Wow, you’re a creatively generous lot! When I asked for name suggestions for my spinning wheel, I imagined there’d be two or three ideas, and we could have a little poll. I was very, very, wrong.
You came up with 103 different names. One hundred and three! Some of them were posted here, some arrived via the blog’s Instagram page. (Not subscribed yet? You so should. I can’t quite promise that it’ll change your life, but I’m working on it.) I loved the thoughts and explanations that came with the names as much as I enjoyed the names themselves. I loved hearing about the names that you’ve bestowed on your own wheels, too.
Would you like to see the full list? Here it is:-
Addie, Algernon Spinburne, Alice, Annabelle, Annansi, Arachne, Arkwright, Aroha, Arryackneed, Ash, Ashlyn Victoria, Aurora, Bathsheba, Beatrice, Betty, Bunty, Carabosse, Catherine, Charlotte, Clotho, Daisy Wheel, DeeDee, DeeDeeDeeTee, Dervish, Dizzy, Eleanor, Emily, Ethel, Fidgit, Fluffy, Fred, Fuzzy, Guinevere, Gwendolyn, Gwynny The Spinny, Hank, Hargraves, Hera, Hestia, Hettie, Hieronymus, Hipi, Hope, Hurihuri, Huruhuru, Irene, Jacob, James, Jason, Jenny, Jolie, Joline, Joy, Kereru, Kowkai, Kylie, Laine, Lana Turner, Loïe, Mabel, Maleficent, Máni, Markov, Martha, Mathilda, Megan, Michelangelo, Millie, Minnie, Neesa, Oscar, Peggy, Penelope, Phoebe, Poppy, Proud Mary, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Sadie, Sally, Sara, Sarah, Sensei, Sigourney, Sissy, Sleeping Beauty, Snailly, Spinderella, Spindleshanks, Spinning Blondie, Sybil, Te Piri, Therapy, Tizzwazz, Tweedle, Vera, Weal, Wendy, Wharanga, Wheely Soft, Woody BarrelsOn, Yasmin Yarnmaker, Zelda.
Yes, I really did take the time to arrange them into alphabetical order. (And yes, my tax return is indeed due this week, how on earth did you guess?!)

There are names from New Zealand (because that’s where Ashford wheels are made), names from mythology and fairy tale, playful names and serious names, yarn-related names and regular names. And some folk simply offered the wise advice to sit patiently at my wheel until it whispers its own name.

We can’t have a poll with 103 different options though, can we? Judging by your comments on each other’s suggestions, the favourite choices are Algernon Spinburne and Charlotte. I have to admit that I’m a fan of Algernon Spinburne…

This is tricky. I even resorted to asking the twinnage – a risky move, given that they are currently calling me ‘Squirrel-Whiskers’ rather than the usual ‘Mama’, for reasons that presumably make sense if you’re seven years old. But hey, I’ve been called worse. Their suggestions most definitely spanned both the sublime and the ridiculous, taking in ‘Socky’, ‘Spinner’, ‘Isaac’, ‘Puzzle-Maker’, and the already-suggested ‘Carabosse’ along the way.

Anyway, let’s have a poll:-

And now, I need to go to do a little bit more knitting, because as hinted in these photos, I have something exciting to share with you very, very, soon.
Tee hee ! I got very caught up with this post, laughed lots and even read parts out to my husband! I love that you’re getting called squirrel whiskers. And that Charlotte made it to the poll, and that i got to vote and that after voting i could see the results so far. Maybe my favourite ever blog post! ????
I swear they do in om purpose! 43% on both names, you still have to involve the twinnage XD
The reason I chose “Charlotte” rather than the other two, is I can remember how to spell CHARLOTTE!
I can’t wait to see what you are knitting!
I originally voted for A Spinburne because it was clever and I didn’t think it stood a chance – but now I think a spinning wheel worthy of naming would perhaps be more comfortable being Charlotte… so I changed my vote.
and now I, along with all the other devotees, can’t wait to see what you are knitting!
One of my favorite books was Charlotte’s Web. Loved it! And it’s so much easier to say than the others.
I had problems naming my cat, let alone an inanimate object, but I love the idea of naming your spinning wheel.
Gosh that’s a lot of names!