So what did I learn?

Well, we learned all the basics of spinning, of course. The components of the wheel, a little about fibers, how to work the wheel and actually spin yarn, how to measure the yarn and wash it, blending fibers, and on and on. I also learned what a niddy noddy was, finally! If you look really closely, you'll see kitty naughty down there, too.

The knowledge that made the cost of the class priceless was determining what spinning wheel to buy. We had numerous models to try in the class, and the experience of the teacher to draw from. I quickly determined I wanted a castle, or parlor-style wheel, with double treadle, and scotch tension. I'd had enough of the double driveband jumping off with the Ashford Elizabeth. So, the next step was to find a wheel that had all the required qualifications at a moderate price. We settled on a Baynes wheel that we purchased for $348 and free shipping through The Spinning Bunny. That took about ten days to arrive from New Zealand.

Next, we'll cover our adventures as The Man o' the Place attempts to assemble the wheel in the stated half hour.