Abby Franquemont walks you through the basics of checking out 3 different used spinning wheels: an antique great wheel, an antique flax wheel, and her trusty folding Louet Victoria.
Thank you so much for this video. I just bought a spinning wheel for $10 with maybe 60% certainty I could get it working. I got home and started watching your video and just working along as you pointed things out on the Flax wheel, I’m spinning yarn already!
Helpful cat you have there. Purring is in swedish called spinning (spinna). And actually the spinning wheel and a happy cat make the same kind of sound. :)
Oh, this helped me make the connection in Dutch. In Dutch, purring is also spinning (spinnen) but I always thought it came from the plural of spider (spinnen, singular spin). I always thought the spider - purring connection was weird, but now I finally understand, I was just looking at the wrong meaning of the word "spinnen". How funny that I never made that connection!
Abby, thank you! I have an antique spinning wheel that has been in the family for four generations. It has been a plant stand since I received it from an elderly cousin. We moved back South next to a cotton field and that had me thinking it was time to learn to spin! I collected the cotton boles that fell off the bales at the front of my property and then started watching videos. Yours was the first I choose to see if my wheel would work. Guess what? It is a dud, no bobbin or spinner! So it goes back to being a plant stand while I go back to quilting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!
Wonderful video! I lucked into a used Ashford Joy for $75. I didn’t really know what I was doing when I bought it, but I figured for that price I could afford to fix it if needed. I was very lucky it was in perfect condition and just needed a good oiling and dusting.
Flipped my mt. Bike over. Removed back tire. Added long dpn to use as the bobbin half taped to grip drive chain. Tied the pedal to the kickstand to hold floofness or some yarns. What a fun, calming experience!!! Every pull and wind you remember that you didnt spend a grand on a spinner.. ugly as can be.... but free!
Thanks! There's an old spinning wheel in my folks' house. My grandfather bought it at an antique store in the 1940s; I don't think anyone in my family has ever used it. I've been debating about whether to keep it. This will help me decide.
Great! I have a wheel that has been in my family since I was little and wanted to see if I could still use it. My mom got it back in the 60s and had it for decoration but I always knew it had been functional at one time. After watching your video I think it's a go and can't wait to get it up and running. It is similar to the flax wheel
Thank YOU!!!! This video was helpful! I purchased a wheel similar to the second one in this video. My distaff is missing, but it does have the footman. I have to clean & oil the flyer assembly so the bobbin and flyer turn independently. The leather loops are in tact that hold the flyer & bobbin. My mother of all is loose, but we found where the problem is, and we need to mend the hole the peg that holds it in place goes through. It looks as if someone tried to fix at and drilled it out wrong. My husband is going to fill it and re-drill the hole properly.
Excellent video. Thank you very much for this. Haven't been able to find a video that properly shows how it works until now. Thanks Abby. Times like these where I wish I could give 5 stars rather than a simple "like" :)
Thank you so much for this video. I bought an old spinning wheel this weekend on a whim. It was very cheap but looked nearly complete. Your video just confirmed that for me. Now I can try to spin on it! (I'm a knitter and weaving and always wanted to spin.)
Thank you Abby! That was so helpful. I just received two antique spinning wheels as gifts and was not quite sure about all the moving parts and you answered all my questions in this video. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! I have a spinning wheel that my grandfather had long ago. For years I didn't know how the parts went together. I now know it's a flax wheel and that it's missing a leather. I improvised one and now the parts are in place. Your video is awesome and has answered a question that has bugged me for years.
you saved my day! I try to fix old grandma's spinning wheel, it's almost exactly like the second one in your video. I read a lot the last days, but to watch someone explaining everything was very helpful! Thank you!!!!
