Where The Spinning Wheel Lives
Posted: Sunday, 22 April 2007 |
This is a photo o` me Ashford spinning wheel, I hae had it for a goodly while noo, and it`s spun a lot o` wool in that time. It lives under the window next tae the chest I use as a seat when I am spinning, so I can sit and spin and still peer oot the window at the view and the ducks and hens and geese.
The wee toolbag on it hauds a few bits and pieces o` kit...wool for naalbinding (a sample o` which is shown in the other photo, along wi` the polished bone needle the other half made me for reeanctment) and one o` me drop spindles, I didnae tak oot the lovely wee Viking shears the son in law kindly made for me but I can show them next time, plus more balls o` wool spun frae the wheel and other bone needles o` varying sizes.
In winter, it`s fine and nice tae sit in the warm livingroom wi` the Doric ticking ower, and spin and watch the rain pelt the window or watch the ducks waddling aroond looking for food, or the geese and hens try tae bully the wild moorhens wha are getting used tae that noo and ignore them. All o` the birds I hae seen lately in the garden are nesting, ye can watch them pick up small bits o` windblawn hay and dried grass and the down off the geese tae feather their nests. Maist o` these nests are in the nooks and crannies o` the byres, some o` them in plain sight, like the blackbirds nest wi` it`s bonny blue eggs.
And the birds grow used tae us twolegs and the dog and the cats (wha surprisingly, leave the birds be) and flit aboot the byre eating the grain put oot for the hens and flying back and forth wi` nesting material.
But doon by the beach is a different matter...there, the gulls nest, and they spit at ye if ye gaun too near their nests, a foul smelling concoction that taks a week tae wash off if ye are unlucky enough tae get too close.
When the weather warms up again....we hae had sun, torrential rain, winds, hail and it even tried tae snow ower the weekend!....I`ll tak the spinning wheel ootdoors and sit round the front o` the hoose tae spin.
It`s near on that time o` year again...the dog has tae hae a bath! She doesnae mind it, in fact she loves the water....but oh, it`s a fair auld mess at the time! I hae tae keep an eye on the other half this time tae mak sure he doesnae dry the hound doon wi` me brand new best towels again......
The wee toolbag on it hauds a few bits and pieces o` kit...wool for naalbinding (a sample o` which is shown in the other photo, along wi` the polished bone needle the other half made me for reeanctment) and one o` me drop spindles, I didnae tak oot the lovely wee Viking shears the son in law kindly made for me but I can show them next time, plus more balls o` wool spun frae the wheel and other bone needles o` varying sizes.
In winter, it`s fine and nice tae sit in the warm livingroom wi` the Doric ticking ower, and spin and watch the rain pelt the window or watch the ducks waddling aroond looking for food, or the geese and hens try tae bully the wild moorhens wha are getting used tae that noo and ignore them. All o` the birds I hae seen lately in the garden are nesting, ye can watch them pick up small bits o` windblawn hay and dried grass and the down off the geese tae feather their nests. Maist o` these nests are in the nooks and crannies o` the byres, some o` them in plain sight, like the blackbirds nest wi` it`s bonny blue eggs.
And the birds grow used tae us twolegs and the dog and the cats (wha surprisingly, leave the birds be) and flit aboot the byre eating the grain put oot for the hens and flying back and forth wi` nesting material.
But doon by the beach is a different matter...there, the gulls nest, and they spit at ye if ye gaun too near their nests, a foul smelling concoction that taks a week tae wash off if ye are unlucky enough tae get too close.
When the weather warms up again....we hae had sun, torrential rain, winds, hail and it even tried tae snow ower the weekend!....I`ll tak the spinning wheel ootdoors and sit round the front o` the hoose tae spin.
It`s near on that time o` year again...the dog has tae hae a bath! She doesnae mind it, in fact she loves the water....but oh, it`s a fair auld mess at the time! I hae tae keep an eye on the other half this time tae mak sure he doesnae dry the hound doon wi` me brand new best towels again......
Comments
Thanks for the great photos, Hermit. Sitting spinning at the window with the wonderful view that you have sounds like paradise to me! Interesting to see the naalbinding, I'd like to try that. The needle is smaller than I had expected. Good luck with the dog bathing!
