Kromski Fantasia Spinning Wheel
KINA-UNF
$449.00 USD
For the Kromski fans who wanted a modern wheel, they designed The Fantasia. It touts a sophisticated Kromski design in a modern wheel format.
Many assume the distinguishing feature of a Fantasia is the curved lines of the weighted wheel accent, when it is actually the inconspicuous design of the flyer that garners the most recognition. This flyer design allows the spinner to easily and quickly transition from bobbin to bobbin without having to remove a drive band. The flyer itself is held on by a super strong rare earth magnet but easily releases with a snug pull, granting instant access to the bobbin. The flyer, bobbin and whorl are three separate components, allowing uncomplicated bobbin exchanges. Because the flyer and wheel rotate on sealed ball bearings, spinning on this wheel is effortless.
This wheel also features sliding flyer hooks, which enables the spinner to precisely adjust the yarn as the bobbin fills. The Fantasia has three interchangeable whorls available, allowing for multiple spinning speeds/ratios and giving the spinner a wide variety of yarn types to create.
Includes :
- 3 bobbins (120g/4.2oz capacity)
- Spinning Wheel Oil
- Threading Hook
Rachel's notes: The Fantasia wheel is not going to be the smoothest or best designed wheel that you can find, however; it is one of the prettiest. The look and price of this wheel makes it a great option for many spinners and we have sold many fantasia wheels to spinners who are in love with them. I feel the primary drawback is with the yarn guide on the flyer. I found it to be a little fussy and could move around if not correctly set of the flyer arm in the new position. The nature of this yarn guide can be troublesome if you are a brand new spinner and tend to go backwards while spinning. This is easily remedied though by carefully checking your yarn if you do accidentally spin backward. You just need to make sure the yarn has some tension on it to hold it in the guide and is not wrapped around the guide before you start spinning in the correct direction again. This is not a problem that is limited to the fantasia wheel I just found but it is a consideration. If you have trouble keeping this or any wheel going in the desired direction I recommend that you practice treadling in the desired direction without spinning. As you practice treadling focus on going slower and slower while still keeping the wheel going in the same direction. This will help build you muscle memory in your legs and make treadling more automatic so you can spend more of your focus on drafting with your hands once you add the spinning back into the action. I recommend getting a separate lazy kate that is tensioned rather than using the kate on the wheel. The tensioned lazy kates make plying a much easier process and is one of the cheapest tools you can buy that will have the greatest impact in your finished yarn.
In Summary: If you love the look of this wheel and are willing to take a little extra time to learn how to use it. You should be very happy with this wheel and the yarn that you will be able to spin with it.