Everything is made easier by having the right tool. And when that tool is a thing of great beauty — well it’s almost enough to just look at it. This is a very special birthday gift to myself. It’s a Golding ring spindle, made of ancient bog oak from northern England. The inset is a piece of jewellery from the Shetland islands, made of silver and amber.
Beautiful, mysterious, magic, and it spins wonderfully.
I walked around the farm to admire it in different lights and in the company of various coloured leaves.
This spindle is an inspiration. It connects me to a venerable craft and reminds me that even simple actions deserve to be blessed with beauty. May we have a delightful and productive time together.
Meander Field 
I was just reading about Aristotle saying that to do “good work” we need knowledge, creativity and practicality. I think he forgot to say that we need fine tools too. Beautiful tools that work well are inspiring, and we do much better work. Your spindle is a great example of that.
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The ever-present danger for me is to be seduced by the tools, and not actually use them. But I did work with this one outside today just for the joy of watching it spin in the sunlight.
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