# The most WONDERFUL thing happened today!



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

For my birthday, my wonderful husband gave me a $20 gift certificate for my LYS. Today I had a chance to go in there and wander around and find something to spend my money on ... some new circulars for a project I want to do from Knitty (Ice Queen - I got this amazing yarn that'll be perfect for it at the thrift store, believe it or not!), more row counters (always need those), and some lovely purple merino silk blend rovings to spin up.

As I was standing there pondering knitting notions, I heard a conversation between the shopkeeper and a lady. The lady said "oh, and I have this Ashford wheel ... I've had it for 15 years figuring I'd learn to spin, but I haven't, and I figure it's time to sell it. Could I sell it here, maybe?"

Well, you can bet your boots I spoke up right then!

"A wheel?? Did you say you have a wheel for sale?"

I explained I've got my PVC Babe but have been coveting a wooden one for awhile, but I've only got a bit of money to spend so I was looking for a used one.

"Well, how much have you got?"

I told her I had $150, totally figuring that'd be way too low. 

Her eyes got big - it was more than she thought she'd get for it, clearly!

The shopkeeper and I asked her some questions to figure out which model of Ashford it was, and we weren't quite sure, but it was either the Traddy or the Traveller. Even knowing that new these go for $400 or so, she was quite happy to make the deal with me, and I picked it up this afternoon!

It *is* the Traveller - which is EXACTLY the wheel I wanted! I wanted a castle wheel (I just love 'em, the look, and the space, and ... I dunno, they just suit me. Maybe it's from working on a Babe for so long!) ... she was THRILLED to have it go to someone so excited (I swear I was bouncing in my seat on the way home, this is just the cooooolest thing to have happen!) and the yarn store lady thought it was just awesome that we were both happy! Way cool!

The wheel was bought brand new and never used. It's sat, untouched, for 15 years in a corner, just looking pretty.

A good coat of Old English lemon oil on all the pieces (it'll need another coat or two, the wood's a bit thirsty - we have a very dry climate, so we're quite accustomed to that kind of maintenance), some penetrating oil squirted on the bearings, a new drive band (the original had disappeared somewhere, and a hunk of this ... whatever it is that works really well for weaving warp ... seems to be working great), and it's treadling smoothly!

I'm about to check the instructions on the Ashford site, then get some fibre and try this baby out ... I am sooooo excited!

So if you need something to feel happy about, I have enough happiness to share! Wherever you are, feel free to jump for joy right along with Frazzlehead!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Congratulations!  What a wonderful story.

(now you can become a wheel snob...) j/k!!


----------



## ~NY_Cowgirl~ (Sep 25, 2007)

Congrats!!! we need pictures!!!!


----------



## FairviewFarm (Sep 16, 2003)

What a wonderful twist of fate that both of you were in the yarn shop at the same time. But even more wonderful is your offer being accepted. I've had a few (and far between) events happen like that in my life. I've come away knowing it was meant to be. I'm looking forward to pictures of your new wheel and the yarn you'll be producing on it.


----------



## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Congrats! That is just awesome. You were in the right place at the right time... just wonderful!
:hobbyhors


----------



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I have it up and running! 

I got some of the Icelandic rovings out of the box (figuring it'd be best to start with something guaranteed to be easy to spin - and these are heavenly!) and ....










She is beautiful.










There's still some cigarette-smoke smell coming off of the wood, but that'll fade with time and a few more coats of lemon oil.  

The treadling motion is quite different from the Babe - on the Babe, I can actually use my heel to lift the treadle (I can often start the wheel from the 10 or 11 o'clock positions just with my foot) ... but that doesn't work on the Traveller. The spokes of the wheel are closer though so giving them a push by hand is easy enough.

Helpful hints most welcome from all you Ashford fans!


----------



## ~NY_Cowgirl~ (Sep 25, 2007)

*GASP* it's sooo beautiful!!!!!!!! I am drooling....


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

How wonderful!!! Isn't it funny how these things work out? Great story and you will have many, many happy years of spinning.


----------



## Humburger (Sep 13, 2007)

How exciting! That is absolutely beautiful! What a deal!


I have an Ashford Traditional wheel and their Rigid Heddle Loom. I just love Ashford stuff.


----------



## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

I am thrilled for you. It is a gorgeous wheel and what a neat way to get it!!


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Very happy for you, your floors are beautiful too.


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Frazzle, what luck to be in the right spot at the right time! I loved seeing a picture of the wheel. It's an early Traveller with the flyer in the center which makes much more sense to me than the current ones with the flyer to the left. Does it have the Ashford logo somewhere on it? I'd love to know since a few years ago I bought an old wheel on E-Bay for the daughter of a friend of mine. I thought it was an early Traveller, but there was no logo on it. Still, it worked out great, and she became a spinner .


