Canadian Production Wheel

The other day my friend Mary offered to trade her Canadian Production Spinning Wheel for a Carder that I wanted to sell. An offer I could not refuse.
I have a Lendrum, and a homemade upright wheel that spins bulky with a big flyer. I have to admit that I was a bit bored with spinning of late and my wheels have been just sitting for months.
The new wheel has given me a revived interest in  making yarn again.

I realized as I tried to work on my new toy that I was very challenged by the fast spin ratio. The Canadian Wheel has a supposed spin ratio or 20 to one rotation of the wheel. Frankly, it seems much higher to me. I guess I will have to count and see how close that is. Regardless, the wheel has  given me a whole new interest in the process.

You can really feel connected to earlier generations of women spinning on these wheels for practical and utilitarian reasons. It treadles very easily as long as it is kept well oiled. I love the heavy black iron parts and the metal that is part of this style wheel. 

I have started working on some mohair I had carded and dyed a couple years ago plied with Black Alpaca that also has been sitting in my spinning stash for some time.

Even though the wheel is designed to spin very fine yarn, I am spinning mine just a bit thicker as I like it and it is working out fine.
I am having trouble not over twisting and it will take me some time to get it right.
I am an impatient person and so, am knitting a hat as I spin each ball. The wheel has small bobbins and only one on mine so I am making skeins about 2 ounces each once plied.

Here is a picture of the hat as a work in progress on 8 circular needles.

It is very dark blue combined with black and was hard to photograph.
The hat is popcorn stitch and my usual no pattern designs. To decrease at the top section, I knit 3 together instead of 2 as I went around so I could keep the pattern going.


I will post it when it is done very soon.