Hello Fiber World! We have just gotten back to Daedalus Corporate Headquarters (ha) and are still riding the gravy train with biscuit wheels! We were so excited to get to interact in person again with all of you (and in real life 4k High Def resolution). From the event organizers Jacey Boggs Faulkner and Levi Faulkner (OMG they were so friendly and professional at once), all the way down to the first-time spinners... we can't express our gratitude and appreciation for the tremendous outpouring of support. I wish I could name each and every one of you that we finally got to meet in person, but this would honestly become a novella. From the organizers to the teachers to the attendees (go flock!), we will keep these moments in our hearts until we meet again. We love being part of this community and cannot thank everyone enough for the love and support we find. Until we meet again, we wish you all good health and cheer. - Dave & Rebecca The booth before the mad rush on Thursday!

Hello World! I feel like I’ve been in hiding - but we’ve been busy building stock for our festivals, Ply Away and Maryland Sheep and Wool. Very soon we will be back to building for the waiting lists and we cannot thank you all enough for your patience. I haven’t built any Magpie’s for some time now, because I decided to update the design and make it the absolute best production spinning wheel on the market. So I bring to you, Magpie V2! Still the same chassis and bobbin sizes, but the power system has been upgraded to a dual-motor system that provides about 20% more torque at all speeds, and an increased top speed of approximately 2600 revolutions per minute (RPM) on the Standard flyer. And speaking of the Standard flyer, it got a complete makeover. Utilizing a circular design akin to Falcon but on a larger scale, the new flyer design is even quieter in the air. And it has an aluminum whorl so that Kevlar tension belting can be used in Irish as well as Scotch (Magpie V2 will come with 1.5mm Kevlar as standard now). The Art flyer will make good use of that extra available torque, as well as a bump up in speed (although that’s not Art’s type of thing). It received an aluminum whorl as well as the standard flyer. Both flyers still use the same size bobbins from before, but the V2 bobbins have a cleaner aerodynamic pattern to better suit the high speed work that a serious production wheel is meant to do. Price? I have avoided raising prices for the longest time, in spite of a myriad of increased costs. In the past two years, we have seen a 25% increase in tariffs on our most expensive components. Then shipping costs doubled. Now electronics are shooting up like fireworks depending on which chip they use. So long story short, Magpie V2 will increase in price slightly. The chassis has gone up $50 because of the extra motor, and each flyer/bobbin set has gone up another $50. Also, we have had to raise the prices of some of the other wheels to help offset our rising costs, around 10% more or less. So prices are as follows: Magpie V2, complete chassis with controller minus flyer/bobbins $950 Magpie V2 Standard flyer with 3 bobbins $500 Magpie V2 Art flyer with 3 bobbins $500 Sparrow with 3 bobbins (no controller) $500 Falcon with 3 bobbins (no controller) $900 Starling V3FP Flat Pack (no controller) $850 (no change) Controller, digital with programmable soft start and soft stop $125 Daedalus 147kwh lithium battery bank with adjustable output voltages $150 —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you all for being with us this long and supporting us. We cannot thank you enough. - Dave

Tomorrow is the big day! Team Daedalus be hitting the road first thing Monday morning. It's taken the whole team to prep for this event. Dave and Becca have been super busy building wheels over the past several weeks along with preparing for the arrival of Longdraw James! Once James arrived there was more work to be had for a special project "AshenEwe"! Becca and James worked together to develop special colorways to be made available during Ply Away and Maryland Sheep & Wool. Group dyeing doesn't always work out but Becca and James were like two peas from the same pod. They were totally in sync and even worked on dyeing the same pans together. It's so wonderful to see Becca dyeing and it looks like these two had a blast! I've seen some of the fiber and I can certainly say these braids are extra special! In addition to dyed fiber there will also be some extremely luxurious fibers! This Yak down looks incredible! While James has been at Daedalus HQ he's being spoiled rotten. Here he is with a very iconic Easter Basket full of goodies! We've got the Daedalus Truck packed up to the brim! Dave, Becca, and James are looking forward to seeing everyone at Ply Away! Wishing everyone safe travels and have an awesome time! - Evanita

