Posted 10 years ago
pifflepuff
(3 items)
My wife inherited this from her grandmother. We've been trying to learn more about it, but even museums don't seem to know or care much about this kind of antique. We'd appreciate any help we can get in identifying it more specifically and advice on where we might donate it for an appropriate tax deduction. Thanks.
Everything on this is right except the turnings on the spindles. They were never turned down to a sharp edge like the ones shown above. Sharp edges cut your thread and rounded edges wind it.
You need to understand this has no means of functioning. It isn't an item of interest because it is incomplete and appears to have been either reproduced or someone tried to do a restoration. I mean no disrespect but where is the fly whorl? How does the bobbin winder work? You have a novelty item.
Thank you for the comments, fhrjr2. We do have the fly thing, it's just not in the picture I took. We know that this is no reproduction. However, we don't know how it is supposed to work and what happened to it on the ranch before my wife got it.
It's a split table spinning wheel but you have it incorrectly assembled. The flyer/bobbin assembly needs to go between the maidens (uprights bits) then you have a distaff arm (which is where you currently have the flyer).
There should also be a footman (long rod that goes from the treadle to the wheel)
I'd suggest going to ravelry.com and posting on 'working wheels' to get more advice, esp about maker and age.
Thank you, jfdiow. I wasn't sure about the assembly, and we didn't have the rod from the treadle to the wheel. We sold it very recently, but not as a functioning spinning wheel, rather as a decorative antique. The purchaser understood.
Thanks again.....