Heavenly Handspinning Herbal Wheel Wax

Thursday afternoon, I put a silly horror movie, they do exist, on in the background and sat down to clean my wheel. The process wasn’t as difficult or time consuming as I had imagined it to be. Just detailed. First, I dusted every surface, crevice, and joint I could reach. Happy with the lack of dust, on went the wood wax.

Thanks to a demo at a fiber guild meeting last year, I was able to buy some Heavenly Handspinning Herbal Wheel Wax from The Yarn Marm. The hardest part of whole process was getting the tin open. Somehow, I managed to not spill half the liquid contents prying of the lid. The wax had a pleasant smell and was easy to apply. I let it sit of 5 minutes before rubbing it off with a soft cloth. Now the wood has a wonderful luster and a layer of protection against dry, salty air. 

Oiling was a breeze since since only the footmen cranks and the bobbin ends on the flyer needed attention. 

From start to finish the entire process only took about 50 minutes. The wheel looked beautiful and ready for a test spin. It spun effortlessly and quietly too. I’m looking forward to spinning a lot of yarn this year so I’m not going to wait months to clean it again. Gotta take care of my Sidekick after all. 

Spinning Wheel Maintenance

Okay, I admit it. I’ve been a bad spinner by not properly babying my wheel. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? When I first got my wheel, I knew it had to be maintained on a regular basis. The manual talked about oiling and protecting the wood and dusting of all things. Totally doable. But I haven’t done any of those things. Before you drag out the pitch forks and the torches to take my wheel away, know I’m mending my ways. I have oil, wood wax, and dusting cloths. I’m going to spend the afternoon giving my Sidekick a proper cleaning before I spin the first yarn of 2014. After all the work this wheel has done over the past few months, it definitely deserves a little love.

Since this is my first time ever deep cleaning a wheel, a little research was in order. I found some helpful articles and have a better idea of what to do. Maybe they’ll help you and your wheel out too. 

The Spinner’s Glossary by Lee Juvan  - Handy overall article with lots of photos, tips, and instructions for cleaning and protecting your wheel. 

How to Care for Your Spinning Wheel - Basic video tutorial for how to clean and protect a spinning wheel; goes through the process for 4 different wheels.

How to Size and Replace Drive Bands

Schacht’s Spinning Wheel Care Tips

The Care & Feeding of Spinning Wheels by Karen Pauli popped up frequently in my research despite being published in 1981. Might get my hands on a copy. 

Summer Mint Sun Tea

How is it already June? And how was Memorial Day a week ago already? What’s the rush 2012? 

It’d be hard for me to believe it was already Summer if not for the humidity, the 85°+ temperatures, and the frequent, passing rain storms. On Memorial Day weekend, I made sun tea which counts as my official declaration of Summer. It just isn’t Summer without a glass of tea close at hand or a jug of it sitting ready in the fridge. 

The Bearded One and I used to drink our tea sweet. While the tea was still hot, I’d stir in a sizable scoop of sugar and revel in the sweetness. After so many gallons of sweet tea, I started adding less and less sugar to every batch until we drank it plain. Then, on a lark and my longstanding love of spearmint tea, I threw some mint into the mix. Haven’t looked back since.

Summer Mint Sun Tea

• 1 Gallon of water in a covered Jar
• 2 “Family Size” black tea bags
• 2 bags of of Spearmint tea
• A few hours of bright, uninterrupted sunlight

On a sunny day, put all the ingredients together and find a back porch, driveway, or doorstep in the sun to let the tea brew. I’ve even put the jar on a windowsill so it will get the most sun and it’s really easy to keep an eye on it that way. A few hours later there will be strong, dark, tasty tea and you don’t even have to turn the stove on to make it. 

 On another Summer note, naps. Shadow has the right idea on this one.