Schacht-up

The British government will no longer be referring to the female partner of a pending marriage as a spinster.  (The male counterpart was called a bachelor.)  I don't think we have competing terms here in the Colonies.   

I find it ironic that they are replacing the term "spinster" with "single".  Do British bureaucrats spin?

This information comes via Michael Quinion, a link harvested from Janice.   He adds that "the ending '-ster' is called an agentive suffix, "one that turns a verb for some activity into the name of a person who does it. Originally, it was always applied to a woman, as in 'brewster' (a woman who brews ale, a female job in a medieval household),  and 'spinster' (a woman who spins). The word appeared in the written language in 1362, in William Langland's poem Piers Plowman. So many women were described in marriage records as having the occupation of spinster that by the sixteenth century it began automatically to be used for all unmarried women and became the legal description."

I love context.  This links me to more than my medieval reincarnation in a cloister, to my current persona's passion:
Oh yes.  She is beautiful.   I love the detailing.

It's maple, with black walnut inlays.   I guess they know their audience.

I am SO not the spinner she deserves.  I saw a quote at the quilt exhibit from Gee's Bend at the MFA last week.  Geraldine Westbrook spoke of how she creates:
"When you sit down, you got to get yourself a mind of your own, figure out a way to put them together."  Them becomes wool and wheel, instead of fabric and quilt.   The bobbin-full on the wheel is a get-to-know-you exercise not worth flashing.  Yes, I ordered bunnycrack.  Enough for a scarf.  And Kendig Cottage, curse them, happily sent me wool:

This is their colonial wool top, in navy.  Yum.   I also got some merino/silk in Bouganvillea. 

The new wheel is smooth, sleek, silky and enticing.  A spinner who shall not be named mused once that spinning might be better than s*e*x. 

Twist is a fascinating phenomenon.  It behaves almost like a living thing, moving, grasping, predictably and unpredictably.   It possesses the same fascination as fire, which also dances and hypnotizes as it follows the natural physics of its unique form and energy.   Controlling natural forces would have the spinster named "witch" in prior centuries. 

JUST so you know that I'm still a knitter, I thought you should know that I bought some exquisite  sock yarn at Mind's Eye when I picked up my wheel.  This is slightly more purple-blue lush than the picture shows, and was one of the skeins that Rosemary helped dye:
It's 50% merino/50% tencel.  It has a Nancy Bush pattern in its future.

When I have the purple band knit on the Black Sheep Elizabeth bag, I'll take a picture.  And the Marla sweater is looking for a foster home, because she says I don't love her anymore.  I will tear myself away from the wheel long enough to show her she is wrong. 

Comments

[Colleen]

I was waiting for the spinning/sex comparison to show up somewhere.

But, hey, what would a bunch of spinsters know about that ;-).

[claudia]

Lovely, lovely wheel. I'm sure you'll grow into her. Especially given all that practice time you are putting in.

;-)

[Norma]

Ohhhhh, beauty is as beauty does.....or you could say "Norma's off on one of her tangents again." Absolutely stunning. You chose well.

[Carole]

What a beautiful wheel! The wood is gorgeous. I'm sure you will be very happy together.

[Lee Ann]

The thunk sound you just heard is my jaw on the floor. I'll just pick it up and back away from the ordering pages now...

[margene]

Oooo, aahhh...it's lovely and you and she will make beautiful music together.
Nancy Bush would be proud to know that the yarn will become one of her socks.

[Marcia]

Congratulations on your "new arrival"! Just remember, thicker yarn=less twist=faster treadle. Thin yarn=more twist=slower treadle. Or something like that.

[Juno]

Recently, I have been enjoying the idea that I am now, fully, a spinster...it kind of tweaks expectation, doesn't it?

Gorgeous wheel, gorgeous.

As for spinning and S*e*x - well, I always say that we should remember that we only have one central nervous system to feel things with. If something should remind us of something else it is neither unreasonable nor surprising. Right?

It is just the fact that we are from North America that makes us uneasy about it.....

Pleasure? Nonsense!

[Martha]

That wheel's so gorgeous it almost makes me want one! Congratulations! May the yarn you spin be as gorgeous as the wheel you're spinning it on!

[Liz]

What a beauty. You SO will be the spinner she deserves. Patience.

[Annie]

It's gorgeous! Congrats on your beautiful new wheel.

[sandy]

OH! Your wheel is GORGEOUS! What's her name?
:)

[Kate]

Re: spinning, women and history! For a fascinating look into life two centuries ago, read "A Midwife's Tale - The Life of Martha Ballard Based on her Diary, 1785-1812" by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Ulrich is a history professor at the University of New Hampshire. Back when women were owned by their fathers'/husbands', women could not work, own property or have money. There were no careers except midwifery, spinning and I forget what else! but if you taught a girl to spin, you gave her a very valuable way to take care of herself and her family. While she could not accept money, she could barter services for goods. There was this whole sub-economy back then. If I spun your fleece (since most families did not have a spinning wheel), it was understood that you would give me "X amount" of things in return...like hams/bacon when you slaughtered your pigs; or, apples/cider when you harvested your orchards; or tubs of butter or cheese made from your cow's milk. In this fashion, a spinner could contribute greatly to the household and could keep herself out of poverty if she were single or widowed. Also, think about this: that ski sweater you bought when you wanted it, would take over a year to get back then because first the sheep had to grow the wool before it would be sheared/spun/knitted and worn! Okay, lesson over! :-) Kate/Massachusetts

[Cordelia]

Pretty wheel, lovely fiber, yummy yarn. Now those are some nice pix. :-)

[Cassie]

I love the analogy of twist and fire. You so ARE the spinner that that wheel deserves, you just have to realize your potential. Enjoy the ride.

[Marcia]

By the way, thanks a LOT for yet another link to a fiber source. I have so few now, cough, cough. It's actually not that far from our youngest son, so a visit may be in order someday. You need to get some Jacob, some Shetland, some Finn and maybe some Leicester. All fun to spin.

[Lynne S of Oz]

WHEEL! Dyeing stuff - how much more fun can you pack in to one week? Lovely wheel - I am sure your spinster self will enjoy it and she'll give you plenty of room to grow into rather than realising six months later you should've gotten a better one!

[Jackie]

Beautiful, beautiful wheel! How does she feel ...I hope a wonderful as she looks. :)

[Janice in GA]

Congratulations, and may you both spend many happy hours twisting and turning together! :)