The auctioneer described his next item up for bid as a mini sewing machine. I perked up. I love old sewing machines, the big black metal monstrosities that weigh as much as a house but can be as beautiful as a painting.
This one, however, was neither of the three. I wasn’t even sure it was a sewing machine. I had seen it in the back of a glass case at the auction house – a large spool of thread on top – and had meant to look it over. Now, it was being auctioned.
Curious, I bidded on it. Primarily because I wanted to figure out what it actually was. The machine looked old, vintage, maybe because it was dusty. There were no markings on it.
I’m still not sure what it is but I don’t believe it’s a sewing machine. It has a neat old long wooden spool (which has green paint on the top) of coarse thread. The spool has notches on the bottom that trip over a metal lever when turned.
Like a sewing machine, it has loops and a hook for thread, but there is no place for a needle. When I turn the spool to the right (it won’t turn left), the metal rods on the front move up and down with the rhythmic pattern and sound of a sewing machine.
Could it be one? Or is it a yarn threader or winder? Or a knitter?
I tried looking it up on Google and Ebay, but how do you search for something that you don’t know the name of? Understandably, I couldn’t find anything like it. Do you recognize it?
Could be a spool winder.
Could it be a spinning wheel? What ever it is it is cool. Thanks for Sharing.