Spin in Public Day

Yesterday was World Wide Spin in Public Day. Rueben took me to Allyn (a very small town South West of Port Orchard) where they were having a Spin in Public Day in the Gazebo at the waterfront park. The weather was kind of cool, especially when the wind blew, so I wore the shawl Michelle made for me from her sheep (handspun yarn and hand woven) over my t-shirt, kept closed with the shawl pin I bought in Colorado Springs.

I thought it would be cool to take my Great Wheel to spin on. I made that decision for a few reasons. That was the wheel I'd been working on lately to spin the yarn I received in a yarn swap and I want to use that yarn to make a hat for Rueben. Also, I thought there probably wouldn't be another Great Wheel there. I was right, there was not another Great Wheel. Also, it didn't seem like anyone there had even seen a Great Wheel in person. I was told more than once that it was good to see the Great Wheel and even more so, that it was good to see that someone was actually spinning on one.

This is me and my friend Renate with the Great Wheel.

At one point, someone asked me if it was true what they'd heard; that the wheel was in my family for a hundred years and that I had just learned to spin on it. I told them, no, actually, this was my greatest ebay find.

It wasn't until this morning that I realized that it was my friend Renate they were talking about. She was using the wheel she got from her husband's uncle. It was last used by her husband's grandmother or great-grandmother and was in her family for at least 100 years. At one point, she blamed me for her new hobby obsession. I told her, all I did was tell her it could work.

This is Renate and her 100 year old wheel (to the right of center).

I was also interviewed by a reporter from North Mason Life. I haven't seen any article or picture, yet, but maybe tomorrow!