beautiful tools, part I

If you were to ask my husband what I talk about most on the trip to a festival, he would probably reply “pretty wpi tool”. Sure, I could buy online, but for some reaosn this is something I wanted to buy at a festival. I wanted to touch. I wanted it to jump out at me and surprise me. I wanted it to say “I am the pretty tool you cannot make on your own. You have need of me. You find me beautiful and useful. I do not just do one thing, like the WPI tool you made.”

However, at most festivals I end up distracted by fibre, or animals, or the weather, or some combination. By the time I remember I want to look for a WPI tool we’re either halfway home or dripping wet and over budget because of some alpaca that befriended me.

This year at Rhinebeck it was different. I limited myself. I set guidelines. I went looking for two things and wasn’t too concerned about my budget for them, however if I could not find one, then I needed to really think about looking for the other. Having just set up a whole room for my fibrey needs I knew there was very little I truly needed.

I knew I needed to give serious search for a WPI tool and a I knew I would like another lightweight spindle.

Why did I want a WPI tool when a ruler or a pencil can work? I’ve made a few of them and I’ve not yet set up wood working tools to provide me with the tool I see myself using in my head. After I’ve put all this effort into my handspun, I want to figure out its weight with a nice beautiful tool that feels nice in my hands and is nice to look at.

How did I know about the spindle? That’s a story for next week. It involves the temptress Limonene.

So I set off with my prioritized wish list and slowly made my way from vendor to vendor. As I began to despair and allow for spindle distraction, I was thrilled to find my WPI tool. It is better than I expected as it includes both of the gauge measures I was looking for and it includes a diz! As you probably know by now, I like my tools multi-functional, well made, practical, and appealing to as many senses as possible. This mixed exotic wood beauty does not disappoint. It’s not the sort of wood choice I would generally make, but by the time I got there Sunday morning I was already feeling fatigued so I went with it. I think it appeals to me because it so so very different from my normal choice.

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With luck I’ll write up some of the yarn I’ve spun recently. However, next week look for my new spindle love. Bonus? Dating him won’t break the bank. I was surprised too, thinking he was used to a much more extravagant lifestyle. I’m feeding him BFL at the moment and he’s enjoying it.

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One Reply to “beautiful tools, part I”

  1. I have noticed that the more I go to shows the more focused I am on what I want to buy. I tend to go to the same vendors that I love and buy exactly what I need. I don’t know if this is a case of more maturity or more of a knowledge of what I have at home and what I can make myself. Although tools are always a must!

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