Kromski Sonata, Lendrum DT or ???

[PogoJr]

I am a beginning spinner looking to buy my first wheel. I've done a lot of looking online and have narrowed it down to a Kromski Sonata or a Lendrum DT.

 

I want a double treadle that is portable and can spin lace to worsted weight yarn. If anybody owns a Sonata or a DT, could you tell me how you like it (or what you don't like).

 

Are there any other wheels that you just love that I take a second look at? I appreciate any feedback at all. I know the best thing to do is to try them out but I missed the last fall festival around here and I don't think there's another one until spring and I don't think I can wait that long.

[sammimag]

Are you on Ravelry? There are some great reviews of wheel there. If you haven;t joined I recomend it. There's some great info to gain from the spinning forums.

 

I don't have either of these wheels. I was considering the Lendrum but felt for me it was a bit shaky. I think this is more how I spin and that it's a column wheel. I loved the centered orifice and it took up yarn wonderfully when I tried one out my LYS. I haven't tried the Sonata yet.

 

I have an Ashford Traveller which I really like but I'm researching what I might need in the future depending on what types of yarns I plan to do most often. So far I'm managing some decent worsted weight yarn. I know I'd like to make sock and lace weight eventually. When I get there I think I'd like a dedicated lace weight wheel or wheel that would be asy to change whorls for lace.

[PogoJr]

I am on Ravelry (PogoJr there too) and I've joined the Sonata group, the Lendrum group and several other general spinning groups. Each dedicated group has an obvious bias but I've gotten some good information from the other groups.

 

I'm starting to lean more toward the Sonata because it's cheaper and prettier (I think) and it sounds like you can get one rather quickly while the Lendrums always seem to be on back order.

[MullersLaneFarm]

I've tried out various Lendrums and Kromskis (and other wheel manufacturers) this past spring when looking for a folding wheel.

 

I ended up with a Sonata and couldn't be more pleased. The treadling of the Sonata was what sold me. There is no effort at all, where on the Lendrum, the treadling action was much stiffer when compared with the Sonata.

 

The Sonata is a very stable wheel, treadles wonderfully and is very tough! While traveling this summer, my wheel took a 20' fall from an airplane converyor and there was no damage

[PogoJr]

I was hoping you would chime in Cyndi! I've done a lot of reading in the spinning category here lately and I've seen a lot your posts and you seem very knowledgeable on the subject.

 

I'm this close to purchasing a Sonata. I emailed coppermoose.com and they could possibly have a wheel to me by this weekend if I ordered today. I am about drooling over that prospect.

 

A couple more questions if you don't mind? I've heard that Sonatas "drink" oil. What does that mean for you? How often do you have to oil your wheel and how much? What kind of oil do you use and can you find it locally or does it have to be ordered from a dealer?

 

I've also heard about noisy bobbins. What is your experience with this? How noisy and what have you done to quiet them down? Thanks for your help/advice.

[MullersLaneFarm]

The Sonata has a leather piece to oil the bobbin. You have to get this saturated before you use the wheel. (i.e. drinks oil) After the initial saturation, I only oil the leather occasionally, probably after every 8-10 bobbins full. My Ashford Traveller actually needs to be oiled more often. That could be because it needs a thorough cleaning though. We heat with wood and there is always ash and dust floating around that mixes with the oil.

 

Bobbin chatter. When I got my Sonata, I also purchased a WooLee Winder (because of an unexpected bonus check from work!) The bobbin still chatters, but it's not constant or loud and I mark it up as part of the wheel's character.

 

I try to answer as many questions on this forum as I can ... I'm totally self-taught from books, and then the internet. I've been spindling for over 10 years and spinning only for 6. When I first started spinning on a wheel and then found internet forums on spinning, it seemed like there were so many 'You have to' ... 'You can't' ... 'You must' ... and the dreaded 'You should' ... most of these different than how I was spinning.

 

If there is one 'rule' I've found out about spinning is there are no 'rules'. There is no one way to draft or to spin. There are the basics and then you build on that so you feel comfortable and you make yarn.

 

The top priority is you have fun and enjoy!

 

When you get your wheel, spend 10-15 minutes every night just treadling slowly. You want to be able to control the wheel speed and direction without thinking about it.

 

Next, tie on some cheap acrylic yarn and get use to the tensioning of the wheel and the feel of the fiber running through your hands. One of the biggest mistakes a new wheel spinner makes is holding on to the fiber instead of letting it go on to the bobbin.

 

With the Sonata, the drive band is almost 'loose'. Tight enough 'just' to grab. Same with the brake band. Tighten it too much and it will grab hold of your fiber and pull it on the bobbin too quickly.

 

When you're ready, pre-draft your fiber before spinning it. Draft it to the thickness you want your yarn to be. Then you can treadle (slowly) and with the brake band set correctly, it will almost be like when you were 'spinning' the cheap yarn.

 

Expect the first month to be **** and know that it does get easier and you will be able to draft and treadle blindfolded.

[PogoJr]

Thank you Cyndi! I did order a Sonata yesterday and it should hopefully arrive by Thursday (I have a feeling going to work on Friday will be hard ). Is the bobbin chatter so loud that you can't watch tv while spinning without having the volume cranked?

 

I'm sure I will be scouring the internet for videos and instructions. The Sonata doesn't come with an instructional video like the other Kromskis so I will be on my own. Thanks for the advice on how to get started.

 

I ordered some BFL roving so I'd have something to play with but I think following your advice would save me some money in messed up roving/wanna be yarn. I just can't wait to get started.

[MullersLaneFarm]

The chatter is hardly noticable.

 

When you get your wheel, look on the bottom - there will be the signature of who built it and what day it was built

[PogoJr]

I got an email today that my wheel has been shipped and should be delivered on Friday! I can't wait!!

[MullersLaneFarm]

Woot!