Vintage 1970s double drive spinning wheel with an interesting origin story!
I have not been able to find out a lot about this cute little wheel, except that it was designed and made in Loveland, Colorado in the 1970’s by Louise and Bill Green of Greentree Ranch.
There is a possible connection to Schacht and/or Deborah Chandler (who may be Louise Green’s daughter). These were built in the workshop of a Christian commune, Sunrise Ranch, founded in 1945, aka, Emissaries of the Divine Light. By two guys. Ralph. And Bill. And that is all I have ever been able to find out! (https://emissaries.org/about).
I’m reasonably sure I have the drive band on incorrectly, but it works, and comes with 3 bobbins. Beautiful solid walnut. To me, it’s more of a display piece than a production spinning tool, as it’s a single treadle, and on the small side (though the bobbins do hold a lot, about 25% more than Lendrum bobbins, for comparison).
$175, cash only, no online sales. Due to experience with online scams and identity theft, please give me some way to verify your actual existence, like a social media profile that I can check out. Thanks for your understanding! You will find me as pocketmeadowfarm on Ravelry. I do not yet have a social media profile for artisan handweaving. This wheel is a bit too large for shipping; I'm in the Kansas City area and am always delighted to meet another spinner, weaver, or prospective spinner/weaver.
Overall size: 15" wide, 14" deep, 27" tall.
This would be a beautiful display piece for a fiber shop or historic collection.