All about the Spinolution Monarch Spinning Wheel
I was so excited when my friend Renee who had recently ordered a Monarch Spinning Wheel wanted to write this blog. I don’t currently have a monarch ( the upgraded Mach 3) so I always love hearing about them from my friends. I so hope you enjoy this info from Renee as much as I have.
When I first saw a Spinolution Spinning wheel at work about 4 years ago I was intrigued by the unique
design and speed in which these wheels seemed to spin. All the videos I watched, and the people who
used them said they were excellent production wheels for spinning with ease. I made the decision then
to work towards being able to purchase one. The time finally came and I ordered the Spinolution
Monarch “Studio Package” that comes with all the bells and whistles you could want in a spinning
wheel. The package included the wheel, an attachable Lazy Kate, a niddy noddy (designed to work right
on the wheel itself), an 8 ounce bobbin head, a 16 ounce bobbin head and 3 of each size bobbins. I
wouldn’t consider this a travel wheel at all, but it does have a handle and wheels that can be attached at
the base for ease of movement.
I still remember back 15 years or so ago when I got my very first wheel and spent HOURS trying to get it
put together correctly. I was reluctant at the “10 minute” assembly time listed in the User Guide
(available on the Spinolution website www.spinolution.com ) Not being a directions reader myself, I
couldn’t help but read the small paragraph on how to put it together and it seemed easy enough. Sure
enough 10 minutes later I was able to sit down at my wheel to spin!
Being primarily an Angora spinner, I started with that first. I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t easy. Angora
is a very slippery fiber and this wheel spun so quickly I had to take some time to familiarize myself with
the wheel and ratios to get a good feel for it. By that evening I was able to move on to some Angora and
it spun beautifully. I was able to spin very thin, or as I normally would spin Angora.
I am totally impressed with these wheels and the design and can’t say enough good things about them.
The only downside I experienced was the wait time on getting it, which took about 6 weeks. We are all
familiar with the manufacturing and shipping delays that everyone is dealing with right now, so if you
are considering one of these wheels, I would get my order in now!
Info from SpinOlution:
The Monarch is our production studio wheel for professional and production spinners who need a comfortable, solid wheel they can spin at for hours without pain or fatigue.
The Monarch has unique features, like toe breaks for stopping on a dime, and 5 different flyer head sizes to choose from (4A oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, and 64 oz) - there is no other double treadle wheel as versatile on the market as the Monarch.
The Monarch is our heaviest wheel, weighing 25 pounds (over 30 pounds if you have a 32 oz setup full of yarn) so bringing it to vending events and classes can be a drag without the Monarch Travel Kit accessory. Tie the strap around the handle for extra length (if necessary for your height) and attach the wheels to the base with the included screws (4 per wheel). There are pre-drilled holes in the Monarch base for this accessory.
MODULAR DESIGN
Our 4A oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, and 64 oz flyers are interchangeable between the Monarch and the Firefly. Swap flyers between these two wheel bases for multiple wheel options.
