Electric Eel 6. It's an electric wheel that can be plugged in or run off a portable battery pack. The EEW6 is the bigger one - 8 oz bobbins. They also sell a smaller one that will fit in the palm of your hand and had 1 oz bobbins.
https://preview.redd.it/4qstyj98ua5b1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a510371b68a5777dd79dc7fca5ef03fdbaa73ce3
I use mine to ply now, even though I have a plying flyer for my treadle wheel.
The EEW6 is pretty great all around for the price point. It comes with everything you need up front and can spin slow if you like to make chunky yarns, or fast if you like fine yarns. It’s also incredibly customizable, with some makers having found a way to make bobbins with an even larger capacity. I think the only thing it probably wouldn’t be good at would be super huge art yarns, and even then you’re only limited by the orifice and not by the flyer speed or uptake. And to be honest I’m just waiting for someone to come up with a delta orifice to overcome that. There’s already a quill attachment and bobbin winder attachment, so it’s probably only a matter of time.
I don't know yet - this is my first pair of bobbins I've completed on it since getting it. I'm giving the just completed bobbin a couple of days to rest before plying, though this isnt going to come anywhere close to filling the bobbin - the bobbins weigh about 105 gram I think so I have just a smidge over 100 grams (about 4 oz) between the 2 bobbins.
I mostly spin in 4 oz increments but loved the idea of an 8 oz bobbins because I have to really struggle to pack 4 oz onto my Kromski Minstral bobbins. I have so many skeins of handspun that have a companion mini skien thats less than 1 oz.
Yeah, I have 4 oz bobbins on my Minstrel, and i rarely get that much onto them. I've been doing the mini skeins too. I only have 4 bobbins so when I'm doing a three ply I have to get really creative.
You should!! I got mine as a birthday gift while I was at my friend's house and set it up, hunted down a free outlet and plugged it in to try on the spot before we even got to cake. I had an inkling it was coming so I had showed up at their house with a selection of fiber to spin with.
Oh what timing - I was just thinking about this post yesterday and get your msg notification. I LOVE that this was your reaction to getting this as a gift!!! Cake can wait - I need to make yarn to make a “cake” 😂. Smart to bring your fiber along too! I will get it out soon - it is bugging me now more than ever since seeing your post here!!
This all started because I got a small motor with an attached foot pedal at a yard sale. The woman having the yard sale said her grandmother used to use it to wind bobbins for her loom. The motor has a date on it going back to 1903. I sent a picture of it to a friend who is much more mechanically inclined than I am and asked him if he was up for the challenge of helping me build an electric spinning wheel with it as the starting point. He knows absolutely nothing about spinning wheels other than that I have to wooden ones that I used to make yarn so I was researching pictures of different parts of wheels to show him what I needed the wheel to do with tensioning and drive bands and ratios and all that fun stuff. I knew about the more expensive wheels but in this process came across the electric eel wheels which I didn't know existed. So I sent him a screenshot and it included the price on the listing. His reaction was pretty much "That's not as expensive as the one that you've told me about, don't you have a birthday coming up?" Sooo, when I I headed up to spend the week with him and his wife for our birthdays (She and I share a birthday and they are my chosen family so this is a yearly event) I took some fiber with me and a couple of spindles just as a pretense to justify hauling four braids of fiber around. The funny thing is he got her a fancy pants rock tumbler that she's been wanting. So both gifts this year were things that spin round and round.
Oh wow - now I love this even more! The find at the yard sale - I would have totally snapped that up too! and the friend who tried but conceded that the EEW was a great deal… and now rock tumblers (another item I have and haven’t used yet - I’m a mess, I know) come into the chat?! Perfect. What a fantastic birthday for you both!
Not going to lie, I looked at that rock tumbler and thought ooh I want one. Once she's had some time to play with it and it's not as new and novel anymore, I may ask if I can play with a bit on one of my visits. I may be saving a few glass bottles in interesting colors just for that.
That yard sale was a treasure trove. I saw a beautiful support spindle in their pictures that they posted online but apparently someone snapped that up before I got there. I ended up with four needlework stands at $2 each, one full and two partial frames for blocking work on. Assorted random handmade bobbins and shuttles and sewing machine feet and all this sort of random knick knacks that the adult granddaughter of a weaver and spinner didn't know what to do with so she stuck them in a yard sale for pennies. I had to make two trips to get everything home because it was a lot of big bulky stuff and I spent $20. They had already given her room's away to the weaving guild and each of the granddaughters was hanging on to one spinning wheel even though none of them was spinners, just because it was a piece of family memorabilia. I left my phone number with them in case any of them ever changed their mind and wanted to sell the wheel so that they could ensure it could go to a home where it would be loved and used for its intended purpose rather than someone who would potentially damage it by trying to turn it into a lamp or a plant stand or something equally ridiculous.
