Color Wheel

I got my spinning wheel, put it together immediately because I was too excited to wait, and then decided I wanted it to be a different color.  I got the unfinished version so that I could do exactly that, so I don't know what possessed me to wait until after it was all put together before going to the Sherwin Williams.  My brain doesn't always make sense.

But off to Sherwin Williams I went.  I walked in, a very nice man asked me how he could help.  I explained that I wanted to stain my spinning wheel.  Without batting an eyelash he asked me if it was finished or unfinished, new or used, and if I had already put it together.  He treated spinning-wheel-painting as if it were completely commonplace.  Which makes me want to know who these other spinners are and what color they painted their wheels.

Let me tell you, staining an assembled spinning wheel sucks.  There is not a lot of space between the different parts and you have to wipe the excess stain off as you go.  Even worse, after you stain it, you put a coating on it, let that dry, sand it and reapply another layer of coating.  What a pain in the ass!

For the time being, I left the flyer week and bobbins stain-free.  I wasn't sure if the yarn would rub the varnish off over time and if that would be a problem.  I didn't want to turn all my yarn pink. 

Now that I am typing that, it seems like an unreasonable fear, but that it why some of it is not purple.

The thing I like best about the paint job is the little Kiwi on the pedal.

I took a black marker to it before I varnished the pedals so it stands out pretty strongly.

Painting the wheel also gave me the excuse to unhook the pedals and oil them better.  They had been squeaking something terrible and driving me (and my roommate, I'm sure) completely nutter.

But now it is quiet and purple and very fun to spin with.

Some Assembly Required

There comes a time in every woman's life when she will be confronted by a flat-packed box of 40+ parts, an Allen wrench and a set of instructions that indicate that "some assembly may be required."  Usually a certain Swedish furniture company is involved.

This weekend is was this.  An Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel.

I don't know why, but when I finally ordered a spinning wheel after two years of saving and wishing, I, for some reason, thought that it would show up on my front steps, fully assembled, oiled up and ready to go.  All I would have to do is gently place the drive band on the wheel, touch foot to pedal and be creating beautiful, even, perfectly plied yarn almost immediately.

Not the case.   I had to wait in line at my apartment building's office to pick up the package.  Open it up to find...

...a million little parts and instructions entirely in pictures (helpful pictures with a cute little Kiwi bird leading the way, but pictures nonetheless) and a suspicious lack of tools in my household.

I managed to scrounge up a hammer and a screw driver and, knowing that I could either study for a ConLaw exam or become a do-it-yourselfer spinning wheel style, I tackled the project.

I messed up a couple of things, but fixed them.  Once, I was absolutely stumped.  I couldn't find the answer online.  YouTube has NEVER failed me like this before.  So I called my dad.  He suggested I just "hit it with the hammer."  Unlike when I have computer or toaster problems, this really did do the trick.

As I was finishing up, the lovely Laura stopped by (also avoiding ConLaw, I suspect) and rewarded my efforts with the perfectly appropriate amount of enthusiasm.  Taught her the basics of the wheel (the very few that I know...) and she spun a little yarn.  Perfect!

Now if only I could figure out how to keep the wheel from distracting me from work...