The chatters in the Ravelry group for spinning art yarns have been talking about a new spinning wheel called the Mach1, made by SpinOlution. I MUST have one, but there's no way I can justify $600 for another wheel. ...Can I? ("No, Natasha, you can't. You are certifiably insane." -Adam, probably)

But it's got no orifice! The bulky flyer on my Traveller is big, but not big enough for all the things I want to do. This wheel has a design I have never seen before that appears to have a little twisting hook to hold the yarn instead of an orifice, allowing you to remove and replace the yarn at any time to allow giant pieces of bulk to go through. Not only that, but apparently the guy who makes them will customize it for you. One of the purchasers mentioned that the company was installing larger guides at her request.

Last night at 5am, I finally went to bed. Then at 5:30, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to sleep while my head was so full of bulky yarn thoughts. The above yarn is what happened when I got back up to card and spin the bulkiest yarn I have ever made. I spun it so thick that a single ply wouldn't go through the orifice without me stopping to yank it through and wind the bobbin by hand. Then I took it off the wheel, folded it over on itself, and plied it by hand, inch by inch. I would pull out some length, let the string dangle until it was done twisting, secure the ball, and pull out another length. It didn't take as long as you might think because I only ended up with a few yards' worth, but it was quite a hassle nonetheless. And the end result was still not as bulky as the plan had been in my head, making me even more sure that I need to acquire one of these newfangled Mach1's.

For now, I will have to let my super-bulky project planning fall to the back of my mind because there is another much more pressing matter at hand: The 20 lbs of alpaca sitting in a box in the kitchen. It's off to Home Depot this afternoon and, depending on if the hurricane brings rain today, possibly a marathon washing session in the back yard.