About Me

Spinning Wheels

I currently own 4 working spinning wheels, a further one requires some attention (came free with a 1960s spinning stool).

My first spinning wheel is called Elizabeth – she is an Ashford Elizabeth 1. Ashford still make Elizabeth 2, but it is different to mine. (Ashford origin New Zealand.)

My favourite spinning wheel is a Majacraft Aura, named Kira. She started off by being called Kia as a nod to the KiaOra drink (origin Australia), but became Kira after my Turkish Van pedigree cat, who had a lot of ‘attitude’. (Majacraft origin New Zealand.)

My travelling spinning wheel is a Majacraft Little Gem named Lettice (lettuce).

On a day trip to The Hub, National Centre for Design in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, I visited an antique shop in Sleaford. Upstairs, partly hidden by stacked furniture, Richard (my husband) noticed a large wheel and asked if I would like it. I said yes because it would be lovely as a decorative sculpture in our living room. The shopkeeper said it had come from a house clearance where an elderly lady had lived; I noticed it still had wool on one of its bobbins. After a bit of research when we arrived home, we realised it was a top-of-the-range Ashford spinning wheel, probably from the 1960s.

I was studying for an MA at the time (Masters in Curating Visual Culture at Sheffield Hallam University) and did not have any free time to invest in learning how to spin. Once I had finished/passed my Masters, I visited a couple of wool shows: The British Wool Show in York (now known as Yorkshire Yarn Fest and Woolfest at Cockermouth. I had no idea about wool shows and spinning but thought that I could learn – it had to be easier than studying for a Masters! I spent 2 hours with a lovely lady in Fridaythorpe with Elizabeth and she taught me the basics. After this, I joined the Beretun Spinners and Weavers group in Barton on Humber.

Subsequently, a year later, I entered a national competition, set by the national magazine British Fibre Art Magazine to test my spinning accuracy. I achieved a 1st and two 3rds; I was very proud.

However, I wanted to improve further, and arranged to have an advanced lesson with Sue Macniven, spinner extraordinaire in Dumfries. I wanted my yarn to be bespoke, even and well-balanced ideal for knitting something special. Whilst in Dumfries, I met Ruth Robinson, owner of the Wheel Ewe (noe retired) and admired her range of Majacraft spinning wheels in her living room. Ruth was Majacraft’s representative for Scotland for their spinning wheels and equipment.

I came across my favourite yarn by reading an article and pattern about knitting in the Guardian newspaper in 2011. The article detailed a hat pattern using wool from Colinette Yarns in mid Powys. I loved the look of the yarn, bought a skein, and made the hat! I had a little wool leftover and used this for a unique pompom on top.  The idea of starting a small business (Cuetocomfort.com) came to me once I had mastered the art of spinning ‘textured, super bulky, thick and thin, slub yarn’, similar to the skein I loved and cherished from Colinette Yarns years before. I love to dye wool in batches and then select further colours and blend these colours of wool together to create my very own textured CuetoComfort wool.