I recently added a second spinning wheel to my studio – I guess you could say I’ve started a flock! This is actually the third spinning wheel I’ve owned. My other current wheel is the second 1970s Ashford Traditional I’ve restored: I wrote briefly about the first one way back when in this post, and it’s since gone to a new home.
The new addition is an Alden Amos spinning wheel. I purchased it from the original owner, who was downsizing her flock. I didn’t know very much about Alden Amos wheels before I bought her, so I did a bit of sleuthing on the internet to find out more. It appears to be one of the so-called “suitcase wheels” he designed – it comes completely apart for travel and is maybe even a wee bit smaller than my Traddy.
This unique little wheel is essentially a miniature version of a Canadian flat-rim wheel. The drive wheel is about 18″ in diameter, and is secured by an easily removed wooden peg. The wheel came with its own lazy kate and three tiny handmade bobbins – they hold only about a half ounce of fiber each. The flyer has two ratios, which I determined to be around 9:1 and 14:1. It works in either double drive or Scotch tension, and it has tilt-tension system for the double-drive, which you can see in the photo at the top. I’d been wanting to try a double-drive wheel for awhile, and now that I have I can see why many spinners love it.
I haven’t had a chance yet to do a full project on my new wheel, but I tested her out spinning some Corriedale roving, and she spins beautifully. No vibrations at the higher ratio like on my Traddy, and I love how easy it is to adjust the tilt tension. She’s perfectly set up for spinning fine yarns using longdraw techniques. I can’t wait to find the perfect project for her!
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