March 1st-5th of 2023 kicks off the very first Daedalus Fly-In retreat! We will have 9 vendors and we’ll be featuring each vendor over the next several weeks on our Instagram and Facebook page. Over the past two weeks we have been featuring Jill and Nik of Hipstrings. Hipstrings is a fiber arts company founded by Jill and Nicolas Duarte with the purpose of using "new" materials and technology to bring a modern twist to the ancient fiber arts. We love the way they use new technologies to create modern tools that are both functional and beautiful. In addition to their awesome tools they also dye gorgeous fiber from wool blends to cotton as well as several lines of yarns! For those who have been interested in spinning cotton they carry EZ Spin cotton which is a wonderful cotton to start learning to spin cotton with. They also have a Cotton Club for beautifully dyed cotton! The WIP gauges are a must have for any spinner! If you'd like to find out more information about Hipstrings check out the following links. Website/Shop Etsy Shop Instagram Facebook If you'd like to learn more about the Daedalus Fly-In Retreat for 2023 check out the official website. https://www.daedalusflyin.com/ Stay tuned for our next vendor feature which will be Tuft Woolens! - Evanita

We are happy to announce that our most popular all-around E-spinner, the Starling V3, has gotten some cool new upgrades! By listening to the feedback from our customers, Starling V3 has now become Starling V3FP Flat-Pack, by adding the ability for our owners to quickly disassemble and reassemble the chassis just like Magpie and Falcon. Although it’s small enough to easily transport to the local guild meeting in a car, this added ability will come in handy for air travel. Why stop there? I’ve had some other ideas kicking around that I was able to throw in. First is a two-speed motor pinion (the pulley on the front of the motor). It now has two grooves, a low speed that offers maximum torque (great for heavy tension plying jobs, or low twist singles), and still gets up to 2200rpm. But if you max out the speed control at 100% and still crave more, there’s a high-speed groove that will push you over 2400rpm! This doesn’t seem like a big difference until you feel it - that extra speed can be used during jobs like very fine gauge high twist singles. And it keeps getting better… I’ve changed the flyer design to use an aluminum whorl. Why? Well, I’ve been supplying nylon rat tail for a brake band material, but Kevlar is obviously a much stronger option that also has a very nice personality as it breaks in and wears. The problem was that it can only be used on aluminum drums because it is just asking too much for a plastic drum to fight. And since Starling can be used in Irish tension with the brake band on the flyer, I thought it would be the absolute best for our customers if I were able to provide a Kevlar and aluminum brake system in both Scotch and Irish tension. The feedback from our testers has been amazing, reporting that this combination is truly a professional grade solution for the high temperatures that our brake systems are capable of achieving. Daedalus wheels are capable of extremely high speeds, and physics demands a brake system that is composed of appropriate materials. T6061 aluminum has an extremely high thermal conductivity, shedding the heat before it can build (torture tests never exceeded 130F on the Kevlar and 100F on the drum, under full speed and extreme unusable tension). Kevlar has a melting point of around 930F, so let’s just say that this material was born to do the job. All of these upgrades, and I will not be raising the price whatsoever. My goal was simply to provide the best possible product that I can. Enjoy! - Dave