Excellent video -- worth watching just to see how Abby does a Surgeon's Knot, about 13 minutes into the video. I learned how to spin in 2007, and immediately bought used wheels about which I knew nothing. I purchased a wheel very much like the antique flax wheel on Ebay without a footman and treadle, flyer and bobbins. The bed/bench is quarter-sawn Oak and the wheel and Mother-of-All are Maple. Ron Antoine, from Oregon, made all the pieces and parts for me about 10 years ago for $350. It's an awesome wheel and spins beautifully. He said it looked like a circa 1820's Eastern Pennsylvania wheel. For some reason I think of an old sailing ship when I use it -- I'm convinced it was either used on an old ship, or parts of the wheel came from it. I have to be very careful picking it up, because it comes apart easily.
Thank you so very much! I have been thinking about buying an old spinningwheel, though I had no clue how they work, or what to look out for. I will rewatch your video, and probably not throw money out the door now. It looks like so much fun to make your own wool. I highly appreciate your teaching! You are very clear about it.
Helpful video, I have three of spinning wheels that were given to me that I will be trying to restore. All have missing parts, but pretty sure that I have all needed skills to do what needs to be done. Your cat looks just like our boy, so not only do I have a cat, he's the right type!
Great video, fully explained what I was looking for. I had recently inherited a spinning wheel that was in pieces and had idea how to set it up, how to use or even if all the pieces were there. Your video was easy to follow and understand and now I know I have a working spinning wheel. Thank you.
CAT NOT INCLUDED!!!! HAHAHA! Thanks for this video. Super helpful. I have been scared of buying a used or antique wheel for a long time because I didnt understand how the bobbin worked with the fly wheel. Thank you so much for walking me through exactly how these models work! I appreciate you!!!
I'm a crocheter/knitter interested in learning to spin and today at a yard sale, bought an old spinning wheel. Asked the seller about it, said I was new to spinning and if it needed parts/if everything was in working order, etc (he was the actual spinner who had used it). Ended up buying it (thought, "what the heck", might as well go for it") but still had zero knowledge about how these things worked. lol This video was literally the second one that came up in my search, and it answered all my questions before I even asked them. The second wheel shown is almost identical to the one I bought, and similarly is missing that end piece that comes out, nor a wood piece to connect the treadle/wheel. Feel a bit more confident about what I'm getting into now--thanks for the great video!!!
Very informative video, thank you. I'm not quite a spinner, yet, but I do like to dabble. One thing I think important to ask yourself when getting a wheel is: what do you WANT to spin on? This question may not be as important for some than it is for others, but for me, the prospect of spinning on an antique wheel is what gets me excited about spinning. Where watching you spin on that Louet did absolutely nothing for me, seeing that antique flax wheel make yarn for the first time in who-knows-how-long made me giddy with longing and anticipation. I would also push back a little on the idea that simply because a wheel wasn't used to the point of falling apart, doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't or isn't a good wheel. Just that it might have some quirks and features that others do not. If operational issues were in fact the reason at all, that is. In the end, all that really matters is that it can make yarn and that you enjoy spinning on it. In the case of missing or broken parts, it's also important to keep in mind that "expensive to replace" is relative. I've seen wheels like the flax one recently for as little as $50. Replacing a missing maiden or flyer assembly might actually be the more economical choice when you consider that the newer Louet and Ashford wheels are still holding their value pretty firmly on the used market and new ones go for upwards of $900. A new flyer kit from Louet costs around $300, last I checked and Ashford isn't really any better. You'd be surprised what you can cobble together with odds and ends in the hardware store and wood workers are usually quite keen to help replace whatever you might need. This is definitely not for everyone, but for me, a beginner spinner who loves old things, restoring and using a piece of antique or vintage equipment for its intended purpose is absolutely priceless. Videos like yours make it so much easier for that to be a reality.
this is amazing your teaching us so much , now to memorize it all when i go looking for one hoping to remember what you taught me lol . this is wonderful . thank you so much
Gosh! What a useful video! Thank you so much! I am thinking of buying a used, perhaps antique, wheel. I will certainly be mindful about the details you pointed out.
