Hi all,
I just pulled out an old green metal knitting needle that my grandmother gave me when I was about 10 (late bloomer). It is about the oldest fiber art tool I have. Though I started with embroidery at 5, a sewing machine at 5, knitting at 10, crochet at 18, spinning at 23, weaving at 24, the oldest "first" thing I have is the knitting needle. I don't have my original spinning wheel, nor my original drumcarder nor my first loom. I have older hand carders and my first set of hand carders which are not my oldest set.
How many of you have your original wheel? Your original carders? Your original crochet hook or loom? Not your oldest, but your first of these items.
Let's here it!
Gwen Powell
Ooh, neat topic.
I have none of my original, first tools or equipment! Not a single thing. However... the first floor loom I ever used, and the first spinning wheel I ever used, still belong to my mother and I get to have them as soon as I can solve the logistics issue; same for the second floor loom I ever used. All of those things are older than me, some significantly (like the 18th century loom and 19th century great wheel). But most of my childhood textile tools were from the household pool of those, and went back in there when I moved out... and I really couldn't say, as far as knitting needles, crochet hooks, sewing needles, or small tools like that, you know? I lost a lot of my original out-on-my-own stuff, of all varieties, when my first marriage failed; I even lost my old journals and photos and whatnot, and the only things I did get were some textile treasures.
Abby Franquemont
I have a dog comb bought for wool combing (the handle now painted purple for a sheep-to-shawl), my first carders, some early knitting needles, and a pink 2" weave-it loom. Just about everything else has been worn out, lost, or upgraded.
I too have green metal knitting needles that I started knitting on when I was around 10 years old. When I learned how to spin 20 odd years ago, I purchased an ashford double drive traveller. I loved that wheel. I demonstrated at historical festivals, I went to SOAR, and took workshops from many well known mentors like Mable Ross and Patsy Zauwitaski . I bought it in a kit and assembled and finished it myself. Putting it together was no problem, but staining it was a pure labor or love. (I HATE painting/staining) But I wanted that wheel....
These days I am spinning with a lendrun DT. I spin with my fiber in my right hand, so having a wheel that I can spin right or left handed worked better for me, and I love the double treddle. I kept my ashford. Now when my ashford wheel spins it is apinning a new tradition, one with my daughter. I could never give up my old friend who comforted me when I was down, entertained me when I had nothing to do, enlightened me to traditions of the past, and helped me make traditions of the future.
Spinning Sensei
I still have my first knitting needles. My mother taught me both knitting and crocheting. I've inherited all her needles and hooks.
The spinners in my family lived in WA. They are long gone and so is the walking wheel. My grandmother's loom was sold before I was born.
My first wheel is at Louet S15 (my comfort wheel, like the old sweater). It still run beautifully. I bought a WooLee Winder for it; actually, my husband bought me one for Christmas. I've added a used DT51. It still needs some work. I'm still searching for my perfect 2nd wheel.
I need a wheel that will survive 2 young, active kids (3 & 6), a dog and 2 cats. I have my dream wheels, and then my practical wheel choices.
Denise
It turns out I'm mistaken! I do still have one piece of first equipment: my first swift. It's only like 10 years old and is one of the smaller Ashford ones. It's the basement family room swift, because naturally, I have a swift for every floor of the house.
I have all of my firsts that I know of. My first wheel bought 25 years ago from its maker, Wallace Martinson, was my only wheel until last week when I got an Ashford "Joy" for traveling with. I wove scarfs for christmas on my first loom, an old table/stand loom that my father for me used 28 years ago. My first and only hand carders, my first and only drum carder (it needs a new belt), my first wooden swift, my fjirst ball winder,... I think you get the idea. I even have all those knitting magazines I bought for the patterns back in the 70's and 80's. Being the only one in the family that knits besides my mother who taught me, I now have all here needles and hooks, so somewhere in the collection is probably my first knitting needles, unless one of them got lost, in which case, I probably still have the single needle. These things are all like old friends, althought it sometimes doesn't seem like I have be at this weaving and spinning for those 20 something years. Didn't I just start yesterday? I can't be that old can I?