Hi all I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the retreat so I thought I’d provide some more information. In June I will open a Google form on both the retreat website and the Daedalus website. This is a request to attend the retreat. The request form will be open for 1 month at which time I will begin invoicing people. We at Daedalus have been blessed by our community in that when we open a new project there is quite a bit of interest. Due to this fact I expect many more requests than tickets (to answer that question I have 75 spots) I will be choosing names from a queue using a random number generator if more than 75 requests come in which is very likely. This may upset many people but I see no other way to ensure anyone can come regardless of technological issues (numbers will be assigned according to order of request) I request that you stay at the hotel. Rooms are single occupancy. To be as candid and honest as possible (and we all know honesty is the best policy right) I have a room block that must be filled in order for the retreat to go on to a second year. This is a community building project and for that reason it must be self sufficient. And the room rate is great ($145usd per night) please take advantage of it. The cost of attendance is separate from the hotel fees. To attend the retreat it is $600usd. The price includes the welcoming dinner Wednesday, 3 classes over 3 days, a private lounge, a Friday and Saturday vendor market, nightly events as well for after hours fun. On the Google request form there are class choices for your first, second and third choices. I will assign classes this year (the second year will most likely be different). Everyone will get 3 classes, one class each day of the retreat. My goal is to get everyone all 3 first choice classes however this might not be possible. Classes are 3 hours long. Materials fees will be listed on the website and are not included in the price of the retreat. Fees must be paid in cash directly to the instructor at the beginning of class. And lastly this will be a fully vaccinated and boosted event. Again I’m sorry if this upsets people but it is necessary. I will allow doctor note exemptions however they will all be evaluated on a case by case basis as everyone is unique so are their situations. We strive to make this the most accessible event possible. Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding as we work through organizing our very first retreat. Please send questions to rebecca@daedalusflyin.com - Becca

March 1st-5th of 2023 kicks off the very first Daedalus Fly-In retreat! We will have 9 vendors and we’ll be featuring each vendor over the next several weeks on our Instagram and Facebook page. Over the past two weeks we have been featuring Elizabeth of Spotted Circus. Spotted Circus is a small alpaca farm located in Freedom, Indiana. They have an elite herd that produces mainly dark and gray fleeces with extreme consistency and fineness. In addition to selling their own flock's fleeces they also sell fleeces for one of the top show alpaca herds in the US. The fleeces are vacuumed and blown out prior to shearing to help minimize debris and they are selected specifically to be easy for hand spinners to process. At the moment their fleece inventory is low but shearing will take place at the end of May so there will be more fleeces available then. In addition to fleeces like this gorgeous one they also have gorgeous braids of fiber like these braids of Stained Glass Merino(2 shades of 21 micron merino and a thin ribbon or firestar nylon) and this braid of Rambouillet. Elizabeth has a Magpie with both flyers so she can do anything from spinning her own alpaca for sweaters to spinning Teeswater locks from her ram Ramses. If you'd like to find out more information about Spotted Circus check out the following links. Website Shop Instagram Facebook If you'd like to learn more about the Daedalus Fly-In Retreat for 2023 check out the official website. https://www.daedalusflyin.com/ Stay tuned for our next vendor feature which will be Hipstrings! - Evanita

Our Migrating Sparrows have been quite busy! We only have one more pit stop left and then Tweety and Sojourner will be heading back home for a check up and to research their next migration path. The next leg of the journey will have Sojourner migrating within the States and Tweety will be flying down to New Zealand! Tweety had a nice little meet up with Kermit the Magpie and Sona the Sparrow at Stilly River Yarns while visiting with Nancy. While they didn't get to go on many outings together Nancy and Tweety were quite productive! Nancy mentioned that this is he most she's spun up so quickly. In the time Tweety was there they spun up a 4oz braid of mystery wool into a 2ply DK, a 4oz braid of merino/bamboo/nylon into a 3ply Sport, a little chain ply SW Merino mini skein, and .5oz on the community bobbin. We'd like to hope that Tweety and Sojourner are always on their best behavior during their travels but sometimes these birds get a wild feather. According to Esther, Tweety spent some time behind bars while in Idaho! We are sure it was just a misunderstanding! Tweety - the traveling Sparrow, journeyed along the Oregon Trail in Idaho. Stopped at Beaver’s Dick Ferry (seriously) & Idaho City. After having a little too much fun at the Blacksmith’s shop, Tweety was arrested & transported via Conestoga wagon to the Pest House Jail. We bailed out the jail bird … but shame on you Tweety ! Tweety and Sojourner have one more stop on their migration path before they'll be flying back to Daedalus. We cannot wait to see the journals so we can hear more about how their journeys have been. Wishing you all Happy Spinning and Bird Watching! - Evanita Migration Schedule The following is an estimated schedule. We have built in time for shipping however as with any adventure there's always a bit of uncertainty. Updates about Tweety and Sojourner's travels will be shared on our Instagram and Facebook page/group. Tweety's Itinerary Valerie S - Washington - Jan 6-23 Sojourner's Itinerary Sophie L - UK - Jan 6-23 Follow the Migration! To keep tabs on the adventures of these two Sparrows follow us on DaedalusSpinningWheels on Instagram, Daedalus Spinning Wheels on Facebook, as well as our Migration Blog here on Spotted Ewe Fibers. All spinners participating on this program are encouraged to use the following hashtags on social media. #DaedalusSparrowMigrationProgram #SpinningWithTweetyTheSparrow #WhereIsTweetyTheSparrow #SpinningWithSojournerTheSparrow #WhereIsSojournerTheSparrow

