# Travel wheels



## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

Do you have a travel wheel? Which one? Why do you like it? What made you pick it over the other travel wheels? Are you limited on what you can spin with it?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I travel with one of my existing wheels - but I don't travel much (i.e. I don't go on planes to retreats or anything, I'm taking my car if I go anywhere with my wheel). My Babe fits nicely in the car, as does my replica Norwegian. They are both easy to transport, not too heavy, and sturdy enough to tolerate being moved around (as opposed to my big antique wheel).

I have spun on the Joy, which folds up into a little backpack. You can get a jumbo flyer head for it and everything, it's not really 'limited' in any way. Quite a nice little wheel, really - lots of people use the Joy as their only wheel, good at home, and good to travel.

Personally, I find most travel wheels require me to treadle way too fast, but that is because I am accustomed to spinning with 24- 30" drive wheels - my big antique, even my Babe have big drive wheels and fast ratios, and I find most of the travel wheels too slow for my style of spinning. *However* I am not a good representative sample of 'your average spinner', I do mostly long draw at high speeds, and don't pay much attention to making perfectly even singles, I just make lots of woolen yarn and let the plying and blooming take care of the inconsistencies. 

If I am going to a spinning event, quite often now I will take my supported spindles with me instead of lugging the wheel. They don't take up as much 'physical space' as a drop spindle (I use them sitting, and just need room to one side to draft) and are waaaay more portable than even the most portable travel wheel.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I have a Kromski Minstrel. It is my first wheel. I decided that instead of getting a so-so wheel then graduating to a good one, I'd just get one wheel. I got the Minstrel so that I could travel with it. In hindsight, I should have made a bag of some sort to put it in.

The so-called traveller is a castle wheel (parts on top of one another) and not necessarily meant for traveling. My present living room is big enough for a walking wheel, but the house I'm moving to is not and the castle style is perfect.

My wheel is very easy to use, well balanced, and I'm sure a person could spin whatever they wanted on it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I have a Kromski Sonata. It came with a great carrying bag and it folds up. I've been traveling with it exclusively for about 2 years. I can't say I've ever truly bonded with this wheel. It works fine and I like it but it isn't my favorite wheel. If I had itto do over again I would get a Lendrum.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

My main wheel is an Ashford Traveller, but it's a little cumbersome to travel with. I can carry it, but am always worried that the flyer will flip back and the maiden fall off (which has happened).

So I got a used Hitchhiker. I use it mostly for plying, and prefer it over the Traveller for plying. It was a little fast for me to spin singles - they ended up being overspun, but I haven't used it for a while (and I'm better at higher ratios now). It's very portable, and I take it to Guild meetings, and out on the front porch with me


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I have an Ashford Traveller. I like it because it fits PERFECTLY on the floor behind the seat of my car. 

It is a little difficult to carry, though. Needs two hands, then how do I carry fiber?


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

I bought my first wheel last fall (birthday gift from DH). I chose a Lendrum and it will fold for travel. So far, it hasn't left the house, but I hope to be able to travel with it someday.

My Lendrum has a fast flyer, as well as a jumbo flyer for plying, so not really limited in what I could spin with it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I like your little wheel WIHH. Her wood is lovely


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

An Ashford Joy is still my main spinning wheel---for over 8 years now and it fits into a pillow case. The only problem is that it is short, but then I'm a short person. At home I have an office chair that adjusts down to the right level.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

My first wheel is a Canadian Production Wheel that is about 100 years old. It is not especially portable. I don't use it much, but it does make lovely fine threads.

My _main _wheel is a Lendrum. (See my Avatar.) It is over 30 years old. I use it for almost everything and it spins smoothly and well. I recently purchased the very fine flyer so that I can do fine threads on it as well.

I move it around the house. I spin on the patio. I take it camping. It is very portable.


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