I've got a confession, I'm in love. I caught a glimpse of him outside a small local antique shop and it was love at first sight. It was my husband, of all people, who introduced us, and we've been out several times since. The relationship is still new but I'm already totally obsessed. He's a little older than I am, by a hundred years or so, but despite the age gap, he's very sturdy, has all his working parts, and oh, what a workhorse. My husband doesn't seem to mind that he's become a permanent fixture in our kitchen...ok, well maybe a little...but I think he's growing quite fond of him, and I'm sure you will too. So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Frank, my new/old Canadian Production Wheel!
TO BE FRANK
Everyone, meet Frank Ouellet, my antique Canadian Production Wheel (CPW), and newest obsession. I named him Frank after François Ouellet, a 19th century carpenter and important member of a wheel making family of that time. I was told, due to some key characteristics, that Frank could be a Ouellet wheel, and recently I received further confirmation when I saw someone spinning a Ouellet wheel that looked just like him on Instagram. The only difference I could see between the two wheels was the paint colour. Frank was painted a butterscotch brown, but this wheel was a vibrant yellow. Apparently many Ouellet wheels were painted a mustard yellow, but I figure 100 years is a long time to keep a paint job, so this may or may not be Frank's original colour.
IMPOSTER WHEEL SYNDROME
Confession, I sometimes wonder if...gasp...Frank could be a knockoff. Although I highly doubt it, until I officially confirm his true origins, I can't help but think he could be a fraud. Are imposter wheels even a thing?! I have no idea, maybe that's a post for another day, but to add to his shady identity, Frank bares no markings of his maker anywhere. Often, CPWs and other antique wheels have the initials of the craftsman engraved in the wood, but not Frank, he has no such "tattoos" to speak of. Besides his off-colour and unmarked body, Frank is also a bit of a Franken-wheel, meaning that some of his parts do not seem to be original and were likely replaced. For example, his two drive wheel supports and wooden pegs are unpainted and the wooden footman seems to be made of a different wood. It's clear, Frank is a bit of a mystery right now, but he does have many Ouellet-wheel elements to him, like a U-bolt tilt tension mechanism, wooden lever to assist in tilting said tension mechanism, two simple rounded-top maidens, and a wide swooping treadle with no rear bar. I keep scouring his parts for other hints that could reveal his true identity, but I always fall short.
IT TAKES A FIBRE VILLAGE
Thanks to Robyn, an antique wheel connoisseur from my local LYS who had the first glance (and grease) at my wheel. She recommended I reach out to Caroline Foty, a fellow fibre enthusiast who put together a fabulous resource called "Fabricants de Rouets", all about 19th century Quebec spinning wheel makers and their 20th century heirs between 1850 and 1950. Thanks to Foty's painstaking research, I was not only able to connect Frank further to the Ouellet family, I also discovered what he was not. If you want to know more about your CPW, or just have a general interest in this kind of history, I highly recommend this e-document, however, this resource is more of an extensive directory of CPW makers, and less about the wheels themselves. Regardless, I found it all fascinating and I'm so glad I now have my own copy. If you're interested in purchasing your own copy, it's available via the CPW Lovers group in Ravelry. Link here.
A MISNOMER
As it turns out, CPW is kind of a misnomer. Although many types of antique wheels were built in Canada, Canadian Production Wheels refer only to spinning wheels that were exclusively manufactured in Quebec from about 1875-1955. It's hard to say where Frank hails from but likely somewhere near Quebec City and the south bank of the St-Lawrence. It's perhaps even harder to know how old he is, but Frank's age was guesstimated to be anywhere from 100-150 years, and maybe even older. A good tell is that Frank has very few metal parts, with the exception of some nails, a u-bolt, some flyer hooks, and brass crank (the part that connects the footman to the wheel). Upon closer inspection, those metal parts all appear to be handmade and not mold castings, which means they were likely not factory made. This suggests that Frank could predate the first foundry in that area which, based on my own research, could have been La Fonderie Darling, which was constructed by the Darling brothers around 1880 in Montreal, Quebec, due to a high demand for metal parts in the constructing of machinery, ships and railways. Of course, this is purely speculation and yet to be confirmed. IF this is in fact true, Frank's minimum age could be estimated at 143 years. How cool is that?!