The Sparrow Duo has been a bit secretive lately as of their adventures but we have had some peeks into what they have been up to. While spending time with Krystle P. Tweety got to spin some TWEED! How fitting is that! It's been amazing seeing the variety of yarns being spun on Tweety. This bulky tweedy yarn looks so super squishy! Speaking of variety the Community Bobbin is filling up! I'm anxiously awaiting for this bobbin to be full so I can chin ply it all. It will be so much fun to see each and every yarn each participant spun. Wishing everyone Happy Spinning! - Evanita Migration Schedule The following is an estimated schedule. We have built in time for shipping however as with any adventure there's always a bit of uncertainty. Updates about Tweety and Sojourner's travels will be shared on our Instagram and Facebook page/group. Tweety's Itinerary Esther E - Idaho - Oct 15-31 Susan L - Idaho - Nov 4-21 Leigh W - Oregon - Nov 26-Dec 12 Desiree G - Oregon - Dec 16-Jan 2 Valerie S - Washington - Jan 6-23 Sojourner's Itinerary Eve W - UK - Oct 15-31 Teresa P - UK - Nov 4-21 Jessica D - UK - Nov 26-Dec 12 Su J - UK - Dec 16-Jan 2 Sophie L - UK - Jan 6-23 Follow the Migration! To keep tabs on the adventures of these two Sparrows follow us on DaedalusSpinningWheels on Instagram, Daedalus Spinning Wheels on Facebook, as well as our Migration Blog here on Spotted Ewe Fibers. All spinners participating on this program are encouraged to use the following hashtags on social media. #DaedalusSparrowMigrationProgram #SpinningWithTweetyTheSparrow #WhereIsTweetyTheSparrow #SpinningWithSojournerTheSparrow #WhereIsSojournerTheSparrow

We have been loving how the Google Form is working out for Falcon and have decided to switch how we are selling the Magpies. They will no longer be sold in the Mad Dash shop update format. Instead we have created a Google Form to create a Queue. Magpies will be made in batches every 4-6 weeks and will be sold to customers via our queue in the order they are received. This is similar to our original wait list, however there is no guaranteed time frame and invoices will not be sent out until just before your wheel is made. Click here to access the form to sign up to be in the Queue. - Becca

