A Wheel That's Been Around the Block

No, I'm not talking about an antique wheel, or a wheel that has spun thousands of skeins of yarn. This wheel has not only spun miles of fibre, but it has travelled many a bumpy path. It has transported its treadler to imaginary and real life places. And it has had a second chance at a new and rewarding life.

Thanks to Jill, a visitor at our regular spinning circle, we all had a chance to smile and wonder at this intriguing machine while we worked away at our usual wheels and spindles.

Jill, a former spinning teacher, met many people who wanted to spin but couldn't afford a wheel. To get them started, she fashioned spinning wheels from treadle sewing machines, other found items and actual bobbins and flyers.

As a curator at a small museum near Hanover and Owen Sound, she scrounged parts and supplies and the labour of handy people to create this tool. Her goal was to catch the attention of children and to inspire them to try their hands at spinning ...and many did.

Yup! This 'tired' wheel's been around the block a few times :)