Tools!

As a farmer I am already addicted to my tools and the fact that my carharts have that nifty little hook on the side for my hammer (though I rarely use, it its like a delicious safety net I know is always there). I enjoy the fact that each of my knifes has 10 different thingy mabobers that come out including a beer opener, awl, tweezers, and a mini serrated knife in case I am stuck in the jungle and decide to use my swiss army knife to saw my way out. So I suppose it only makes sense that I get ridiculously excited about fiber tools, though they are more like an artists materials. They are spiffy in the way that they do something so specific which they were designed for. I am constantly surprised that someone thought up the whole cradle, bobbin, wheel, treadle set up (though with great refinement over time- check it out here with good old wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_wheel)

Here is what I am carding and spinning the wool shorn this season with (both thanks to my parents as a kick ass college graduation present). Both are Louet products which I am told will outlive me. It is what I learned to spin on and am so far very happy with these.

The carder:

And the wheel (with some turmeric dyed wool)!

The carder is the standard size and the wheel is the S17 model. I got them from woolery.com which I can't say I would recommend due to them both taking 3 months time to arrive (which happened to be ok cuz it was during the busy summer season and I was also occupied with washing and dying all my wool!) 

Though I learned on a borrowed Louet I started spinning more on a free ashford model. It was broken when I found it so I kinda sorta fixed it back to working order with some drift wood and fishing line for tension and a paper clip for the orifice hook. I am very glad to be back to the Louet as the orifice (that black opening with the yarn coming out in the front of the pic) is bigger, allowing for smoother, faster, less frustrating spinning.

Anywho! Those are some notes about spinning tools! I would be curious to know what others have and how those are working out for you.