Project Sparrowhawk began as an effort to extend the fine gauge spinning ability of Sparrow, by increasing the speed and making sure take up could still be light at those high speeds. What it evolved into was a deep academic exercise into the applied physics that comes into play at these “production level” speeds. And the wheel itself evolved into a life of its own, with a gentle nature at lower speeds but yet capable of 4200 rpm non-stop without motor or tension system heat problems. It was decided that a new name be given to this wonderful advancement in performance and technology, one befitting its friendly or fierce nature. I introduce to you, Falcon 400-4200rpm capable with the lowest noise in the industry. 2oz capacity bobbin with robust 30mm core, optimized for fine spinning 6mm orifice Weight with bobbin is 2.5lbs (1140g) Dimensions: 8.5”L, 7”W, 8.5”H (21.6 x 17.8 x 21.6cm) Designed around the absolute finest materials and components available such as: Enormous motor (it’s over half the total weight of the machine!) T6061 aluminum brake drums (never overheat, cannot be abused) Active air cooling onto the brake drums (the faster, the better) Pure Kevlar braided tension belt (will stop bullets, do not attempt) Hardened tool steel chrome plated fat 8mm linear rods for axles Ceramic maiden bearing (less heat, higher speeds, harder than steel) Carbon Fiber “Twin Spar” chassis (a Daedalus signature design) 3D printed ABS components (strong yet lightweight, inherently balanced) Vibration dampening system (a Daedalus signature design) Digital Speed Control, Soft Start/Stop separately programmable (no backlash) BulletProofed design through rigorous bench testing and development. Aerodynamic-inspired design Flyer “bars” are circular with blade spokes (doesn’t waste energy moving air) “Double bladed” upper and lower bars (a Daedalus signature design) Bobbin has a flat rear disc to be minimal to the oncoming air Motor cooling pinion impeller (jet-like nose cone and stack, full motor shroud) Aerodynamic Coupling between the flyer and the bobbin Turbine impeller blades keep the bobbin faster relative to the flyer Absolutely essential to keep take up low as speeds top out Without, take-up would increase beyond usable levels at high speed Helps the bobbin sync better to the flyer during shutdown (avoid backlash) Actual development before it was offered for sale 4200 rpm is worthless if it acts like a mad cat Extensive high-speed testing: James Perry, Abby Franquemont, and others Endless iterations of bobbin and bearing designs were performance tested Aero Coupling tuning (like sizing a turbo for a race car engine) Tortured without mercy (full speed at ridiculous tension heat tests, didn’t blink) Falcon has utterly amazed me at every turn during its development. I was worried about vibration, noise, usability at high speed, usability at low speed, motor heat, tension system heat, angular momentum (“energies”), risk of injury, etc. Literally, every category tested well beyond my far reaching goals for them. No vibrations, no sounds of impending doom, no clackety-clack or tick tock tick, no motor growl or whine. It’s quieter than my other wheels at their max speeds, and maxing it out produces just some wind noise like a small desk fan. It has been thoroughly tested in the upper range of speeds for finesse and politeness, as well as walking along at slow beginner speeds without chugging or struggling. Heat tests were as cold as could be expected, with motor and drum temps never exceeding “pocket change” levels around 100F (38C) or 25F (14C) over ambient. This was at torture levels of speed and tension, which is why I’m perfectly comfortable saying it’s “BulletProof” at any speed for any job. Which is just leaving the inevitable “Dave, stick your hand in it” test. My biggest fear is that I was making a machine that would possibly injure someone, somehow, someday; so I answer my own question directly with this crude test. The shortest answer I can give is it’s no worry - the small flyer mass (albeit at higher speeds) helps keep angular momentum well below thresholds that would be any danger. An interesting tidbit for nerds, the higher rotational speed causes the flyer arms to pass by more frequently, so an approaching object can’t engage the coincidence area as deeply as a lower rpm would. In normal parlance, it doesn’t bite as deeply. The test experience was not like being struck; with my eyes closed, my brain just said I was touching something vibrating but no danger signaling. Although I would still recommend standard precautions with any spinning electric device, such as a stable and uncluttered work area (no loose fiber), keep long hair tied back, no long sleeves or scarves, etc. Is Falcon for you? Well, do you spin on my other wheels at full speed and describe the experience as “waiting for twist to accumulate?” Are you okay with a wheel with 2oz bobbins that have been specialized for high speed and light take-up, which is used for fine lace spinning? Do you secretly crave buckets of speed with no pomp or circumstance? Any Yes answers here says you could use Falcon’s potential. I envision production cotton and silk spinners being able to reduce their labor time by a large factor. We are currently getting Falcon into our print queue and hope to see them for sale in the next coming weeks. Price is still to be determined but will be close to Starling V3 pricing. Because we want to make sure these first units go out to people who can really benefit from the increase in speed that Falcon offers over other wheels, we will be taking requests via this google form using your email address for contact. With these few questions, we will be able to ensure that this type of specialized wheel will be a good fit for your expectations, and you will be satisfied with your choice. I wish I could thank everyone who has helped out on this project by name, but then this would be twice the wall of text it already is. Thank all of you, who have helped bring Falcon up to such a high standard of design and function. - Dave

