I'm back with a contest!

This could get to be a habit again. :)

So...about those spinning wheels I picked up last Saturday at an estate sale - before the swim meet. My IRL local friend Therese saw a listing for the sale and emailed a few of us who she knew would be interested in spinning wheels. This time, unlike the last estate sale (where some resellers bought every last bit of spinning equipment - except a squirrel cage swift that I snagged - in the first minute and were loading the last of it in their van as I walked up at 3 minutes after the hour), I was determined to be early and have a shot at the goodies. As I was locking up my car, my local spinning pusher teacher drove up with another friend and we all went up together. There were two wheels, and at first we were interested in the larger of the two, rather than the smaller castle.

But something about the smaller oak wheel was so appealing. It looked hand made and we turned it over to see if there was a signature. We didn't find one, but there were two extra whorls screwed in underneath.

Then I noticed the telltale metalwork.

I looked again, and sure enough! Rick Reeves.

Complete with orifice hook, but sadly, missing its distaff. And with only one bobbin. Did I mention that my husband is a woodworker? And he has a lathe. Hee. :)

The second wheel turned out to be an Ashford Elizabeth, again with only one bobbin. This, however, is a much easier problem to solve! A few bits were loose, but were easily screwed back in and tightened up.

I couldn't wait to start spinning a little. It's been so long! I didn't realize how much I had missed it until I had the roving running through my fingers again. It has such an amazingly relaxing effect.

There was no orifice hook, so - of course - I needed to make one. This is copper.

I'm hoping that the family will find some more bobbins and the missing distaff when they go through some of the other boxes. They took my phone number and I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Over the weekend, I finished up Muse #1! I had ripped her out completely and redone her in a much simpler construction that looked exactly the same. I do love simplifying. :)

I didn't have time to block her yesterday because I was playing in San Francisco with a few friends (more on that later) but - believe me - it was the first order of business today! She turned out to be a wonderfully generous size.

She is crescent shaped and lovely, and I am so thrilled with the gorgeous yarn from Sunshine Yarns!

(Why is it that no matter how many blocking tiles I have, there aren't enough? I did manage to have enough T-pins though.)

Are you ready for the contest?! There are nine muses, and so there are nine possible names for the loveliness above: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, or Urania. Which do you think she is? Leave me a comment with your guess by Friday, August 12, midnight PST. I will draw a winner randomly for an orifice hook like the copper one shown below!

Happy guessing! :D