Bunnies and wheels

I have seen some very creative work done on spinning wheels, not just the obvious yarn, but literally on the wheel itself, as a way to personalize the tool of one's craft. I've always held the theory that said decoration is an expression of the owner's personality. Having said that, those who know me might not be surprised at what you would find decorating mine.

An animal lover and welfare advocate, I have always found great joy in caring for house rabbits, even before I became interested in fibre art. My home and property are punctuated with their likeness in the semblance of stepping stones and statues in the garden and figurines given me by family and friends who know my love for these little furbabies and even a needlepoint tapestry I completed so long ago that all I can remember about working on it was that it helped relieve the stress while a family member was in the hospital. There is even an association between rabbits and my patron saint, St. Melangell. The grounds on which churches have been built and bear her name in Wales all include rabbit sanctuaries, as she protected one from a hunter while praying in a field one day.

All I asked the wonderfully talented artist who decorated my wheel was that her work include 3 rabbits. I, as you can imagine viewing her work in the picture above, was very excited with the end result. Now my wheel offers a bit of my personality, in my love for God's gift of animals, as well as a bit of the artist, a very talented and good friend, which makes it all the more special and me the happier as I spin.