A while ago I ordered the coloured roving I needed to do one of the homework exercises.  Yesterday, I received a notice in the post box, to pick up a parcel.   Since the seeds I'm waiting for are going to be a small enough packet to fit in the mailbox, I figured it was the roving.

I ran into town to the post office and  picked up the box.  It was big, bigger than I expected anyway.

I opened the box... hmmmmmm

Oh look!  There is the roving, with lots of packing material.  No harm could come to that roving when it was back so well.

 Pretty awesome packing material if you ask me!

The real story.  I've been hankering for a travel wheel for some time now.   I wasn't thrilled with any of the Lendrum's I'd tried before - well the exception was Suzi's new Lendrum, which treadled exquisitely, but I was somewhat biased by then.  I'd tried a Sonata, which was very high on my list and it was very nice, but I didn't love it as much as I had expected I would.  Expectations to high?  Perhaps.   I tried out a Joy, loved spinning on it, but just didn't love the modern looks of it.  I realize looks are secondary and function is primary, but I think that if you don't love the way it looks, you probably won't use it very much.  So what to do? What to do?

My Minstrel, I adore.  Not only is it beautiful but it spins like a dream.  The only problem is that it doesn't fit in the truck, unless I wanted to toss it in the box.  Like that's going to happen - not in a million years.   The Traveller I have is incredibly durable, spins nicely and fits in the truck.  It's portable, but a little heavy. Okay, it's only 15 lbs, but dragging it across acres of exhibition hall and parking lots, it feels like it weighs a ton.  It's very pretty but I will admit is a bit utilitarian in it's function.  However I can take that baby camping and never worry about it because it's made to withstand anything.   It's really sturdy to treadle and never shifts or slides....but after the Minstrel, I really wanted a travel wheel that thrilled me each time I used it, like the Minstrel still does.   I also wanted one which looked old, not modern.  After some research, getting friendly spinners to measure their wheels for me, so I could see if they fit in the cab of the truck, I decided to get a Mazurka, sight unseen, untested and untried.   It's pretty.  It's smaller than the Minstrel so will fit in the truck, if the measurements I was given were correct.  I'd heard so many good reviews on it.  It's unfinished.   It's sitting in my living room needing a tiny bit of sanding, waiting for me to get to town for sandpaper, steel wool, stain and a fresh tin of tung oil.   And I don't have the truck today... sigh.