Jill from EK
In gardens where natural materials are scarcer than in Hermit's Earthly Paradise, catching strands of kapok on twig and thorn for nestbuilding birds to find is useful to m'little feathered dinners....no, not dinners, friends...some words just naturally confuse themselves.
Flying Cat from trying to look knowledgeable
lovely pics, hermit ,your making me jealous,dreaming of your scenery
carol from the usual place
Lovely photos Hermit. Is it difficult to learn to spin? Always fancied having a go but having not long mastered the knitting needles (well, sort of....), I'm a wee bit wary of anything more technologically challenging shall we say. ;) For Flying Cat - feel free to make use of the de-lurking comment. No, I don't have copyright (d'you suppose someone does?)
Ellie from Britain
Are the rapiers behind the spinning wheel used to decide who cleans the dog, or just for the poor unfortunate that uses the 'wrong towels'.
Lerwick Trevor from Looking for a blunderbus
Hiya Trevor, I thought you were off to France already :-) The rapiers are some reenactment pretties I collect, have other swords too, along with axes and me crossbows...if it`s sharp and lethal, I`ll collect it! :-D Hiya Ellie, de-lighted you`ve de-lurked, spinning isnae that hard tae do. It is easier when you`re actually shown it though, than reading how to. Naalbinding is really easy, it forms in a round and gives a really elastic, springy kind o` thing.
Hermit from Sanday
Saw on another blog that you are feeling poorly, Hermit. Two weeks are a long time. Have you seen the local quack (do you have to go to Kirkwall for this? What do you folks do for non-emergency medical problems? I assume you get lifted out for emergencies?). Make sure you don't get dehydrated, and drink stuff with the requisite electrolytes etc. Chicken soup with noodles? Take care.
mjc from NM,USA
I think you are spinning a yarn here Hermit? But I may be incorrect, I say this as I've just noticed the same thing that LT did in the picture. You're a fine, fine person, Hermit. If ever I've upset you, I'm sorry, and if I haven't upset you I'm sorry for when I will. Is that clear?
Tws from A land that time forgot
fc, I've seen the 'lurk' word on another site I use, so I think it must be one o those cyber words that are creeping into the language. Maybe we could think up some new IB words? You think we could get them in the OED? Any suggestions?
Ruthodanort from Unst
Och I`m on the mend noo mjc, just went to the doctor today in fact! (we hae a fantastic doctor on Sanday) and hae got pills and am feeling a lot better than twa weeks ago at least! :-D In emergencies we get air lifted oot, never had tae hae that meself yet (gladly) wi` the helicopter or the island plane (the chopper has a thing aboot no` flying in bad weather! Mind you, the plane cannae fly in fog.....maybe a speedboat could be laid on....)
Hermit from Sanday
Lurking is what folks dae on sites they join, just reading, and no` joining in the conversation. some sites get awfy riled aboot it. Grins at Tws...I`m as soft as butter, me, tws...
Hermit from Sanday
Nice pictures. It just like our livingroom when I grew up. My mother and grandmother were nitting and spinning all the time specially in the winter. The spinningwheel ( rokk) is antique in Norway today.The tool for naalbinding , we call "handtein". I am glad there are people who find joy in the old traditions.
Dag from Norway
Hi Hermit! That's a fine sturdy wheel that you've got there. My best freidn bought me a kromski a few years back..all pretty with decorative trunings and stuff...I had to cut 'em off to make it of any good use though...shame. I would love to learn naalbinding, seems interesting though as I do 18th century reenactment it probably wouldn't be too accurate. Can we have a pic of those moorhens? Never seen one myself. But I did see puffins when last in Orkney, cute things those.
Vera from www.veranadine.com
LT from Blundering under the Bus: have you been dancing on the Pont d'Avignon with Carol, or has the fateful Date been postponed (don't wait too long or Carol will be on her way to NZ permanently). Bring GPS and other assorted essentials.
mjc from NM,USA
Hi Hermit. I googled "spin in Scotland" and here I am. I want to move to Scotland (Highlands) for a while, and work somewhere or do a work/trade for livingspace, such as on an organic farm, or...are there any cooperatives in Scotland where I could live, work and spin? (My wheel is an Ashford, too.) I'm just casting about for ideas. I'm 54 and feeling hermit-like now that I'm an emptynester. Scotland's in my pulse. Gotta go there.
Julie from California
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