Spinning Tip for the Humid Summer Weather

Problem: 

Now that we're into the real heat of summer, I've started having problems with the humidity making my hands a bit clammy and my fiber really fly-away-ey (shush it's my word). This was making carding and drafting difficult.  

Solution:

Corn starch (or talcum powder if you prefer, but it is carcinogenic and not good for Asthmatics like me)! 

I started rubbing corn starch into my hands before starting to spin in order to absorb the extra moisture and keep my fiber running smoothly through my hands, and it's really done the trick!! 

Of course this is probably common sense to most people but I thought I'd share my little solution. Now you can use straight corn starch, but for us creative crafty types you can do what I did and take a little plain corn starch from your cupboard, add some dried skin-friendly herbs, grind with a mortar and pestle and WALA!!! Perfumed hand powder!!

I stored mine in an old spice jar(I picked one of the little ones like Cream of Tartar come in so I could throw it in my spinning bag and take it on the go.

I made mine with dried roses. I was going to add dried lavender as well but the jar is almost empty and I make a PMS/Cramp relief tea for GF with it, so I had to save it!

Make sure you are not allergic/sensitive to the herb(s) you add and make sure they are not eye irritants in case you rub your eyes while spinning away into the night!!

I've found that one light application of the powder will last through a couple of hours of spinning in a pretty humid room, but you should be able to reapply as necessary. I would recommend multiple light applications to pouring a ton on at first because it is quite slippery.

The corn starch also helped me draft the Merino blend easier by overcoming some of the greasy feeling the Merino still has. 

Hope this may help some of you dedicated spinners suffering through the summer heat elbow deep in wool!!