SIZE MATTERS
Perhaps the most obvious characteristic of a CPW is the iconic large drive wheel. In spinning, a large wheel means a fast twist, and that translates to efficient production. In fact, that's why these wheels were called production wheels, because they were designed to produce thread quickly and efficiently for weaving clothing and other household textiles. French Canadian families of that time were typically quite large, ranging anywhere from 7 to 20 children, and mothers needed to make sure everyone was well dressed, especially for the brutally long cold winters. These large wheels measure anywhere from 20-30 inches in diameter, and Frank's is no exception. His wheel is on the larger side, measuring 28", so he can really add some twist, and fast. See, size matters after all...well, at least in the spinning world it does.
THE MOTHER OF ALL INVENTION
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case it's very true. These wheels were developed by the first French settlers and their descendants who farmed what is now the province of Quebec. Most families grew crops to satisfy their own household needs rather than sell at the market. By 1844, almost 85% of farms in Quebec had between 5 and l6 sheep and produced all the wool the family required, plus a small surplus for barter. Consequently, every family needed a spinning wheel, but I found it interesting to know they mostly spun to weave. Spinners of that time generally spun very thin thread made of cotton, flax, or wool for weaving purposes only. This explains why these wheels generally only have one bobbin, simply because they didn’t need to ply their yarn. For more information on fibre in 1860's Canada, check out this post!
SPINNING FOR TODAY
Like many spinning newbies, I have lofty (no pun intended...ok maybe kinda) fibre dreams. I want to spin all the things and I often find myself wondering "can I spin that random piece of floof?" Although I don't plan on weaving any fabric...(famous last words)...I do hope to spin some yarn for socks and sweaters, but it will have to be in a fingering weight only for now. Frank, and his CPW compatriots can't intake anything thicker because their orifices (yes, that's what it's called), are too small. I would love to create some gorgeous worsted or even some art yarn but for now, I'm just focussed on learning the basics and getting acquainted with Frank's quirks and particularities.
MY SPINNING STORY...
Learning to spin on a CPW was probably not the wisest decision. I'm quickly learning that the speed of these machines can be too much for a beginner spinner like me. Honestly, Frank is proving to be a little fast and furious for me right now, and the twist often gets away from me. It kind of feels like learning how to drive on an old Ford-T model car. The ride is a little rougher and bumpier than today's vehicles and the learning curve seems to be a little steeper. However, with a little patience and perseverance, I'm sure I'll be wearing the woollen pants in this relationship in no time!
...IS YOUR SPINNING STORY
I have so much respect for anything fibre related and now, thanks to Caroline Foty and many others, there's a special place in my heart for spinning wheel makers and those who use them still. Being French Canadian myself, I was secretly hoping to see some of my family surnames in Foty's directory of makers but so far it doesn't look like we were in the wheel making business. Thats ok, I did however learn that I come from a line of tailors and seamstresses who immigrated to Canada from France, so that's fibre related, right? My spinning and fibre story certainly doesn't end here. I'm still metaphorically digging for more insight on my wheel so if you have anything to add, please reach out or share you comments below. I would also love to hear about your spinning story and any fibre aspirations you may have. Do you own a CPW too or did you learn on something else? I sincerely love to hear from you so please don't be shy!
So interesting! Loved this! Marie-Elyse
Hey - if there are absolutely no marks anywhere, Frank might have been made by Lucien, who marked his wheels with an ink stencil or paper label that is more easily lost. It would mean he was closer to 100 years old if that's the case. Look at the Ouellet pages in the photo supplement. 🙂 -Caroline
We’ll done!!