stereotypical single woman

This weekend I went all the way across the state to this really great shop, Heritage Spinning and Weaving, and bought one of these:

Isn’t it prettier than the one I originally intended on getting? After much research on the internet I decided that the only way I could make an educated decision on what wheel I should get would be to find someplace to go try some out. And I’m glad I did. The one I originally wanted to get really was very nice. But then I tried the Ashford Traveler (double drive version for those of you that know the lingo, it’s soooo much smoother to treadle) and it was that much easier to control that I was sold in less than 5 minutes. It also has many more add-on options than the other one, so instead of outgrowing the wheel in a year I can buy different flyers and whorls to spin jumbo, novelty, or lace-weight yarn instead of having to buy a completely new wheel just to get more spinning ratios. Of course it came with a higher price tag too. My lovely family then decided to make up the difference as my one and only Christmas gift, allowing me to be able to purchase this wonderful thing that I can’t wait to play with, but now am not allowed to use until December 25th. In fact I can’t even look at it and stroke the lovely, hand turned, New Zealand silver beech wheel because my family has hid it from me for the next 42 days because they know me so very well, and knew I was planning on sneaking home and spinning when no one was there.

I also can’t say enough good about the woman and the shop I bought it from. It was well worth the trip, even if we did initially take a wrong turn off the highway and ended up with a not-so-scenic tour through downtown Pontiac for over an hour behind a student driver. Once we got there I found it to be just the sort of place I dreamed of starting when I moved back to Grand Rapids but quickly forgot about once reality slapped me in the face. Now I want to start thinking about it again. It was a place for someone to come in with their projects, sit down, relax, and snack while working, and never be too far from any supplies or advice they may need. The front part was an actual yarn store, but if you kept walking toward the back it turned into room after room of crafting heaven (I’m talking “crafting” as an art form, not “krafting”, which is what soccer moms do when they shop at JoAnns for scrapbooking supplies and hot glue guns, there’s a HUGE difference.) Everywhere you looked there were comfy chairs to sit in, places to hang up your coat, tables to put you projects on, wheels to spin on, looms to weave with, and people to talk to - and everyone was so friendly. Once word got out that I was there to buy my first spinning wheel people (men and women, and the guys weren’t even gay, they were there with their wives, one of them was even knitting) stopped by to offer advise, encouragement, or to just check out what I was doing while I sat there for over an hour trying out different wheels. It reminded me so much of working in a costume shop - where you’re surrounded by space and equipment to use as needed, and are surrounded by people that, while they may all be working on their own projects, are always more than willing to help you brainstorm solutions to a problem or just sit and chat. When I first moved home my dream was to convert a space into somewhere for people to sew, dye, knit, weave, spin, refinish furniture, do some basic woodworking, etc… Someplace that would enable people to do projects and learn skills that they just don’t have the space or equipment to do at home. Sort of like a community center craft room where people can buy supplies and rent space to work. Of course classes would be offered, and stitch and bitch nights would be the norm, and various experts would be brought in for workshops, but right now it’s just a dream. But wouldn’t it be great?