Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel: My "New" Spin Baby

 

Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel (circa 2001)

I always thought if I needed to replace my Louett S90 Spinning Wheel (circa 1998), that the closest thing available would be a Schacht Matchless.  They are both castle wheels, both elegant in design.  

This week, someone nearby posted a used Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel on Facebook Marketplace for what I considered a reasonable price for a used wheel of this caliber.   New ones sell for about $1800.  It needed a little little love and attention -- not too much.  Just a good cleaning and oiling, and a minor adjustment to the treadles, and it is back in working order again!

 

On the back is a serial number so you can figure out how old the wheel is.  It's more precise than the serial numbers on the old Singer sewing machines.  The number above tells me that it was made on August 29, 2001 and it was the 6th Matchless spinning wheel of the day. 

I may need to replace the treadle brackets underneath the wheel.  They are a bit worn.  One of the treadles popped off as I was spinning the initial test yarns.  Plastic parts don't last forever.  It's too bad these wheels are not outfitted with speedometers, so you can tell how many miles are on it -- How many miles of yarn spun!

 

I pulled a variety of fibers from my stash to "give it a whirl" and see how she spins.  To my utter delight, she spins like a dream!  I tried various fibers in my stash, and they all come out pretty nice on this wheel!    In the photo is some old wool fleece (some of the first I bought in 1998 from Patty Reedy at Rainbow Fleece Farm -- It sparkles!), and some newer alpaca.  It all looks pretty good!

What I really want to spin on this wheel is fancy art batts, and sparkle yarn.  ;-). The Louett is reserved for plying these days, although I can spin pretty much anything on it.  ;-)  The Schacht-Reeves Wheel (aka the sleeping beauty wheel) seems to be optimized for alpaca.  A few weeks ago, I grabbed some white fiber to continue spinning, and it was coming out so wiry and crinkly -- I felt like I was a brand new spinner again, like I had to start over and learn it all over again.  It was pretty bad yarn--until I realized it was merino, not alpaca.  When I realized the fiber didn't feel so nice and silky as alpaca, and went back to the alpaca, the spinning looked normal again.  It's kind of a touchy / finicky wheel.  Beautiful to look at, though!

I am so pleased with this Matchless!  Also to know that I still know how to spin!  And equipment makes a difference.

The Schacht Matchless has 2 treadles, rather than the 1 treadle I've been used to for the past 26 years on other spinning wheels.  I thought that might be harder to get used to than it has been.  Not a problem!

I asked the seller if she had named this wheel.  She didn't even  an bat an eye at the question.  She said she got it from a woman in Chicago named Ekaterina, so she called it Katya.  It sounds like this lady got old and couldn't do it anymore, and her family didn't know what to do with the wheel.  Lacey, the seller, hasn't been able to give it the love and attention it needs.  Life got in the way, and she had no time for it.  Although she did take the time to outfit it with the bulky flier -- She sent it back to Schacht in Colorado to have it fitted to this particular wheel.  That's cool!  

There are bobbins with yarn spun by both women, plus 2 by me.  Some of it is quite nice!  Some of it I may use to practice chain plying ...  But that will be a separate post!

The seller also outfitted it with the bulky flier and sent it back to the Schacht factory in Boulder, CO, for it to be perfectly fitted to this wheel.  That was an investment!    

 

Last but not least, I also purchased this Vera Bradley backpack used on MarketPlace for only $15.  I will use it to hold the extra bobbins, fiber, manual and other supplies together for this wheel.  It also makes it easy to take-it-on-the-road if I want to take it somewhere else ...

In the photo above, hanging from the mother-of-all is the tiny tool box I made for oil, lube, oriface hooks, and whatever else might be required to keep such a machine in running order.  I will make a separate post on that little project. 

I was watching a number of videos to prepare for owning a Matchless -- Where to oil it, how to use the various tensionning options, etc.  That may be a separate post in and of itself.  I am used to the Irish tension on the Louet, which is easy to manage.  The double drive is a little trickier.  I have not used the Scotch tension.  Each one has it's uses!

 

For now, I'll leave you with a shot of the old fleece from Patty Reedy's Rainbow Fleece Farm.  It's a good looking single!  I love her fleeces because they just sparkle naturally.  They have such a lovely luster.  With the new wheel, I am committed to finally spinning up those old fleeces.

I made the realization that I can use singles as the pattern yarn in coverlets.  So there's no need to ply them, as they can be used without the additional processing.

More to come ...

