Louet Julia
  The
latest wheel from Louet, the Julia, stands out
for me as the most exceptional new wheel on the
market since Louet's last new wheel, the popular
Victoria travel wheel. During my recent extended
in-home test drive, I found this to be no coincidence.
Very similar to the Victoria in looks, the Julia
is a full-size castle-style with a 20” drive
wheel and an orifice height of 27” (68.5
cm). The resemblance extends to the mechanical,
with a scaled-up implementation of the same treadle
and footman design, and the ability to use all
the flyers available for Victoria (including
third-party offerings like the WooLee Winder
from Robert Lee & Sons).
Louet has incorporated
feedback and real-world experiences with the
Victoria into the new wheel. This is visible
with changes in the orifice eliminating the
need for a threading hook, reinforcement at
the treadle pivot bar, and an improved scotch
tension assembly. That's right – Julia
is also scotch tension, or flyer lead single
drive, allowing for a wider range of takeup
(how hard the wheel pulls on your yarn as you're
spinning) than pre-Victoria offerings. This drive
system is widely regarded as being the most versatile,
allowing for spinning from incredibly fine to
very thick.
Stress points and wear
points on the wheel are all strongly reinforced,
made of durable modern polymer and powdercoated
steel. Julia is whisper-quiet with sealed ball
bearings – the quietest
wheel in my studio – and rock-stable on
all but the deepest pile carpet, where a small
wobble may occur in any wheel. During a month
of test drive, I spun everything with Julia:
gossamer-weight cashmere and silk, thick Lincoln
rug yarn, a wide variety of blends in lace, fingering,
sock, and worsted weights, and even cotton – the
ultimate challenge for any flyer wheel, requiring
almost no takeup and serious speed. Julia handled
them all with ease.
Louet
Julia
Drive system: flyer-led
single drive or scotch tension
Ratios: 1:6, 1:8.5,
1:12.5, 1:19, optional 1:27
Number of Bobbins supplied: 4
Lazy Kate: comes with
wheel for a limited time
WooLee Winder available? yes
Weight: 6 lbs
Height: 30”
Orifice Height: 27”
Orifice size: 12mm, 8mm
Folds? Flat for storage,
not necessarily for travel
Other: no need for threading
hook
MSRP: $600 |
Out of the box and with
no add-ons, standard ratios range from 6:1
to 19:1 – a range
not generally seen without multiple flyer assemblies.
Speaking of those, there's also a high-speed
flyer (compatible with Victoria) that extends
Julia's ratios to 27:1. Right now, Julia also
ships with a terrific friction-braked, adjustable,
and separate lazy kate. Priced around $600 US,
this is a very competitive wheel offering a range
of features and abilities that generally cost
hundreds more for additional accessories. The
only add-on not presently available is a jumbo
flyer.
If you have a Victoria
and want a full-size wheel, Julia fits that
bill beautifully, with the added benefit of
interchangeable bobbins and flyers. While Victoria
is a travel wheel that can be carried on planes
in a case only a little larger than a laptop
case or large backpack, Julia is a full-size
modern wheel that disassembles with a single
knob, lays flat, and would be easy to transport
by car or store out of the way – but
probably not the wheel for lots of air travel.
If you liked the Victoria, but just felt it was
too small and light or you wanted greater speed,
give Julia a look. If you are a dedicated scotch
tension spinner who has avoided the bobbin-lead
Louets, or you've heard that you can't spin fine
on a Louet, you owe it to yourself to try this
wheel; it will really surprise you. Julia would
also be a terrific first wheel for any spinner,
not only because of its performance, durability,
and price point but because of Louet's exceptional
service and support.
So, who would love a Julia? Well, I do! In fact,
I'm hoping they don't want this demo wheel back.
Wish me luck. |
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