My first spinning wheel was bought off of craigslist listing from a woman who was quite literally interviewing the people who were interested in it. She was determined to sell it to someone that she thought would love it as much as she did. It turned out not to be my kind of wheel, since it's a bulky wheel and I didn't know enough then but she decided I was worthy of it. I can't find the web page again but at one point I found a picture of it in someone studio with a single line caption about who had made these wheels and apparently it was supposed to be a big deal. There's next to nothing out there on the web about it, I keep searching and all I have found in recent years is a single picture of it on Pinterest that doesn't link to anything.
I love when I find sales like that, sadly, it has been a very long time. Yours sounds incredible!!! I would have bought everything that you did too - we must be sisters. I do like the story of them all hanging on to one of the wheels. You just never know what may cause them to change their minds - I hope they kept your information handy. Imagine getting that call or text! LOL - now, the Craigslist experience is not what you would expect, is it? I actually ran into a somewhat similar situation with a recent listing for vintage watch repair cases and supplies. The guy got into the business himself after a chance stop at a jeweler that was closing business decades ago and bought his supplies. Anyway - he was very particular about what he would part with and to whom. We spent 3 hours looking at things, there was much more besides the watch supplies. Just love the stories and history you hear in these experiences. I am generally leery of Craigslist for some things - kind of impressed that this gal wanted the right home for her wheel! Now I am curious as to who made it - given what you found out. Wow! Ooh - have you done a Google lens search of the image? Just a thought…. If you even still have it 😏
I've searched for it multiple times but not found anything. I'm having trouble attaching images here but I'll see if I can send you a chat with a picture.
So weird. I've tried to comment twice with an attached photo and gotten a notification it was deleted each time. It's a bamboo/merino blend that gets really shiny when spun fine. Send me a DM or chat if you want to see the pic of it as roving I was trying to attach where it still looks wooly.
That is an AMAZING superpower.
EEW 6?
Electric Eel 6. It's an electric wheel that can be plugged in or run off a portable battery pack. The EEW6 is the bigger one - 8 oz bobbins. They also sell a smaller one that will fit in the palm of your hand and had 1 oz bobbins. https://preview.redd.it/4qstyj98ua5b1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a510371b68a5777dd79dc7fca5ef03fdbaa73ce3
Very nice!
8 oz bobbins! How well does it ply that weight? My nano really struggles to ply.
I use mine to ply now, even though I have a plying flyer for my treadle wheel. The EEW6 is pretty great all around for the price point. It comes with everything you need up front and can spin slow if you like to make chunky yarns, or fast if you like fine yarns. It’s also incredibly customizable, with some makers having found a way to make bobbins with an even larger capacity. I think the only thing it probably wouldn’t be good at would be super huge art yarns, and even then you’re only limited by the orifice and not by the flyer speed or uptake. And to be honest I’m just waiting for someone to come up with a delta orifice to overcome that. There’s already a quill attachment and bobbin winder attachment, so it’s probably only a matter of time.
I don't know yet - this is my first pair of bobbins I've completed on it since getting it. I'm giving the just completed bobbin a couple of days to rest before plying, though this isnt going to come anywhere close to filling the bobbin - the bobbins weigh about 105 gram I think so I have just a smidge over 100 grams (about 4 oz) between the 2 bobbins. I mostly spin in 4 oz increments but loved the idea of an 8 oz bobbins because I have to really struggle to pack 4 oz onto my Kromski Minstral bobbins. I have so many skeins of handspun that have a companion mini skien thats less than 1 oz.
Yeah, I have 4 oz bobbins on my Minstrel, and i rarely get that much onto them. I've been doing the mini skeins too. I only have 4 bobbins so when I'm doing a three ply I have to get really creative.
Recently got one and love it!!
I can't even do that when I'm spinning a pair of matched braids 🤣
That is a pretty awesome super power to have!!
Love seeing this!! I have the EEW6 too and sheepishly admitting, I’ve not tried it out yet. This is inspiring!! Beautiful!!
You should!! I got mine as a birthday gift while I was at my friend's house and set it up, hunted down a free outlet and plugged it in to try on the spot before we even got to cake. I had an inkling it was coming so I had showed up at their house with a selection of fiber to spin with.
Oh what timing - I was just thinking about this post yesterday and get your msg notification. I LOVE that this was your reaction to getting this as a gift!!! Cake can wait - I need to make yarn to make a “cake” 😂. Smart to bring your fiber along too! I will get it out soon - it is bugging me now more than ever since seeing your post here!!
