I have just had the most fiber-ific birthday. It started off strong when I arrived home last Tuesday night to a huge box in the living room. Now, I knew what was in the box, but thought I might wait until the weekend and my real birthday to open it. Then Brian suggested we check to see if everything was there. Once we opened the box, we just had to take it out and assemble it, oil it, and next thing you know, I had a new spinning wheel!

Its a Schacht Matchless. This is the same wheel I've been using in class, which is good because I have a basic understanding of how it works. I chose this one because I'd tried and liked it, and because its so versatile - there are various whorls for different speeds. well, I only use one or two speeds so far, but someday, the rest!

The sad-looking shoebox in the photo is a makeshift lazy kate. Somehow the fine people at Schacht forgot to put a lazy kate in the box, so I temporarily usurped this one from my little cat, who likes to sleep in shoeboxes. Schacht labels all their wheels based on the day they were made - this is the 13th one made on 12/16/09. The inauspicious 13 must be the reason behind the missing lazy kate..

But, not only did I get a spinning wheel, but also a whole pound of merino spinning fiber, and carders! I am so set to be a spinner.

Of course I've been spinning up a storm since getting the wheel. For the first yarn on the wheel, I spun some corriedale wool, because I had just worked with that on the spindle. It looks strikingly similar to the last handspun photo I posted, but I swear it is different yarn.. This one is 186 yards of about worsted weight, made from 4 ounces of roving.