I really appreciate your video more then you could know! I have 3 antique wheels now! I took my first one, watched this video a few times and complerely fixed it to spin. It was a display wheel for over 50 years. Then I was given a wheel that needs parts..working on that now..one other wheel I have ready for a replacement flyer I am looking for. As it is an 1860 original flax wheel, I want to do my best to find a flyer to make her whole again. Spinning with Pearl this evening and decided to watch this for a trip down memory lane!
Great video and very informative. I learned quite a bit, even how to tie a surgeon's knot! Thanks for making it and sharing with us. And, I loved seeing your cat too. What a beauty!
This video was great! As a new spinner (currently on spindle) this was extremely helpful both in what to look for and .... how a spinning wheel works!! You've done a wonderful job and a great public service. THANK YOU!
OH my ty Abby, I bought an old flax wheel similar to the 2nd wheel that you demonstrate, looking forward to trying it out this weekend and see if I can "make yarn" with it...
If I had my pick of buying a wheel, I would definitely go with a new one, but my family has one that needs to be restored. So that explains my insanity. I've never spun and I barely crochet, but I'm going to figure it out so I can do that wheel justice! Thanks so much for this video! I'm pretty certain the wheel I have is a flax wheel. It has part of the distaff. It's missing a couple pieces, but I know how to turn on a lathe so I should be able to make replacements. Wish me luck!
My husband found me an 1850 Antique Saxony Spinning Wheel this past Thursday, just like the second wheel in the video. It came with the footman, but the arm that the footman connects too is missing. The pin you mentioned in the video that holds the wheel in place, so that it doesn't skip is missing too. The leather on the back side that holds the flyer in place rotted away. The bobbin was a little stuck, just like in your video. So watching your wheel helped my husband to figure out what was needed to be fixed and fix it. This spinning wheel came with the distaff and the piece that you mentioned that was missing on yours. Whoever, owned this spinning wheel before my husband found it, painted it green and brown. It also has an old painted American flag on it (in the style from the 1850's). I put a drive band on it to test it like you mentioned in the video and find that sometimes the flyer and bobbin will turn and sometimes they don't. Shouldn't they turn all the time? I spin right now on a double treadle Ashford Kiwi 2 (by the way I spin very fine on this spinning wheel, so spinning fine on the antique will not be a problem).
I am buying an antique Scandinavian Wheel tomorrow. She is missing an arm on the flier but the buyer says she was always used that way as she grew up. She is complete and is great condition otherwise...I am using your tips to check her out! I am way excited to get her since I have been spinning hundreds of skeins on a spindle.....time to upgrade...I love previously loved items and have a ton of patience. Thanks so much for this video, it will really help me!
What a great wheel, looks so much easier to use. My double wheel one pedal Saxon 1800's was a hard work to start with. I think my wheel is somewhere between first and second.
Thank you Abby! Very informative indeed. I bought an antique wheel last year but we haven't spent alot of time trying to get her running smoothly. I will take some of the information that you provided and put some time looking at her in more detail. She is from Finland or Sweden, guessing from sometime in the 1800's. Has intact flyer and an unheard of 8 bobbins! She does spin but I can't get smooth treadle/drive wheel action. She tends to change wheel spin direction and I haven't been able to figure out what the issue is. I would love to have her spinning. She's a real beauty.
THANK YOU sooooo much. My grandmother's wheel is a duplicate except the flyer was a more narrow 'U' shape. Now I understand a lot better about Rantala's, (her name) workings. I taught myself 40+years ago, but with no where to share info and supplies back then, I gave up. I got interested in needle felting recently which naturally led me back to the fiber arts and this video. Thank you for such great information : ) Went decades w/o a computer (another self taught gizmo, as no one gives basic puter classes) Once I found You Tube, you can't imagine how thrilled I was/am to find information like yours.
Thank you very much for this video as I was able to get the bargin of the century I got a fully working upright spinning wheel for £22 And I love it it just needs oiling x thank you again x
Thank you very much for very useful presention! It helped a lot as I have two different (antique and modern) wheels with a different set ups.YOpur explanations was very useful to get both in a working conditions. Thank you once again for sharng your knowledge!
wow!! this is a fantastic video and so much information... just thinking about getting into spinning, so starting with a drop spindle.. but some day, i'd love to own a wheel... thank you!
