoon and was reminded why CVM is such a nice fiber to spin, even if it isn't dyed exotic colors.
Excellent! Your dad must be pretty brilliant to figure these things outon his own!
get well soon John! :)
you know one of these days we are going to see your Dad at Rhinebeck peddling spinning wheels.. he does great work!
Get Better John!!!
Wow, your dad is really talented! You're so lucky to have a woodworker who's also interested in spinning. You'll end up with some ingenious tools, I'm sure.
I wouldn't trade my Dad for the world, but when you make posts like these? I get so jealous.....
Interesting idea. When you test it out, note how it handles the almost-empty-bobbin-backspin issue.
I want you to keep encouraging your father to look into making spinning wheels. :D
Thanks for all the encouraging comments. Making a spinning wheel is a little out of my vision at this momemt but let me tell you that I'm souping up my Ashford as we speak. I've put a much better control on the scotch tensioning, I've modified the flyer and will probably do an all together new one soon, I've modified the flyer head assemble to get a more accurate alignment between the flyer and the wheel, and I've added yarn end holder. Hmmmm maybe making spinning wheels is closer than I think.
dad
The prototype Kate is lovely to look at and I can't wait to read how your testing goes.
Gorgeous Lazy Kate! Your Dad continues to amaze me.
Looks like a wonderful design. I think that as your dad said himself, he's closer than he thinks to making a wheel of his own design. :) I often find that people who come at spinning from a different frame of reference, (woodworking or engineering vs knitting) often have the most innovative and useful ideas.