Hiya everyone! We are pleased to share with you all another Sojourner's Migration Blog written by Vampy the current caretaker of Sojourner. This was originally published on her blog found here on August 7th, 2021. Wishing you all Happy Spinning and Bird Watching! - Evanita “Vampy?” “Yes Sojourner?” “We’ve been on lots of adventures, seen lots of plants, done lots of spinning, and met some of your friends, and it was great fun, but I’m a little lonely, I’d really like a friend of my own.” “What do you mean? You’ve met loads of new people, we went to 4 guild meetings, did you not have fun?” “Sure, it was fun, especially helping the first time spinner make wonderfully even yarn, but, yanno, it was work. I was hoping for some fun social time.” “What about the espinner party we had last week?” “Those guys are even worse! All they wanted to do was talk about work, no fun at all! And one of them was an Eel… eew! I was thinking maybe of something more… avian?” “Oh! I know just the thing! hang on, let me put some shoes on and we’ll go visit Nina and Rowena” “Thanks! That’s more what I was thinking, but, and I really don’t want to sound ungrateful here, but chickens are stupid. Really really stupid. We just don’t have a huge amount in common.” “Hmm. I know! I have the perfect friend for you! Clive!” “Clive?” “Professor Clive Tawny, Guardian of the Craft Room. Let me take you to meet him. Don’t be scared, he’s a vegetarian!” “Perfect! Thank you so much for introducing us, we had a wonderful evening together. Please pass on my email address to him, I’d really like to stay in touch.” For those wondering about Clive, when you live in the countryside you meet all sorts of strange people in the pub, including your local taxidermist. My parents used to live in a converted barn and my Dad decided it would be nice to have an owl sitting on one of the beams in his library. He mentioned this to the taxidermist in my village and after a year or so one of his roadkill collectors found Clive for him, so my Dad got his wish. When my parents downsized to a smaller place, Dad offered him to me, and now he sits on a very high shelf in the craft room, away from cats. -Vampy Migration Schedule The following is an estimated schedule. We have built in time for shipping however as with any adventure there's always a bit of uncertainty. Updates about Tweety and Sojourner's travels will be shared on our Instagram and Facebook page/group. Tweety's Itinerary Jessica C - Washington - Aug 13-29 Krystal P - Washington - Sept 2-19 Nancy T - Washington - Sept 23-Oct 10 Esther E - Idaho - Oct 15-31 Susan L - Idaho - Nov 4-21 Leigh W - Oregon - Nov 26-Dec 12 Desiree G - Oregon - Dec 16-Jan 2 Valerie S - Washington - Jan 6-23 Sojourner's Itinerary Kathryn F - UK - Aug 12-29 Jan H - UK - Sept 2-19 Liz T - UK - Sept 23-Oct 10 Eve W - UK - Oct 15-31 Teresa P - UK - Nov 4-21 Jessica D - UK - Nov 26-Dec 12 Su J - UK - Dec 16-Jan 2 Sophie L - UK - Jan 6-23 Follow the Migration! To keep tabs on the adventures of these two Sparrows follow us on DaedalusSpinningWheels on Instagram, Daedalus Spinning Wheels on Facebook, as well as our Migration Blog here on Spotted Ewe Fibers. All spinners participating on this program are encouraged to use the following hashtags on social media. #DaedalusSparrowMigrationProgram #SpinningWithTweetyTheSparrow #WhereIsTweetyTheSparrow #SpinningWithSojournerTheSparrow #WhereIsSojournerTheSparrow