Welcoming a new wheel into the family

A while ago, I received and welcomed a new wheel into my herd…she’s a Cherry Matchless from Schacht (by way of Spunky Eclectic)  When she arrived, I was still working on that Mochi en Fuego combo on my Minstrel – I knew I didn’t want to switch wheels mid-project, and at the same time I knew if I started spinning on the Matchless, that combo might never get finished.

As soon as Mochi en Fuego was completed, though, I lubed her up and too her out for a spin starting out with some fluffy Falkland wool dyed in the Joshua Tree colorway from the same shop I purchased my wheel from.

Since I was just getting to know this new wheel and just off a long day of plying, I decided to pop on her slower whorl and aim for a lofty single.

She spins great – I’m still dialing in the take up, and trying to track down the occasional creak/squeak she makes while in use.  I love the fact that the hooks on the flyer are staggered from one side to the other – it makes filling the bobbin a little more even…

…well, more even until the bobbin gets rather full – at which point I was having some problems with the yarn hopping hooks.  It could just be due to my getting accustomed to the take up – we’ll see while I spin more on her.

The finished yarn is a little thick and thin, but finished at about fingering weight.  I basically split the fiber into 4 pieces lengthwise and just spun it end to end.  I still need to give it a wash and a light fulling, but right now, fresh off the wheel, it’s measuring at 578 yards/119 g.  I haven’t made plans for this yarn yet…I’ve another bump of this colorway, but it’s on a different fiber base (corriepaca: a lovely blend of corriedale wool and alpaca fiber).