UPDATE:
Thanks to an overwhelming response the “Navy Surplus spindles have sold out!! Please visit the Journey Wheel website to see what other amazing creations are available!!

Spring has sprung and we are so excited to finally share the details of one of our super-secret-projects that has been under wraps for months!!

Into the Whirled has once again had the privileged to work with Jonathan and Sheila Bosworth of Journey Wheel to offer another unique fiber and spindle pairing. I encourage you to read the details quickly and act even quicker; both the spindles and fiber blend are limited edition…

Details of the fiber & spindle package:
Fiber: Four ounces of 40/40/20 SW Merino, Merino, Silk blended top
Colourway: Fathom
Spindle: Live Oak Minis with Bocote Shaft

Details on how to purchase:  Journey Wheel Ravelry Group.

The story of the ‘Navy Surplus’ whorl:
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) is found in the southeastern US. Long used for ship beams, the fledgling United States Navy Shipyard in Charlestown, MA, dug salt-water ponds to keep their replacement beams wet, making it easier to repair ships like the USS Constitution, launched in 1797, or her sister ship, the USS New Hampshire (source of the infamous “Shipwreck” spindles).

Over the years, the ponds filled in and were covered over. Recent work on the pond sites unearthed the logs which had been under cover for about 200 years. The end of the beam used to create the “Navy Surplus” whorl is marked “5T 1790″ – sadly, the logbook is lost, so we’ll never know if this was a 5-ton beam brought up to Charlestown in 1790 or was the 1790th beam placed in a soaking pond for safekeeping.

The condition of the wood ranges from “tired” to “distressed”; Jonathan has done his best to stabilize each whorl and turn them to perfection, matching the whorls with a beautiful Bocote shaft.

Curious about this unique material?
Read the feature story about other craftsmen using this wood in the February 24, 2013 edition of the Boston Globe.