12 Days of Christmas: Day 3, Ashford Scholar Mark 2 teaches me a lesson.

Day 3, Thursday 28th December
Today there was a beautiful sunrise, I know this because I was up early to drive my daughter to work for 8am. The sky was clear and blue. However, it didn't take long for the clouds to roll in from the south west. I could see the horizon darken as I was driving home for my breakfast. The forecast was for showers of rain, sleet and snow. Oh dear...




Luckily the roads were ok for driving and after my breakfast, I gathered my bag of Very Important Things for Fixing Spinning Wheels, and off I set. I got safely to my friend's house, M in Killaloe, Co Clare. M has a Mark 2 Ashford Scholar. The connector between the conrod and treadle had broken off ages ago, and a new piece was needed, but it wasn't working out so well for M to fix it.

Well, all I can say is that I live and learn. I will spare you the trials and tribulations of the learning curve, but I can assure you it was steep. Finally, M's partner discovered after over an hour of us women trying and failing, that actually, there was a short piece of the old green connector stuck in the hole of the conrod. Sigh.... That was why the screw couldn't get a grip on the connector piece properly. I had seen a little bit of green, but didn't realise it was a whole chunk of old connector! Mea Culpa!

Oh well, it was a successful visit after all, as the wheel did spin after that, albeit with a slightly shorter piece of connector than the optimal length, (boohoo, I had cut the piece earlier, dang!...)

A drop of Ashford Spinning wheel oil worked wonders and the wheel spun smoothly for me before I left.


Lesson 1 learnt today, Use your eyes and keep asking questions of yourself: i.e. What might that little patch of green mean? Investigate!
and Lesson 2: Order more Connector pieces asap.

 It was snowing as I was driving home, but it didn't land and  it didn't last.
Plan for tonight: Weave, Spin and read up on the Foundation Certificate in Spinning in UK.