When will I learn???

The last month has been a blur and yet I recall every second.  Many tales to tell but not sure just how to start so forgive me for jumping around - you know that is how I think and move through the world....

For those who do not have a clue what this picture is it is the pulley and shaft on my Ashford Joy Spinning Wheel or what I call my "SOUL BUDDY" I gave up clothes so he could have a safe suite case to travel in on the train and I must admit I grilled and threatened the train agents that if ANYTHING happened to my buddy I would draw blood.  They would not let him ride with me so he had a suite case for himself and I placed fiber and clothes around him to protect him.... While I worried like he was made of glass I purchased online a "Freedom Flyer Kit" so I could still spin my art yarns and not have to ship right now my Ashford Country Classic.  I admit freely that he (the Country Classic)  is not my favorite wheel and so I had no problem packing him in the trailer that is sitting in Colorado.  I was excited that my sweet Joy would do all I needed and PROBLEM SOLVED...

Fast foreword Freedom Flyer Kit arrived here in WA but there was just something that said "NO" - I mean screaming "NO"...

I thought maybe it was just all the new things I was dealing with, or maybe the stuck in the rut behavior that we all fall into, or even still I was just being overwhelmed and tired.  So I waited and waited and waited to feel better about taking my wheel completely apart to change out the shaft.  I read the instruction a million times - trust me I read it so many times I was sick of seeing the words... I still felt so uneasy about the whole process but I gave myself a stiff talking to and one after noon I just sucked it up and started unscrewing him and following what was written in the instructions.

Then the shit hit the fan....  The instructions said to "TAP" on the shaft to release the metal shaft so I could replace with the longer one.  YEAH RIGHT.    Tap, Tap, Tap and more TAPPING and NOTHING...  NO MOVEMENT.  With each tap I was in panic because this might hurt my wheel.  After 2 hours of tapping and oiling and tapping and cursing and looking on line for YouTube Videos and reading on line from the manufacture all the comments folks had to say STILL NO MOVEMENT.  I contacted the company I purchased it from, a local large fiber company and all had no advise, help or even prayers.  They gave me the number of the US distributor which I called on the edge of tears.  Now my sweet wheel was in pieces and would not even go back to it's original state.  After the guy "Mike" tried to help but admitted he had never had this issue happen - OF COARSE NOT - every time I do not listen to my gut I get into a huge mess.  He told me I could repeat everything I did for the past 4 hours or ship it to them and they could try but might break the shaft, pulley or even the wheel.  OH YEAH sign me up for that...

Outside I went and need to breathe and calm down.  I could not say I calmed down but at least I did not cry.  Sheri and I tried to think of ways to get the front part of my wheel back on the old stuck shaft but with the tapping now the end was flattened just a tiny bit and would not let the nut thingy (technical name) slide over the shaft. Sheri found a metal file and I slowly went to work on sanding the edge down - I went slow and steady as I tried to believe my sweet soul was not destroyed.  I tell you NOT A GOOD DAY...

I finally got it filed down enough to get that back together and screwed in all the screws...  I placed him on the floor and started to spin to see if all was well with my sweet "SOUL BUDDY"  Yep, he complained and was slow to want to work but before a couple of treadles he was purring again and we spun a full bobbin before we knew it.  My heart and mind was singing and this gal could breath again.  It was more then a month since he and I worked together and that has not happened in 17 years so we sure had a lot of catching up to do...  Hate to say it but I am just not me without him....

So the Flyer Kit was sent back and I PROMISED him I would NEVER NEVER NEVER put either one of us through something like that again...I PROMISE and I WILL LISTEN TO MY GUT EVEN WHEN IT MAKES NO SENSE..

 

We are creating together again - What do you think of this yarn?

 

Would love to read about a time you did not listen to your gut and have you learned from that experience???  Let's all remind each other to LISTEN TO OUR GUTS - we really do know better....