Many thanks for this video...I'm in the process of trying to repair a flax wheel, and this was the best explanation of the bobbin and flyer assembly that I've seen. Wish me luck on the lathe, gonna try and carve a new flyer pulley.....
Thank you! I'll be interested in hearing how things work out! I am not a serious woodworker by any measure, but I hear that the really tricky part is the threads for screwing that pulley onto an old flyer. So I like to collect stories about people's experiences!
Thank you so much for your video. I have a spinning wheel that my mother found at a thrift store years ago and I've actually spun some yarn on it, but didn't really know what it was. It turns out it is a flax wheel and it seems to have all its parts although it treadles rather unevenly. I used some cord for a belt and was encouraged you had done the same. I'll have to watch the next video which shows how to actually use it now. Thank you again.
Thanks I think I did good for my wife’s Christmas however when I found this thing I felt comfortable being able to recreate a bobbin but the one I found has the bobbin however it doesn’t have any tines on the flyer thing thanks by the way for the “parts of” educational seems really old but sturdy flax wheel I think or Irish maybe you could help me out thanks for the wonderful video keep it up
Thank you so much for this!! I picked up the second wheel you show there, the one for the fine yarn, from a friend for like twenty bucks, but couldn't figure out how to make it work. Now I know that the drive wheel is in fact threaded correctly, but that the bobbin is stuck! Tomorrow I will carefully open it up and see if I can't get that spinning freely again. I have a source of wool from another friend, a sheep farmer, so I've really been looking forward to getting it going! I've also got to see if I have that hole for the distaff on it; it would be so cool if it was for linen!! Mine just used a leather thong to connect the treadle to the wheel, but it broke; it was getting very old. Luckily I have lots more leather thong around to replace it with! I can't wait to see if I can get it working properly!! :D
Thank you! We had my fathers grandmothers spinningweel in the atick and it wasn't jused since she died (at least 45 years) it was taken apart and we almost gave up on it becouse we had no Idea how to go about reasembeling it. Thanks to you it's sitting in my room now. Functioning and even with 2 parts over of witch I have no Idea where they are for🤭❤️
I am not interested in learning to spin but I am interested in antique tools of all kinds. I found your presentations to be very interesting and informative. Thanks.
Thank you, Cynthia! If you’d like to help make more videos like this possible, you can join me at patreon.com/abbysyarns where you’ll also get early access to new videos as they are made!
Thank you! Really, really great and helpful video. I am going to look at a spinning wheel this week that was posted on craigslist. It's posted for cheap and claims that it only needs replacement drive bands. Your video has given me some main things to make sure that I look for.
Great video Abby. I have your video purchased from interweave on spindle spinning and have been looking out for more stuff from you. You are so informative and explain things is a very concise way without all the gloss. Have subscribed in the hope of more stuff to come. Im a new spinner and manage to get hold of an old castle wheel which I had to restore. Its not anywhere near as antique as the ones you show, probably from around 1960s and spins really well. The one thing however is that I would like to be able to adapt it in order to fit a larger flyer onto it with a larger orifice so that I can try my hand at spinning some thicker, more creative yarns on it. Anyway, lovely for you to share your knowledge and experience with us here on RU-vid. Thank you Abby.
This video helped me decide if I was going to purchase a flax spinning wheel. Your presentation was amazing, and your explanations thorough and concise. I really appreciate it. If I could give you more than a 'like' and a subscribe, I would. You rock!
Thanks for such an awesome video! I have a chocolate Burmese cat as well, it give me a little shock to see "my cat" in the video! This video helped me so much in selecting my first "new" second hand wheel, as I have only used drop and support spindles.
