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The Purloined Letter
Chatty Knitter
USA
126 Posts |
 Posted - 04/19/2006 : 1:47:43 PM
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I'm thinking about buying a Kromski Symphony for my first wheel. Does anyone here spin with one? Any reviews?
Thanks!
http:ThePurloinedLetter.blogspot.com
Quoth the Raven, "Knit some more!" |
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abbierose
Seriously Hooked
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2006 : 5:48:42 PM
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I'm pretty sure that's the wheel my sister has. I don't know about spinning with it, but it's absolutely gorgeous! She'll respond if that's the wheel she uses. She loves it, too.
Melissa
Tia Knits |
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blackramfarm
Warming Up
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2006 : 7:12:15 PM
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I love the symphony and my student bought it as her first wheel. The learning curve is steeper then with a louet, but if you like the looks for the wheel and can find a good teacher, then I would go for it. It comes with a teaching video as well.
let us know what you decide :) |
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KromGal
Gabber Extraordinaire
594 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2006 : 9:23:00 PM
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| I have a Symphony (my third wheel and second Kromski) and love it. I don't know about "learning curve" though: I put a stretch drive band on with Scotch tension, transferred the WooLee Winder from the other Kromski, and the wheel almost doesn't need me there at all! It hums. I know there are a few Kromski bashers on this forum, but for the money they are incredibly well-designed and beautiful wheels. |
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kdcrowley
Permanent Resident
USA
4773 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2006 : 9:33:10 PM
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Blackram, it really depends on the spinner....there are a lot of experienced spinners that cannot use the louets. I am one of them. The kromskis however spin likes dreams for me.
GrandmaHatter is a die hard Louet girl....she has two.
Mistress Kelley of the Hellacious Sockknitting
Going to He** for buying sock yarn during Lent, but at least my feet won't be cold.
http://ceallachknits.blogspot.com
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pjkite
Permanent Resident
1198 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2006 : 07:48:47 AM
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I have a Symphony and love it.
My workhorse, dream wheel when I started spinning was a Majacraft Rose. I learned on an Ashford Traveller, bought a Suzie, finally traded up to my dream. We were very happy. There's absolutely nothing wrong with either the Traveller or the Suzie - I was just dreaming about the look and action of the Rose.
Then I started doing demos! The Rose is a fantastic, workhorse wheel, but not what John Q. Public expects a spinning wheel to look like! And I wanted a pretty, Saxony wheel for myself, not just for demos, to fill a space in my studio. So I started looking. The Kromskis hadn't been out very long then, and while I liked the look of the Polonaise, it wasn't the Saxony double-treadle that I truly wanted. So I kept saving my pennies. Then the Symphony came out, and I fell in absolute lust! I ordered one, put it together in an evening and stayed up almost all night spinning. I spin on it almost daily.
There is a break-in period, as with any wheel with leather bearings, where you'll want to oil like crazy, and after that oil every few spinning hours. But putting the wheel together is easy, and spinning adjustments are smooth. The wood itself is beautiful, the finish is flawless, and the turnings, for all their fairy-tale appearance, are sturdy. Even my pre-school grandchildren have 'spun' on this wheel with no damage to either them or the wheel. The tensioned lazy kate that's included is my favorite of the three I own, the whorls are good, standard ratios for everything from fat wool singles to silk, cotton and cashmere. Bobbins hold a good 4 ounces and plying is smooth. The only things I changed immediately were the drive bands, replacing them with braided, 40-lb test fishing line. It isn't my favorite travel wheel, for obvious reasons, but it is a wonderful studio wheel, and it's a sure-fire draw at any public demo!
Pamela Kite
East Tennessee
http://fiberlife.blogspot.com/
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KromGal
Gabber Extraordinaire
594 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2006 : 09:13:42 AM
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| Everything Pamela said! I might add here that Kromski also has excellent customer support, not only in the form of the video that they include with every product, but also in the form of personal support. They give you a phone number but will call you back so that you don't pay for the tech call...they want you to be happy! (This is New Voyager, the US distributor.) |
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pugsweater
Gabber Extraordinaire
452 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2006 : 11:35:48 AM
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and try it in scotch tension first. might be easier than the double drive mode. you may also appreciate spinning it in the dd mode one day. she spins just fine after breaking in and oil often. pam just said that..hehheh... :) i have to go find that braided fishing line and try it....
i'm envious... :)
Pugknits
The Fiber Denn
Etsy - The Fiber Denn
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The Purloined Letter
Chatty Knitter
USA
126 Posts |
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tricoter512
Chatty Knitter
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2006 : 2:32:55 PM
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Say, I was also thinking about the Kromski Symphony(Although, I am not exactly a spinnner, yet. I don't have any wool.). In fact, that's how I got to this site(Long story...). Thank you for asking the question, since I was also curious about it.
~Sarah |
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jdammons@yahoo.com
Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2012 : 12:19:29 PM
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I just got my Symphony as a christmas present and she's my first wheel.
I have had no problems with learning how to spin on her and I love how relaxing my double treadle and the 'whirring' of the wheel are.
I've yet to figure out the whole scotch tension thing so, I've only spun it as a DD but, I've been able to spin some pretty consistent singles and I've only been spinning for under 3 weeks now.
She isn't as easy to transport as some of the castle style wheels but, I have taken her in the back of my SUV to my spinning classes and it's not been too much of a problem at all. The main problem is everyone else oohing and aahing and wanting to try her out themselves!
I'm sure you will love her once you get her. |
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eldergirl
Permanent Resident
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2012 : 9:42:57 PM
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Sarah, you and I should get together!.....I am a wannabe spinner who has wool, but no wheel!
Life is beautiful. |
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eldergirl
Permanent Resident
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2012 : 9:45:15 PM
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And I should have said, I want a Kromski Symphony when I grow up.
Life is beautiful. |
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Kade1301
Permanent Resident
France
1426 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2012 : 07:20:02 AM
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Scotch tension is extremely easy to use: Both loops of the driveband on flyer whorl, adjust driveband so that tension is enough to turn flyer easily without slippage. Run brakeband from ring over bobbin whorl through hook - if there's another ring on the right-hand side of the mother of all I'd put in a cup hook - to wooden knob. Adjust brakeband tension so that you like take-up (I generally spin thin yarns with the spring NOT extended at all - sometimes the brakeband is nearly hanging through). If you can't adjust brake tension finely enough with the provided hemp string, experiment with other materials and diameters.
Have fun! Klara
http://www.lahottee.info |
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robinstephanie
Seriously Hooked
USA
874 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2012 : 09:36:59 AM
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Oh my god what an incredibly beautiful wheel. I will put it on my list of wheels to try out, if I can find one. I'm a beginning spinner too, so it's great to hear the review of another beginner.
Awesome Christmas present. Somebody gets major points.
Robinsteph
Different is good. ~Matthew Hoover |
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Topic |
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Kromski Symphony?
