Why spinning wheels?
The concept of twisting fibers is thousands of years old. Here was a machine made out of wood. No machine is ever perfect, so there is always room for improvement.
In the total scheme of things not many people know about spinning wheels. Even fewer use them. A very small number actually make them. However with some research a whole subculture of spinners and weavers was found to exist and the numbers were growing, as people looked for a form of relaxing creativity in a frantic world.
The market for factory made spinning wheels is well supplied with a variety of wheels of good value. However, when questioned, spinners are looking for extra features or appearance or function that is not readily available commercially. Thus Watson Wheels was started.
Watson Wheels are individually made for each client. Quantities are therefore low and there is a waiting time, although we will keep it as short as we can without risking quality.
How did you pick those wheel names?
Marie wheel and Victoria on the Right
“Elly” is a based on a Norwegian classic wheel (Elly is the name of a longtime Watson family friend).
“Kirsten” evolved from “Elly” (Kirsten is Elly’s granddaughter).
“Marie” is a 30” wheel. 30” wheels are often called Quebec wheels (i.e. French) so therefore Marie (Antoinette).
“Martha” is loosely based on a Connecticut chair wheel (Martha’s Vineyard?).
“Elizabeth” is a walking wheel of a type used in England (Queen Elizabeth).
“Victoria” describes the extra decoration with no practical function as in Victorian England.
How do I order a Wheel?
You will see by looking at the pricing and ratio pages that there are a lot of variables in each individual spinning wheel. The best thing you can do is to contact us and start the discussion about your requirements.