An exciting addition to the family was acquired in January… I got a new wheel!
He’s a Kromski Symphony with a wax polish to finish. I’ve been lusting after this wheel since shortly after I started spinning. I really wanted a double treadle, large wheel and something in the saxony style. This fit the requirements and (almost) fit the budget.
I love this photo:
D is a total whorl bandit, though and you really have to watch her.
I’ve done quite a lot of spinning on him since he arrived. I’m absolutely loving the double treadle as it’s just so effortless and there’s no need to grab the wheel to get it going the right direction. The bobbins hold approximately 113g or 4oz. I can usually put about 120g of singles and just a touch over 100g of plied yarn onto the bobbin, which means that 100g braids fit nicely and can be kept as a single skein.
The wheel is fairly quiet and so easy to spin on. I found that it required a lot of oil at first until the leather bearings were seasoned, but I’ve not had much oiling since. I’m currently using the Symphony in double drive mode as is my preferred method, but the wheel can also be set up for Scotch tension.
This is a very large wheel and not one suitable for traveling. Actually, I’m not even sure I could get it down the stairs if I wanted to take it outside. I knew this when I bought the Symphony, but I wasn’t concerned as all the Kromski bobbins are interchangeable and Kromski also makes a travel wheel called a Sonata. I was able to try one a little while back and it’s a nice wheel, although it still folds down rather large. It could easily fit into the boot of your car, but I wouldn’t want to take it on a five mile hike. It would be perfect for taking to a spin-in or guild meeting or to pop out in the back garden for an afternoon spin in the summer.