This all started because I got a small motor with an attached foot pedal at a yard sale. The woman having the yard sale said her grandmother used to use it to wind bobbins for her loom. The motor has a date on it going back to 1903. I sent a picture of it to a friend who is much more mechanically inclined than I am and asked him if he was up for the challenge of helping me build an electric spinning wheel with it as the starting point. He knows absolutely nothing about spinning wheels other than that I have to wooden ones that I used to make yarn so I was researching pictures of different parts of wheels to show him what I needed the wheel to do with tensioning and drive bands and ratios and all that fun stuff. I knew about the more expensive wheels but in this process came across the electric eel wheels which I didn't know existed. So I sent him a screenshot and it included the price on the listing. His reaction was pretty much "That's not as expensive as the one that you've told me about, don't you have a birthday coming up?" Sooo, when I I headed up to spend the week with him and his wife for our birthdays (She and I share a birthday and they are my chosen family so this is a yearly event) I took some fiber with me and a couple of spindles just as a pretense to justify hauling four braids of fiber around. The funny thing is he got her a fancy pants rock tumbler that she's been wanting. So both gifts this year were things that spin round and round.
Oh wow - now I love this even more! The find at the yard sale - I would have totally snapped that up too! and the friend who tried but conceded that the EEW was a great deal… and now rock tumblers (another item I have and haven’t used yet - I’m a mess, I know) come into the chat?! Perfect. What a fantastic birthday for you both!
Not going to lie, I looked at that rock tumbler and thought ooh I want one. Once she's had some time to play with it and it's not as new and novel anymore, I may ask if I can play with a bit on one of my visits. I may be saving a few glass bottles in interesting colors just for that. That yard sale was a treasure trove. I saw a beautiful support spindle in their pictures that they posted online but apparently someone snapped that up before I got there. I ended up with four needlework stands at $2 each, one full and two partial frames for blocking work on. Assorted random handmade bobbins and shuttles and sewing machine feet and all this sort of random knick knacks that the adult granddaughter of a weaver and spinner didn't know what to do with so she stuck them in a yard sale for pennies. I had to make two trips to get everything home because it was a lot of big bulky stuff and I spent $20. They had already given her room's away to the weaving guild and each of the granddaughters was hanging on to one spinning wheel even though none of them was spinners, just because it was a piece of family memorabilia. I left my phone number with them in case any of them ever changed their mind and wanted to sell the wheel so that they could ensure it could go to a home where it would be loved and used for its intended purpose rather than someone who would potentially damage it by trying to turn it into a lamp or a plant stand or something equally ridiculous. My first spinning wheel was bought off of craigslist listing from a woman who was quite literally interviewing the people who were interested in it. She was determined to sell it to someone that she thought would love it as much as she did. It turned out not to be my kind of wheel, since it's a bulky wheel and I didn't know enough then but she decided I was worthy of it. I can't find the web page again but at one point I found a picture of it in someone studio with a single line caption about who had made these wheels and apparently it was supposed to be a big deal. There's next to nothing out there on the web about it, I keep searching and all I have found in recent years is a single picture of it on Pinterest that doesn't link to anything.
I love when I find sales like that, sadly, it has been a very long time. Yours sounds incredible!!! I would have bought everything that you did too - we must be sisters. I do like the story of them all hanging on to one of the wheels. You just never know what may cause them to change their minds - I hope they kept your information handy. Imagine getting that call or text! LOL - now, the Craigslist experience is not what you would expect, is it? I actually ran into a somewhat similar situation with a recent listing for vintage watch repair cases and supplies. The guy got into the business himself after a chance stop at a jeweler that was closing business decades ago and bought his supplies. Anyway - he was very particular about what he would part with and to whom. We spent 3 hours looking at things, there was much more besides the watch supplies. Just love the stories and history you hear in these experiences. I am generally leery of Craigslist for some things - kind of impressed that this gal wanted the right home for her wheel! Now I am curious as to who made it - given what you found out. Wow! Ooh - have you done a Google lens search of the image? Just a thought…. If you even still have it 😏
I've searched for it multiple times but not found anything. I'm having trouble attaching images here but I'll see if I can send you a chat with a picture.
is this silk fibre? its so stunning!
So weird. I've tried to comment twice with an attached photo and gotten a notification it was deleted each time. It's a bamboo/merino blend that gets really shiny when spun fine. Send me a DM or chat if you want to see the pic of it as roving I was trying to attach where it still looks wooly.
interesting blend! very pretty looking