Posted by Valery White on Tuesday, 5 May 2009, at 11:18 a.m.:
In Reply to: Picardy Spinner posted by Rose Kowalski on Sunday, 19 August 2007, at 12:40 a.m.:
I just stumbled across this post, and it's been a few years. But, if you're still out there, I have some information on the Picardy Spinner. My father, John White, invented and manufactured this spinner in the early 1980s. He made all the pieces in his shop out of local woods where he lived in Scio, Oregon. He sold these wheels at the Saturday Market in Portland where he and his wife, Sally, had a booth and also sold yarn, handknits and handwoven items made from the wool they grew on their sheep farm. These wheels are still spinning! Every female in my family uses one. My mom spins every day, and I help her sell her yarn on my etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5753934 I am currently spinning on a saxony wheel that Dad made for me in 1974. My Picardy wheel is in another state, and I miss its easy balanced nature and small size (soon we'll be reunited).
There's a photo of her and her wheel on my blog: http://baananewool.blogspot.com/2009/04/shearing-down-on-farm.html
Dad sold these wheels for $100, and refused to raise his prices. Of course he was eventually swamped with orders, and was unable to keep up. Consequently he got burned out and stopped making the wheels in the late '80s. He passed away in 2006. His shop still contains many parts for these wheels, and maybe some day we'll put some more of them together.
I'd love to see a photo of your wheel and hear the story of how you got it.
Sincerely,
Val White