A Good Day for Spinning

 

A Good Day for Spinning

It's been a long time since I did any spinning on the big Saxony cherry (aka The Sleeping Beauty) wheel!  Last weekend, the temps and humidity inside the house were just right, and the mood struck to spin.  

On the big cherry wheel, I am spinning some luscious alpaca roving, already carded.  I'm pretty sure this comes from the Sabamba Alpaca Farm, not far from here.

At the beginning of September was the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, but my friend Lynda and I decided not to go down for it this year.  Both of us have everything we need as far as fiber and tools.  That weekend, I went to her house to sit, spin and catch up with her -- using my portable Louet S90.  We had a lovely afternoon!

New Spinning Wheel : Schacht-Reeves Saxony Wheel in Cherry

The new spinning wheel is here!  It's a beauty!  

I think I'll call her Claire. 

This video was very helpful in getting things all set up.

I started with that new creamy alpaca.  But it was like I was a brand new and learning to spin again.  It's always that way getting to know a new piece of equipment.

I was having trouble with the double drive-band staying in the grooves of the big wheel  It must not have been lined up properly.  Finally, I gave up on that, and just doubled it up, with both strands on the whorl, and went with the Scotch tension on the bobbin instead.  I got that to work better, but I could feel a lot of extra drag with that method --  It was harder to treadle, too --  I was almost considering up-grading to the double treadle as the other foot would pick up where the wheel gets slow and wants to go backwards. I never had that trouble with the Louet S90.    Felt like I was fighting it--which tells me it needed some more adjustments.

Then I tried some black alpaca and sheep's wool mix that had been beautifully carded.  It was light and airy, very easy to work with, and things got to much easier.

My husband did the math, and figured out which whorl I should be using that would be roughly equivalent to the one I usually use on the Louet -- which is the middle one.    For the Schacht, it's the larger whorl with the biggest setting.   Things were getting even easier to work!

Then I got brave and decided to try the double drive band again.  It worked so much easier this time.  Much less drag, and the treadling was also easier.  Still not sure I understand how to adjust the tension properly, but I'll figure it out.

So far I have about 1/2-a bobbin full already. Some really bad yarn, and some pretty decent yarn on top.

I think we have a good understanding of each other now.  I think she'll be very happy here.  ;-)

Fiber basket  -- currently filled with a mix of black alpaca and black sheep's wool carded into a large-ish cloud-like batt.  Very soft and easy to spin on the new wheel.    Silk scarf from St. Vinny's.  They didn't have much for baskets lately, so I picked up the basket at Hobby Lobby in a pinch.  I'll be on the lookout for a better one -- like the one my mom has.  Maybe she'll give me that one for Christmas?  [Hint Hint.]

Tiny Tools Basket
A little welcome gift for the new wheel.  I made one of these little fabric boxes from 2 12-inch squares of fabric quilted with a layer of batting.  Instructions are here.http://crafty.house/easy-fabric-box/     We made them one time at Quilt Camp at Silver Birch Ranch.  The Louet has one, too.  Perfect for a small bottle of oil, big ol' coconut button diz, threading hook, and any other little sundries that might be needed.   

Spinning into Infinity : Embellishments on my Old Spinning Wheel

With the new Schacht-Reeves Saxony spinning wheel coming in a few weeks, I wanted to show my old Louet S90 wheel some love.  I'm still using it regularly, and probably will even after the new wheel arrives just because it's portable and compact. The new wheel won't be so portable. 

I got this lovely vinyl wall decal via Etsy.  I wanted a non-permanent way of decorating my spinning wheel.    This option had some obvious reversible benefits over painting with a stencil. 

I choose the burgundy color with the idea of adding some gold or copper highlights with a sponge before installing the decal on my wheel.  I didn't wind up doing that after all, as I was afraid the added layer before installation would mess up the adhesive in the installation process.  As it was, the hardest part was peeling up the backing paper.  It was relatively quick and easy to apply the decal.  ;-)

This is the 18-inch version.  My wheel is just over 19 inches in diameter.
I laid it on the wheel, and pressed down as per the instructions.  Then I took an exacto knife and cut out the parts with the holes / no wood.   Though it occurred to me later that I might have been able to wrap some of those edges.  The hardest part was peeling off the backing paper, so take your time with that step.

Didn't have this brilliant idea in time to do it up for The Sheep and Wool Festival earlier in the month.


Here's a short video showing the mandala in action.  The maple on the solid wheel really does flash like that as the light hits the different facets in the wood.  It's really a neat effect! 

