Introducing....Penelope!

 Yes, I do name inanimate objects. I think we covered that in the last post. 
Moving on. 
My exciting news is...(.drum roll please).....I bought a spinning wheel in March!
I had absolutely no plans of getting one anytime soon. But my Mom had been hunting around on the internet and told me about the excellent deal she found on a brand new Ashford Kiwi 2. It came from a reputable fiber company in Washington State, and after some deliberation, I placed an order. 
I was quite on pins and needles waiting for it to arrive. Well, finally it did, on March 21st and I was more then ecstatic.
The wheel also came complete with 1 pound of fiber, a niddy noddy, and a maintenance kit with extra parts, oil, etc.
For those of you who are new to my blog, this is my first spinning wheel. I have been a drop spindler for 4 years now. And while I have become very proficient at the drop spindle, and love my spindles dearly, it will be quite nice to be able to get a skein done faster and maybe spin some yarn to sell. That was never really an option with a drop spindle as there is so much time invested in a skein it would have to cost a fortune when sold!

 I have named my wheel Penelope. That was already decided in my head for quite some time as it seemed like the perfect name for a wheel. So Penelope it is. I actually didn't get to do any spinning on her until the 22nd. The wheel arrived unfinished so it had to be waxed to keep it clean and prevent any warping. I wanted to assemble it all then and there but I waited patiently (or maybe not so patiently) for it to dry.

The yarn shown is my very first skein of wheel spun yarn EVER! It was a single that I then navajo plied for a nice heavy-worsted, three-ply. I am very pleased with the way it turned out.
Thus far I have spun six skeins on my wheel, all in varying weights and yardages as I practice my spinning and get used to the differences between wheel spinning and spindle spinning. 
I'll have to share my photos as I progress. It took me a little while for me to actually like my wheel because I find spindling much easier. But now I am getting the hang of it and I find myself quite fond of Penelope. She's a simple but sturdy little wheel and though I still have a vast amount to learn,  it is nice to be gaining a better understanding of how things work with a wheel.

I am so very thankful to the Lord for making this opportunity available. It has certainly been a blessing thus far. I look forward to sharing more with you as I move forward in my Spinning Journey!