Kromski MInstrel

I humbly introduce:


Isn't he dashing? I'm quite smitten with him, anyway. This is a Kromski Minstrel in the walnut finish!

Let me start off by saying that I was a little bit worried about learning to spin on a wheel after having used spindles for so long. Now, I see how silly I was. Immediately, I was spinning yarn just as thin and even as I had on a spindle...and perhaps even more so. My spinning productivity has increased dramatically.



I love the sound of the wheel as it turns, the leather bearings, the finely turned wood. I love everything about it, but perhaps what thrills me most of all is the relief on my shoulders compared to spindling. Because with spindle spinning I find myself spending prolonged periods of time with one arm high in the air, I tend to develop a great amount of tension in my neck and shoulders. Pair that with a general disregard for proper posture (I'm working on it, though) and you are setting yourself up for pain and headaches. With the wheel, on the other hand, both of my arms sit casually in front of me and much of the pressure is relieved. Needless to say, I am quite the happy camper.


So, at this point and time I am going to say that I love my Kromski Minstrel and I have no complaints at this time. I've only been spinning on it for a few days and I can't help having one of those so-far-so-good kind of feelings.

I think it needs a name. I'm considering Rasputin. :)