My Ladybug

I get a lot of questions and PMs on Ravelry about my Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel. I thought I'd put a quick review post together about it to save me having to type the same thing every few days :) I must mention that this is my own personal opinion, your experience may vary, etc etc.

The Ladybug is Schacht's entry level wheel. It shares features with their Matchless wheel, including the flyer assembly and bobbins. It mainly differs in some of the construction (there are elements made of plywood) and the brightly coloured plastic wheel. It feels very solid to spin on and the plastic wheel is well weighted and has good momentum. It certainly doesn't feel cheap, and it looks well made and elegantly designed. I'm no weight lifter but the wheel itself is light enough to pick up with one hand, using one of the three useful carrying handles. I take it to guild meetings and out and about, and as the wheel doesn't fold I strap it into the front seat of the car like a passenger. It gets some strange looks at traffic lights!

I haven't tried the wheel in double drive yet (I had a bit of a brain muddle and cut up the supplied double drive band to use for bobbin leaders! Oops) but the scotch tension is easy to adjust. I've created yarn from heavy aran to light sock weight on it so it's very adaptable. The spinning action is easy to control and I've been able to make some really nice yarn with it (even if I do say so myself). The treadling is easy, and the double treadle heel toe action means that it's simple to start the wheel going in the right direction. The bobbins are really big and the offset hooks mean that you can fill it evenly and easily fit plenty of yarn on. I can spin on the Ladybug for hours without getting tired. The orifice is at a good height and the easy treadling action means that I don't get tired or sore.

I hadn't even spun on a wheel before when I decided to purchase the Ladybug. The quirky looks were a real plus point for me, but I also wanted a well built wheel that would last, and that had plenty of adaptability so that I wouldn't grow out of it. Personally I really think that this wheel fits the bill. It's incredibly easy to use, as proved by the fact that I was making usable yarn on it straight away. It isn't the cheapest wheel available, but the excellent build quality and sound engineering mean that I think it's money well spent. I really do love this wheel, it's brilliant and I'd highly recommend it to anyone.