Posted under meanderings & spinning
My Schacht Matchless was purchased used in 1998 and has served me faithfully, but my dream wheel has always been the Majacraft Suzie Pro. My grandmother passed away over about a year ago and left me with enough money to buy a new spinning wheel, but I’ve been riddled with indecision. Shouldn’t I save this money for a rainy day? Do I really need another spinning wheel? Can’t I make do with the Schacht?
I’ve finally decided, with much support from family and friends, to go ahead and purchase the Suzie. After all, this is a purchase that will last me for many years to come. It may be a big lump sum of money upfront, but if I take a page out of the Yarn Harlot’s book, Knitting Rules! and average out the cost of how many hours of “entertainment” and therapy I will get from the wheel, it’s a bargain! It’s not just hours of fun, it’s years of fun!
If you think about it, doesn’t a good television set these days cost over $600? So why not spend that much money on a good spinning wheel? And don’t get me started on power tools. Just browsing through Home Depot’s power tools section on their website had me feeling faint at the prices. And what about the PS3 anyway? That sucker will be obsolete in a year or two, yet people are committing bodily harm to own one of those, and are willing to spend over triple, even quadruple, it’s market value!
Okay. End rant.
*deep breath*
The Suzie isn’t going to become obsolete. It will likely outlive me, if I take care of it properly. Of course I am worried about how the wood will fare here in Hawaii’s weather. But the Schacht has fared quite well, so I don’t see why the Suzie won’t.
So why am I giving myself such a hard time over a spinning wheel? Really, it must be because I’m a masochist at heart.
debbie on 20 Nov 2006 at 9:02 pm #
judging by your love for spinning,and it seems to be something you will be doing for the rest of your life, i don’t see why you need to justify to yourself getting your suzie pro….i’m sure your grandmother would want you to use her gift for something you love and would make good use of; btw, i hear people who own more than one wheel use one for spinning, one for plying, etc….i don’t know much, still trying to get spindling down….btw, your schacht matchless is a beaut!
Roonie on 20 Nov 2006 at 9:30 pm #
I admire that you even know what to do with that thing.
Jeanne on 20 Nov 2006 at 11:40 pm #
I think you should go for it - you will have a visible reminder everyday of your grandma, and you will have something that makes you happy. I’m sure she’d rather have that than a rainy day fund. I have two wheels - and its nice to work on two rovings - sort of like working on more than one knitting project! The wheel really is beautiful - so are you going to get it?
Jenny Raye on 21 Nov 2006 at 7:18 am #
I agree with Jeanne–what a beautiful reminder of your grandmother. Every time you sit down to spin a while, it would be as if she were there with you.
keohinani on 21 Nov 2006 at 7:46 am #
of course, you could also reason that you could easily spend the equivalent of that wheel on yarn throughout an entire year…
you are definitely right, though. a big purchase like that will pay for itself over time. :) definitely more worthwhile (to me) to purchase than a PS3! no upgrades, no lines, no bodily harm. you figure some roving costs waaaaay less than a video game. ;)
Roseann on 21 Nov 2006 at 8:48 am #
I would like to add that yes, you do need another spinning wheel. I use one wheel for singles and the other for plying or I have 2 different projects on each wheel which makes for much more efficient spinning. You can order your Suzie with the normal orifice instead of the Delta one. Wendy got a normal one for her Gem and she likes it a lot. Keep us posted!
Alison on 21 Nov 2006 at 1:03 pm #
Okay, I admit to loving video games, but I still haven’t gotten the xbox 360 and it’s been out for a while. (Of course, I am waiting for Halo 3, but that’s beside the point.) A spinning wheel, though, my spinning wheel was one of the best purchases I have ever made; I have gotten more enjoyment from that than video games.
I do, however, admit to coveting the Golding spinning wheels and that is my dream wheel, but those are quite a bit out of my reach right now. Maybe someday. *Sigh*
Michelle on 22 Nov 2006 at 2:40 am #
sorry about your loss, but I wouldn’t hesitate to get that wheel.. I’m sure it’ll be worth it to you! Why not have 2 wheels….;o)
Meredith on 22 Nov 2006 at 8:18 am #
Opal! I was wondering what wheel you had. Go for your Suzi!!! I plan to get a new wheel after the first of the year myself…I have way outgrown my old Louet S15…need something more versatile, and my heart is on a Lendrum. Saw two in use at Taos Wool Festival in October that I was permitted to test drive and was confirmed in my thinking. Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Jane on 22 Nov 2006 at 12:31 pm #
Of course you are worth a new wheel! I cannot really say no, I also have owned the Schacht single treadle for many many years and I recently got a Lendrum. My sister owns the Majacraft Rose so we have three wheels in the house. If I had a bigger house, I’d have more wheels! Honestly. You can spin on both, a different project on each wheel. I will say, I still love my Schacht the best of all the wheels and with the super fast bobbins/whorls I can spin pretty darned thin! Feel no guilt. Just enjoy. After all. We have a “shelf-life”. Why deny yourself a simple and legal pleasure?
Laritza on 25 Nov 2006 at 5:00 pm #
I have a friend that kept buying bobbins for her wheels….while I kept buying wheels to have more bobbins! After you don’t want to know how many wheels I figured I had to quit! I love each and everyone of my wheels and would not give them up easily. Last tool I bought was a lovely floor loom. Knitting was not cutting the handspun yarn, the loom does. Go for it! I have a Maja Rose (like it better than the Rose) it has higher ratios and it prettier :) Plus you can buy the lace adaptor for it, not for the Suzie.