The music in the background is from Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen.  The song is called "Opus 53. " I was lucky enough to hear them at a house concert last night in our neighborhood -- a small gathering of less than a dozen people.    And yes, I did buy some of their music.  Check out Grey's The Orange Tree, and their Welcoming CD.   ;-)

The Heart Wants What It Wants ... a New Spinning Wheel

Tonight I put in an order for a brand new spinning wheel : a Schacht-Reeves 24-inch single treadle Saxony wheel in cherry.     Here are the specs from the Schacht website.   I am taking a huge leap of faith here, ordering it site unseen, and untried.   I've heard good things about them.  They might be a little fiddly to begin with, but once you come to an understanding, it's a smooth spinner.     And a beautiful piece of furniture, too. 

I was trying to wait for the Sheep & Wool Festival in September, but there's no guarantee that any of the vendors will bring this particular wheel to demo ...   In the end, I found the best price through a family farm / fiber shop that happens to be in Wisconsin : Earthsong Fibers.   So that makes me feel even better that I bought "local."  They might very well be vending at the upcoming Sheep & Wool Festival, too.

If I don't like it, I don't think I will have any trouble selling it.

It has such a classic, beautiful look to it.   Truth be known, I would have loved the 30-inch wheel, but my house isn't quite big enough fr that size -- maybe some day?

Now, I wait 8-10 weeks for the Schacht Spindle Factory to make it for me and drop-ship to my home.

Did I mention it's cherry?  LOVE!

In the meantime, I'll give my old Louet S90 wheel some love ...  Still spinning the the silk and wool mix. ;-)

Successful Day at The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI

JIM HOKETT BOAT SHUTTLES

The find-of-the-day was these beautiful 15-inch wooden weaving shuttles made by Jim Hokett. 

I was in the booth for The Weaver's Loft, sorting through a box of shuttles when some other weaving ladies were interested in the same.  One called the owner over, and we discovered that she had bought out Jim Hokett's remaining stock in weaving shuttles.  She was selling them as a great discount : $30 each for these beauties!  One still had a price tag on it for $85.  Wow!    This was certainly the find of the show -- if you're a weaver.

 

I purchased 2 of the Jim Hokett Shuttles (1 Bird's Eye Maple and 1 Bubinga).   My friend Lynda got 3 of them!  She just couldn't pass this up either.  She got Bubinga, Cocobolo (a little more expensive), and some kind of wood that was mostly black with a little white, and quite heavy.  She is looking forward to working with these on her largest loom.

 

I've seen Jim Hokett shuttles online (Pinterest and blogs), but they seem to be hard to come by if you're actually trying to purchase them.  Now I know why ...  If you want to get one for yourself at these prices, they may have some left at The Weaver's Loft.

The only other thing I purchased was this lovely little commercially-made acrylic diz.  Very elegant, don't you think?  I remembered these from last year at Mielke's Fibers.  They come with a handy threader--a loop--not the usual hook. 

I might still try to make some of my own dizzes.  It's an easy thing to do if you have a big button and a drill press.  Anything with a hole will work, really.  Still, it's nice to have an official one.

"What?" You say in disbelief.  "You went to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, and did NOT come away with any fiber?"  It's true!  There were plenty of fibers to touch and feel -- Plenty of beautiful dyed locks and color combinations (Oh My!   Patty Reedy from Rainbow Fleece Farm among others.) The funny thing is : I feel like I've been "spoiled" by spinning alpaca.  Even Merino (which I used to think of as the cotton candy of spinning fiber) feels a bit rough next to alpaca.  

And silk ---  We learned about silk lap at The Thorntree Pass booth where the lady had beautifully dyed Wensleydale locks and silk lap.  Silk Lap is a batt that builds up on a drum carder while processing for other silk products.  It peels off and can be dyed and spun.  I'm really interested in exploring this more ...  She had some beautiful color combinations on her dyed goods.  I hope to see her again someday. 

As for my lack of fiber purchases : Never Fear : I have plenty of fiber at home waiting to be processed, and a few more bags set to be delivered via mail order over the next week -- some with silk!  That will be a separate post. ;-)

Even the catalog is a useful reference to keep around the rest of the year, as it lists the vendors with contact info, and lots of other useful info. 

Spinning the day away in the last hours of the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival 2017 in Jefferson, WI.  

New Yarn Spun and Plied

I've been working on this fleece literally for years!  But I wanted to finish off these spools so I can start a new batch with the fiber I purchased this past week : Black and Blue Merino