Postscript to the Aura's tattoo design

As a followup to the previous blog, I'm posting the designer's story.

The designer, Mark Storm, blogs about the series of koru tattoo that he developed for the Aura spinning wheel here.

The Aura Spinning Wheel by Majacraft in Maori-inspired gear

Tattoo design by Mark Storm of the Netherlands. Laser transfer and execution on the wheel by Andy Poad of Majacraft. Excellent, excellent job by both guys! They were a pleasure to work with. : )

UFO no longer: Cavendish in Noro by Jane Ellison

About 84 inches long and 42 inches in width. I'm taking it to yoga class for savasana.

Lexi with "our" yarn: my kinda girl!

Lexi's very own handspun.


Feature on Lexi's Lillehammer, Norway, show here.

Pleasant Surprise: impromptu Majacraft visit

Guess who was in our living room this morning?

Larry had picked up Owen and Glynis Poad with sister, Pam, from Homewood Suites in Columbia to take them to the airport, while I got ready to go to work. Unfortunately (or fortunately), he forgot a care package I had packed for Glynis to take home, so they had to pass by the house before going to Dulles.

Here they are trying on my spinning chairs: Owen is sitting on an Amish stool, while Glynis is propped on a stool recycled from French oak barrel.

They're now on their way to L.A. for a two-day visit.

Aura and pluckyfluff

The day that was at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

The temperature was HOT, and Aura, Lexi and Owen were definitely HOT among the Majacraft fans who came to see the unveiling of the latest spinning wheel. (Note Lexi's nonchalant attitude as if saying, "There's nothing to it!" and the admirer's amazement.)

Videos of spinning novelty yarn (here) and spinning regular kind (here). Lexi created both types of yarn without adjusting settings. Owen Poad, the design engineer behind Aura, says he would have to change settings to do that, but he adds, "Lexi is very clever with it as she has used it a lot."

Aura has arrived in Blogosphere!

Read more on pluckyfluff's blog.

Ain't she a beauty!

My Favorite Men. Serious!

Owen Poad
Otto Strauch
Pat Green
Nathan Lee
Tracy Eichheim, the ultimate Majacraft dealer

And now, add to that list Kevin Hansen, creator of the miniSpinner.

Weight: 4 lbs
Woolee Winder Bobbin: 9 (!) oz capacity
Speed Range: 0-1600 rpm; Z and S twists capable
Power Supply: 100-240 VAC universal 12 volts with auto adapter

Didn't believe in electric spinning until...Kevin's miniSpinner came along. Now I can spin artyarns effortlessly and as fast as Jacey Boggs.

Wool Spinning Scene in Queenstown

The only handspun/handdyed yarn shop in Queenstown is owned by a Japanese woman named Chiyo. Her shop is called Little Wool Shed.



Chiyo's handspun/handdyed/handknit hat with felted flower pin.

Chiyo's felted flower pin and matching knitted jumbo cowl.


Scarf knitted by Chiyo with her fingers.

Do we look dorky enough? Hats from the Queenstown Saturday Creative Arts and Craft Market.

That's Biddy with Lorna who's wearing a beret from Biddy's Knitwear. Biddy raises Perendale sheep in her farm in Gore and accepts homestays.

Handdyed boucle yarn by Touch Yarns.

Made by High Country Knitwear in Timaru using Colinette yarns and patterns. Sold in boutiques around Queenstown.

Queenstown: Images from a Favorite Town

Favorite restaurant: Amisfield Winery Bistro



Favorite dish: crackling pork belly


Favorite chocolate cake: dark and gluten-free


Favorite burger place: Fergburger





Favorite hangout: Vudu Cafe


Favorite dessert: pavlova


Favorite sheep: the merino


Favorite travel clothing: St. James (san jams) sailor shirts. These are nine years old and still going strong.

Visit with the Poads of Majacraft in Tauranga, NZ

The very day that Lexi was arriving at LAX from her Majacraft spinning workshop near Wellington, we were departing from LAX on the way to New Zealand to, among other things, catch up with the Poads, owners of Majacraft. My intention was to join Lexi's class, but flying on Frequent Flyer Miles, one can't dictate the dates of the one's flight.

At any rate, Majacraft's marketing director, Andy (Poad), was, of course, drumming up interest on the new Majacraft wheel -- still unnamed -- on Majacraft's Ravelry forum. I was sucked into the "treasure hunt" as I was about to place an order for a custom-made Suzie, but the new wheel announcement made me put that order on hold. For all the tortuous waiting, I'd have to say it was all worth it!

I got to try the new wheel and it’s fabulous! I like all the Majacraft wheels because with them you are in control. The new wheel is different. It’s very easy to spin, but you feel it’s you and the wheel working together to create the yarn. I would liken it to taking two to tango or eating pasta that’s cooked al dente -- there’s chew. There’s a good deal of give and take and you feel some pleasant pull from the wheel as you spin. Really, really nice.

BTW, while the new wheel was created for artyarns, what I spun was more like sock yarn, so the wheel is truly versatile.

Andy also showed other things in development, but I’ll let Andy make the revelations in the months to come. No more pre-empting. Promise!

After spending the entire afternoon in the workshop and office hanging out with the Poads and Pat Old who just published her book, In A Spin (available from Majacraft dealers), we were graciously treated to delightful dinner in Glynis and Owen’s garden along with Rob and his daughter, Hope. It was very pleasant. Owen smoked mussels, and deboned and smoked trout that he caught. It was complemented by a bottle of red wine from Trinity Hill. (Owen did showed off the bottle Lexi brought them from her family's Boeger Winery in Placerville, CA.)

More photos here.

Sheep Ahoy!

Off to see the new Majacraft wheel still under wraps.


B/w image from Spinnuts, a Japanese spinning magazine published by Spin House Ponta in Tokyo.

Could this be the new Majacraft wheel?

Follow on Ravelry's Majacraft Fans and Intertwined Spin-along.

Note the humongous orifice that just screams, "I was made for PluckyFluff!"

Another view below. That's Lexi in Tokyo where this particular wheel made a, well, maiden appearance. Design subject to change as the photo was taken in the Fall of last year and the new wheel isn't coming out till May. Still, this could be the prototype.



And finally, the front view:


Note to Andy: I'm changing this blog's name to MajRumors. LOL

ETA Tracy Eichheim's notation on a fourth photo. Published with his kind permission. For Tracy's take on the new wheel, read here.