Well,
My first fiber tools, i have all the old knitting needles from my grandmother and mother including the ones i learned to knit with at age 10. As for my first loom, it was a screen window i took the screen out of and added nails and a warp for my first piece. (still have the weaving!) my first spinning was done on a Schacht spindle when I was in college, still have the spindle, but I have added a hook to the bottom as I now spin top whorl! My first spinning wheel is long gone, my S10 is now in the hands of my 10 year old grand daugher, who is happily learning to spin with a Maggie Casey book and lots of fiber! My wheels are lumdrum and Timbertops and several are spread out over the living room with different fibers in the works!
Leslie
Hmmm ... I still have the latch hook from the latch-hook pillow I started as a child (and finished in my 30-somethings). And the sewing box, with a few bits and bobs (the Fiskars' handle eventually broke into too many pieces to reglue, but the little scissors are still in it) from taking up sewing back when I was still into Barbie dolls. It's a solid piece of work, nicely made from wood with mushrooms painted on top :) Probably some of the crochet hooks and knitting needles I had from back then, too, give when I ran across the pile of granny squares (about enough for a scarf ... not an afghan; tried to give them to DD to finish, but she isn't into crochet ... yet ;-) ) there were some hooks in there too, and the needles reclaimed from a tossed out a knitting UFO from my teen years after moving 5 times in 3 years. I do have my first-ever purchased real spindle, a Mongold; and the bent hangar that was my *very* first fiber tool, and my hand cards and hand combs; but the drum carder got upgraded, the wheel's been replaced several times.
Thanks for the fun trip down memory lane. I still remember opening the Christmas present that was that sewing box, and sitting with my dad working on the latch-hook pillow (he made a rug at the same time).
~ Ameliahttp://www.thebellwether.com/ http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/
I have very little of my own original knitting stuff, but I inherited all my mother's patterns and needles when she died, when I was 15, so I adopted her tools.
My mother was a "production" knitter and knitted purely to clothe the children, designing or producing her own wool would never have entered her mind.
I am sure though she would have enjoyed knitting with my spun wool, because it is purposeful and produced in quantity, which she would have approved of, along with the thrift - it is much cheaper to spin the wool for a jumper than buy it - even allowing for prepared rovings.
I miss my mother very much, my children never knew her, but every time I pick up a pair of needles and cast on I have my mother with me, on my shoulder, chiding me about the irregular cable loops - so that is what I still have - the memories of my mother...
As Abby says I too have my first swift. The first drop spindle and the knitting needles I learned to knit with.... My grandmother instructed all of her grandchildren on how to knit are in my tools. if i dig i can find the first doll sweater I made for a 7" Madame Alexander doll, those 1 needles work great in 10 year old hands!
Last week i got to teach my oldest granddaughter to spin..Lauren took to it very quickly, I had her help ply some cashmere and silk for my next scarf. I put a picture of her spinning on my facebook! My husband Jerry is still wearing my first handspun yarn in a winter hat!
Hmmm....let's see:
I have my original knitting needles (lavender metal straights), original crochet hook (also lavender metal), circular knitting needles, warping board, swift, ball winder, hand cards, drum carder, picker, wool combs (5 pitch English), skein winder, and table loom.
I do not have my original spinning wheel, floor loom, or rug hook.
I am looking forward to teaching my granddaughter to spin - she is now 9 and has recently asked to be taught knitting and spinning.... how gorgeous is that !!
I have my first knitting needles. My best friend gave them to me in '03 when I finally mastered knitting. And while they're not my first crochet hooks, which my step-mother kept, I have my first lace hooks, ranging from 18 to 0, bought at an antique store, in an antique Alka-Seltzer bottle covered with a crocheted sleeve.
Well, i have my mothers kneedles, she just turned 100 years old and a great aunt's bone crochet hooks. I have a 97 year old friends steel needles of all small sizes and my collection of lace needles. What fun!
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