Kromski Minstrel
This was an unbelievably wonderful gift from my parents for Christmas, 2003. It's a double-treadle, double drive wheel, and it spins like a dream. My earlier spindle spinning taught me how to draft, and how much twist I needed, and after about 20 minutes of playing around, I figured out the magic combination of treadling, drafting and take-up that would produce something very much resembling yarn. Plus, it's just beatiful to look at. It's a castle-style wheel, complete with parts named things like "footmen" and "maidens". This is perfect for someone obsessed with fairy tales like I am.

Now I just need to decide what color to stain it. Keep it natural? Make it warm and light? Deep, rich tones? I think I need to think about it for a bit...

Louet beginner spindle
I purchased this spindle at the 2003 Dutchess County sheep & wool festival (a.k.a. Rhinebeck). It was my first purchase there, and seemed like a good idea at the time, since it came with some fun fiber to practice spinning. It's a bit on the heavy side, and works much better for plying than for actually spinning, but it's nice and sturdy, and really didn't mind being abused for the first few attempts at spinning. (Oh, so that's why they call it a drop spindle!)

Grafton Fiber's swan spindle
This spindle is also from the 2003 festival. This was a totally impulsive purchase, and my only consideration was the fact that the whorl is a fantastically gorgeous green. It didn't take being abused so well, and the top part of the dowel, where the hook is, is a little cracked. I may try gluing it, or I may see if I can send it back for repair. Regardless, it's a much better weight to spin with, and I do want to fix it at some point.