Me? Spinning?

I went to take my youngest child over to babysit his youngest cousin at my mother's house this morning. While waiting for the cousins to arrive, mom and I got to chatting about our knitting projects. She is currently up to her eyeballs in a fairisle sweater for my sister and enjoying every minute of the challenge.

I don't remember exactly how we got on the topic, but it may have been my son's fault. He was telling grandma how we had spun some of the dog's hair by using a QTip and pulling it out while turning it. We spun a very bumpy string of dog fur out to about a 25 foot length. Just one of those cool science experiments you do with your kids...

Anyway, the conversation went from spinning dog hair to spinning sheep rovings. Mom admitted that some years ago she had a spinning wheel and was sorry she had sold it. She had a ganglia cyst which effected her ability to feel in her right fingers. She found it very difficult to spin when she couldn't feel her finger tips. At the time I was not knitting. None of her daughters were knitting and she sold her wheel and all the stuff that goes with it. I told her that at some point I had had the opportunity to spin using a drop spindle and found it very easy.

She put down her glass of iced tea at that point and said very clearly, "Well, if using a drop spindle was easy for you, you need a wheel. You should ask for one for Christmas."

Hmmmm... you know my mind took leaps at that point. She reminded me that her favorite sweater was knitted from yarn she had spun and plied herself. So I have decided to ask for a wheel at my birthday since it comes in June.

I wonder if I will get it?