I need you as a spinning teacher. Wow, I learned so much, you are truly a natural. I am brand new and looking at my first wheel. There are so many and so very confusing with the different types. I have no clue where to start. What do you recommend as a low cost first wheel?
Just a week or so I made space for an antique spinning wheel. I'm sure it is a flax version but it is complete with some fixes done on it. Just like you did, Abby, I used a worsted weight cotton yarn to make a drive band. So far, everything works but what doesn't work is me. When I attach a leader to the bobbin, it winds just fine. When I actually add the roving, ugh....it stops winding too well. Now I realize I need to take another look at the bobbin's situation on the flyer and make sure I feed less fiber and keep it as fine I can. Of course, I am brand new at using a spinning wheel and not so good with a drop spindle or a Portuguese spindle either. I still want to make everything work. By the way, the wheel is 150 years old and came from the family of the original owner/users. The man I got it from saw his grandmother spinning when he was just a tyke. Unfortunately for me, there are no spinners in my city or anywhere within less than an hour or so. That limits what I can do to learn from a class or being part of a guild. That won't stop me.
Hi there! Great video. I have a wheel very similar to your double drive flax one. They replaced the bar on my flyer with a screw driver, therefore it doesn’t attach to the whirl at all. Only have one bobbin anyways so I thought I might as well cement the whirl to the flyer shaft with epoxy as a last ditch to make it functional. Do you see any issues with this (other than a bobbin I can’t remove) or better ways to fix it?
Hello Abby, I really enjoyed your video. Spinning wheels seemed so oldfashioned and mysterious, not any more! I love the antique ones - how much work must they have done and what is their story. Really interesting and thank you again.
Hi Abby. I posted this comment on another of your videos by mistake. But for this video: Woah, that was amazing. How to pick a wheel, sure; but you also show us how to set it up and get started, and some terminology to boot! "Spinning yarn 101". Great presence on camera.
Hi, thank you for making and sharing such a useful and educational video. Wondering, why is the bobbin on wheel demo #2 so small, compared to the width of the flyer arms? Why would the bobbin not be as wide, to accommodate more yarn capacity?
I have a nice buddy helping me replace the leathers to fit the flier I found for her. I did try the yarn in place of the leathers and she seems to spin ok but the wheel is wobbly. She does not have a pin to hold that part down so I will find something to work, my crochet needle slips too easily there. I am on my way today to check out a complete wheel with a great condition flier and no missing parts. I will follow your instructions on how to check out the treadle and wheel flow first and then make the belt and proceed like your video shows. If this works, I will have a wheel I can spin with tonight! I have about 9 fleece with another coming in the mail.. I have spun over 200 skeins with my hand spindle in 4 months but it is too time consuming to finish the rest of the fleece. :) A fan of things old...I do prefer an old wheel. I like the idea of saving a piece of working history that also displays elegantly.
Could you give me any more information on the wheel in the beginning of your video? We have recently acquired one that looks exactly like the one you showing and I am very interested in it's history, age and perhaps where it was made.The one we brought home in remarkably good condition.. only some slight damage to the bobbin...there are no leathers on the spindle assembly rather pieces of metal..
You could try adding strips of wood veneer over the cracks. That along with the wood glue would strengthen that up might fine. It's just gonna throw the antiqueness off.
Amazing content .this stuff could easily be forgotten and lost forever. The greatist mistake o f mankind is forgetting what we already knew .great vidios thanx
I just love your video. How would you make a peddle for an old spinning wheel. I bought one from ebay that is missing its peddle. Thanks. It is a flax wheel.
I really love your video I am going to start spinning and I have some photos of a walking wheel like the first one you show and I was wondering can I send you a picture of it. I think it's missing some parts. the seller is saying that is has all the parts. I'm just worried it doesn't. is there a way I could send you photo?
I have a flax spinner I inherited from my great aunt. Everything seems to be in good order acccording to your video but the bobbin only has one flyer. The other one is broken off. Can people find bobbins for old flax spinners or would I have to make a repair to the one I have? Thanks. Good video.
