I've done it, I've done it. I've ordered the Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel as my very first spinning wheel. I am a naughty knitter but I've been wanting for quite a long, long time to have a spinning wheel of my own after playing for a while here and there with doing it by hand off a drop spindle and the briefest tantalizing taste of it from trying out one of my aunts' spinning wheels over a year ago.
I do like spinning yarn but the one downer is it takes quite a bit more time than I'd like to despite my speed with either top or bottom whorl drop spindles. There is something nice about being able to spin wherever I'd like to off of a drop spindle but I will admit you do get a few odd looks doing it in public and I'm more comfortable doing it at home anyway so having a stationary spinning tool isn't a problem. Plus, the one big downside is my drop spindle just gets too bogged down eventually because I'll spin and spin then have a full spindle too heavy to get the job done.
I do warn though, up ahead is my very, very lengthy explanation for why I chose the Ashford Kiwi. A lot of research went into this purchase which, given I was going to drop a pretty penny for this purchase, I wanted to be quite sure I had what I wanted in a wheel without having to spend 800 bucks to do it.
So the one I got was the Ashford Kiwi, a delightful spinning wheel with unfinished wood that is reputed for being an excellent spinning wheel for beginners in both design and affordability with double treadle foot pedals. Most spinning wheels range from 500-800 but I opted for this one as it was much more in my price range, much more so in the 300-400 range for this model. There are less expensive wheels than the Kiwi but those generally are made of PVC piping like the Babe wheel in the 150-250 range along with the hand cranked table types of spinning wheels but I generally don't like the lightness of pvc which doesn't feel particularly strong to me and I wasn't really thrilled with the idea of a hand crank when I had my heart set on the foot pedal method.
There were other reasons as well. Aesthetically speaking, the unfinished Kiwi looked pleasing and I liked the idea of saving myself an extra 140 bucks for the unfinished version versus a finished glossy model. With the money I saved, I figured I could sand and either stain or paint the wood myself for under 30 bucks, win for me. This being easier as the whole machine comes disassembled and is relatively easy to put together as well. The shape of the overall device and the broad wheel lends itself to a lot of different designs and colors that can be played with when you do choose to pimp out your wheel but this feature of it is more a bonus and not really a deciding factor in why I chose it. Still, credit must be given to a lot of folks on ravelry who have gone above and beyond to personalize their own Kiwis from something as simple as a rich dark stain with gold stencils, stickers, glossy finishes, and one gal who had hers painted with
zombie sheep. It's pretty freaking boss is what it is!? Aesthetics and endless possibilities with painting this wheel wasn't the main feature BUT there is something to be said to enjoy looking at it while you're spinning. There was also the Ladybug wheel mentioned in an article on
Knitty that is cute and lightweight but from what people have said about it, it's a bit overpriced for being made of plywood and having a red plastic wheel priced at over 500 bucks. Cuteness is one thing but I didn't want to necessarily sacrifice quality or spend too much money for cuteness and from what other spinners on ravelry's forums had mentioned, it's not much better to spin with than the Ashford Kiwi, just darn cuter.
So aside from just the myriad of customizations you can do, there is straight to the mechanics and options of this beast that compelled me to pick it up over other models. I like the two foot pedals because personally I like being able to start and stop a wheel with my feet and decide if I want to turn left or right depending on my Z or S type twist. It's the one thing I remember from working with my aunt's spinning wheel that I knew I'd want double treadles on a wheel. Likewise, the design of the Kiwi allows for using either your left or right hand to pull depending on your preference which for me...I'm contrary and knowing how I spin with just drop spindles, I change hands depending on my mood. I'm weird that way.
As for size and weight. It's not as light as say a PVC model or tiny as some of the foldable travel spinning wheels on the market but at 11-12 lbs it's comfortably sturdy without being a heavy beast if I wanted to move it somewhere but with enough oomph that it won't tip over or go flying in the wind. The castle aka vertical design means it will also take up less space if I need to tuck it away. I love my hobbies but I just don't want to take up whole rooms with it.
As for drive wheel/ratio, it's a slower wheel with two ratios of 5.5:1 and 8:1 which isn't a problem for me given that the higher ratios that go up to something upwards of 17:1 are meant for efficiently spinning cottons, alpaca, or angora and the like. I mostly want to stick with wool so this isn't an issue and if I later want to go with that, thankfully the Kiwi has high speed adapter kits and jumbo flyers to upgrade your model with what you need when you need it down the road. Again, this was a bonus for me and my budget to pay for what I want now than what I may possibly need and not ever use. Plus, if I do choose years from now that I want a spinning wheel with all the bells and whistles then thankfully the Kiwi doesn't depreciate in value as say the PVC Babe wheel does and judging from ravelry and online ads...used wheels tend to disappear incredibly fast online for about almost the same price used as they sell new give or take 50-100 bucks (factors depending on how well kept it is and the wicked paint job you give it and what goodies you toss in extra) within a week or two.
Speaking with goodies, at this point almost every store online selling new is selling at the same price exact. I ended up going with the
Woolery's online store because they had a very good reputation among ravelry spinners and a large number of Ashford Kiwi owners had bought from this store with very positive feedback. It's a ma and pa spinning shop owned by a couple stationed in Kentucky who not only sell yarn, roving, and spinning wheels but also offer spinning classes so I am comforted that if any problems arise in the product or if I have questions their staff is friendly and knowledgeable and their website has a wealth of knowledge to glean from for making your future purchase a wise one indeed.
Phew, that was a lotta info. D:
ame for my wheel. I'll name it Minzy after the 2NE1's group member. She knits, she dances, and she's the toughest mamma-jammer in the Korean pop/hip-hop world. Also, she is the most adorable gal with the cutest name to impart upon a spinning wheel ever. That's how I want to keep my spinning wheel, tough as nails but still adorably sweet at heart.
