And, Besides, It's Purple!

The next few weeks are going to be filled with preparations for SOAR.  Spin-Off Autumn Retreat is the premier annual spinning event in the USA.  It is sponsored by Interweave Press, and this year is held in Tahoe City, California, October 21-27.

I’ll have 80 workshop participants in my 6 days of workshops.  That’s a lot.  I’ve got to make sure I have sufficient supplies and all the needed equipment, including a spinning wheel!  Earlier this year, I decided to get a Lendrum folding wheel for traveling.  I’ve spent a good amount of time spinning on this wheel, and I do love how it works.  It’s a fine wheel and does all the things I want it to do.

But it’s big.  Folded up, it’s 29 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 7 inches deep.  When I flew to South Dakota last month for the North Country Fiber Fair, I shipped this wheel in its original box, which worked just fine, but that cardboard box isn’t going to last forever.

I needed a suitcase.  A hardshell suitcase.  One that is big enough for my wheel.  Over the past few months, I have come to realize that the size of the Lendrum is a bit of a limiting factor.  I had friends who were confident they had an old suitcase that would be big enough.  Regrettably, no.

I had to resort to actually shopping for a new suitcase.  Perhaps you can tell that I’m not an enthusiastic shopper (unless of course the shopping is for fiber stuff).  I had to build up the courage to go from place to place.

First stop, Goodwill.  No hardshell suitcases at all.  Then, to TJMaxx:  Some hardshell suitcases, but the biggest ones were ever so slightly too small for the wheel.  Macy’s led to success.  They had a wide array of hardshell suitcases, but only one brand was large enough for the wheel.  The case was available in three colors:  silver, blue, and purple.  Of course I chose purple.

Now I need to practice packing my wheel for best, safest effect.