Meet QuanYin - my new HansenCraft Mini Spinner with the Woolee Winder attachment. She/He's a lot of wheel for a relative beginner like me. And unless things change amazingly I shalln't outgrow her. After all Amelia loves hers and I won't ever be as good as her.
The customer service from Kevin & Beth was A-Maz-ing! Beth even sent me a photo of several "blanks" for the front piece that had been cut and I got to pick my face. I opted for the heavily grained look. (After all, TAO is a wood worker.)
If you've ever seen "Sleepless in Seattle", you'll understand why I love the "butt" on this thing.
That little lever? It allows the entire endpiece to swing down out of the way to remove the bobbin. Amelia's YouTube Video.
Of course I had to sit right down and "get a feel" for her/him. An itty bitty swatch of 2 ply in Myer's Lime Bars.While I was using her, the naming occurred. QuanYin- a "goddess" of several Asian religions-each with their own twist. In one, she even started off as a male before being absorbed by the winning tribe and made female; and that's appropriate for this little wheel, she's not really feminine, but not masculine either.
Traditionally, QuanYin, is seen as one who comforts the troubled, the sick, the lost and the unfortunate or troubled. Which is what spinning does. Comforts. She is also venerated by travelers and business people as the goddess of luck and fortune. (Both of which my spinning skills need.)
In Chinese Buddhism; instead of "being seen as an active external force of unconditional love and salvation, the personage of Quanyin is highly revered as the principle of compassion, mercy and love. A meditative or contemplative state of being at peace with oneself and others is seen as Quanyin." The snarky part of me could use a friend like that - so much stuff to learn.
Oddly enough, the thing that I am most enchanted with is the flexible orifice hook. Brilliant! Beth gave a great tutorial on how to make one, but with traveling, I had none of the supplies and just bought one instead. Sooooo easy for clumsy, tired fingers. I am selling Athena my Sonata, as she has languished more and more over the past year. So unfair to a beautiful wheel that wants to be used. So if you know someone interested...give me a nudge.
2 comments:
I have to admit you are a hateful woman, yes you are!!!!!!! Just what I need to lust after. Sigh. I am trying not to be lusty these days and sometimes (like with your wheel pics) it is just boogerin' hard!!! Very cool for you....... spin sister SPIN!!!
That is a beautiful wheel and ya know what? You deserve it. I will love seeing what you spin with it. I know you've already started spinning away. That is fantastic.
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