Old Aurora Colony~Spinning Wheel Showcase

On Sunday afternoon, Jim and I drove out to Aurora to one of our favorite places....the Old Aurora Colony. I have blogged about it many times and we are members of the historical society. My friend Sha is an amazing spinner and knitter and she has been encouraging me to attend the annual Spinning Wheel Showcase for years. I was hesitant, as I don't spin and I'm just a basic knitter. I have always wanted to see the exhibit, so we decided this was the year. The colony historical society is celebrating their 50th year so all the events are really special this year.

When I paid for our admission, I was talking with the volunteer that we know and she said to be sure and talk with the spinners as they enjoyed talking with the visitors. I decided I would ask them about their wheels and what they were spinning. What fun! They were so sharing, their wheels were so beautiful and Jim and I learned so much!

This lady was so sweet and was happy to share lots of information. The booklet we were given is filled with information on the wheels. I was impressed with the different country wheels, how the ladies acquired their treasures and the different types of wheels.

This charming lady was from Germany. Her story was a bit sad, as she had traveled back to her homeland, hoping to find a wheel that was left in her family. Sadly, a family relative burned them or most were lost during the war in the bombings. She did find this one in her region, but it did not belong to her family.

This wheel is used for spinning flax. We learned that a long stemmed flax was once grown in Oregon and was actually sent to Europe for linen making. Oregon was know for it's flax industry until WWII when the labor force disappeared. I would like to learn more about this history.

I loved this lady's costume. Her wheel was from the time from Civil War, so she wanted to wear an outfit depicting that time period. She looks so serious, but she was pretty funny.

Look at the detaoil on this spinning wheel.

A spinning wheel from upper New York state was this lady's pride and joy. She was very chatty and was absent for her sheep's shearing on Sunday. Her hubby wasn't real happy that she was gone. It was fun talking with her about her sheep. Thanks to my Montana friend LaVonne, I know enough to carry on a conversation. Note how small her wheel is as it was used in homes that were little.

This was one of my favorite wheels. It was also from Germany, but was from the Victorian times and certainly had a Victorian look. Compact and pretty, I could live with this one.

A room full of spinning ladies and interested visitors. You can see a bit of the Aurora colonies painted furniture and other items the background.

Happy Anniversary! This most beautiful wheel was a 30th wedding anniversary for it's owner. She's had it for two years and was still very much in love with it and her dear husband. Absolutely stunning.

Here you see the two big wheels in the show. A walking wheel and an osculating wheel that moves up and down and stretches out quite far. it was not a hit, as you can imagine.

I appreciated the information in the booklet explaining and naming all the parts of a spinning wheel.

Cookies and coffee in the little log cabin with a cozy fire.  The building is just perfect for refreshments.
We really enjoyed the day. At least I know what I'm looking at now.