----------



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Now there's being in the right place at the right time! Congrats on your new wheel! A Castle style is on my list, so I'm pretty envious right now. 

Love what you're spinning, any idea what it's going to be??


----------



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I knew you would all be the very best folk to share my happiness. 

Katherine, I just got down on my hands and knees and looked over the whole wheel - nope, no logo. The lady I got it from said she was digging about to find her paperwork, but hadn't located it ... she said it came with a sticker, but she had not ever gotten around to putting it on. So, maybe the wheel you got was one like this one! And you are right, having the centre support in the centre just seems logical with this wheel - I can't quite see why they moved it over to one side in the redesign.

7th Swan, thanks for the compliment on the floors.  They are wide plank pine, which we lived on in an unfinished state for about two months before finally staining them ... so they are very "distressed" ... but I like not having to worry about getting a few marks on them ... they started out imperfect, just like me!

Pakalana, that's some of my Icelandic fleece that I had sent out to the mill to be prepped into rovings. A blessedly expensive venture, to be sure, but the stuff is just gorgeous to spin with, it so badly wants to be yarn.  I am spinning up all of what I have left, and then I'll see what it wants to be - I have a few skeins already, but I don't quite know what to make. It's from one of my favourite ewes who is at the end of her life now, so whatever it is, it'll be special.  

Humburger and Fairview, I was just stunned when she accepted that offer - I knew that was way too low for a wheel like that, but it was honestly all that I had budgeted at the moment! What was so awesome was that she was perfectly happy with that, and truly pleased to have the hassle of selling it eliminated for her. What a great thing, when it works out like that! :dance:

And for all of you who crochet or knit for loved ones, I'll just mention that the blue and white blanket on the chair in the background was crocheted for me by my aunt: and I can tell you a blanket made with love is just better than any other kind. It's still the only one I want if I'm sick or feeling blue. 

I finished a whole bobbin last night (my DH got called out to a vehicle rescue, he is a volunteer firefighter, and I was up late waiting for him, listening on the scanner) ... today is a knitting day. Maybe next I'll try some of the merino/silk stuff ... now that'll be an adventure!


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Beautiful wheel and what a story you have!

Wonderful!

Your yarn looks great too.

Have a good day!


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Some things happen because they are ment to be. Maybe you could make yourself a shawl out of your favorite ewes wool,an everlasting Hug.


----------



## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

I love your story! :clap::clap::clap: How wonderful!


----------



## Dandish (Feb 8, 2007)

It was meant to be... Congratulations! It's beautiful.


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Frazzle, I compared yours with a picture of the one I bought on E-Bay a few years ago, and they look the same, except for the finish. I found mine right at the end of the auction; there had been a discussion about what make it was, and someone said Travellers had the flyer on the left so it was probably a homemade wheel (i.e. not worth buying!). I checked the New Zealand wheels website (www.nzspinningwheels.info/uprightp3.html#TRAVELLERMK1), and there it was. But I've always wondered why there wasn't a logo; now I know. Ashford issued stickers before putting the logo in the wood. That model was only made between 1977-79, so I know your seller was astounded at what you offered to pay for it. I suspect she paid about $100. I think I only paid $125 for my new Traddy in 1981. You both did well


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

In case you haven't found the guide for your beautiful wheel, here you go: http://www.ashford.co.nz/helpandadvice/TVDTS.pdf


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Katherine I have an older Ashford too, dates back to maybe the 70's but I'm not sure. Mine doesn't have a sticker or stamp on it either.


----------



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Oh, Katherine, thank you for all that information!! That's so encouraging. I figured that maybe if she'd bought the wheel 15 years ago, prices had gone up since then ... and that might've explained her reaction. Sounds like that's probably it! And unless you kind of looked around for a 'going rate', how would you know you could get so much more? Thankfully, she was just happy to have it go to someone else who would enjoy it, and didn't need to "make as much as she could" on the deal so ... bless her heart!

Thanks for the link Marchie -the current layout is a little different, but there was enough that was the same that I got it all figured out. Not that it needed much - a bit of lemon oil, a bit of deep penetrating oil, a drive band, and voila! off she goes!

I do need to get something else for my drive band, the warp-stuff I have on there now is slipping some. I have heard kitchen twine works well but do I have any? Noooo. Oh, I have kitchen cotton, maybe I can try that tonight.

I am deciding if tonight is a knitting or a spinning night. It might just be both!


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Try rubbing a bit of beeswax on the drive band to help it keep from slipping.


----------

