A few small notes from the studio. Follow them and the candle will burn evenly, cleanly, and as long as it was made to.
On the first lighting, let the wax pool reach the edge of the vessel before you put the candle out. This usually takes between two and three hours. The pour will remember where you finished — give it a full pool the first time and the candle will burn evenly for the rest of its life.
Trim the wick to about 5mm before every burn. A long wick produces a tall flame and a smoking candle; a short, well-trimmed wick produces a steady, quiet flame and a clean throw. Use scissors or your fingers — the carbon comes off easily once the candle is cool.
Between two and four hours at a time, no longer. Beyond four hours the vessel warms beyond what the wax wants, and the throw thins. If you want a candle to last the evening, light a second piece rather than letting one burn through.
A well-burned candle is a quiet kind of attention.
A note from the studio
On a flat, heat-tolerant surface, out of draughts, away from anything that can catch — a curtain, a stack of paper, a sleeve. Never leave a candle unattended. Never burn it through to the bottom of the vessel.
When the wax reaches about 10mm from the base of the vessel, the candle has done its work. Don't burn what remains — wash the vessel with warm water and a mild soap once it has fully cooled, and keep it. They make good objects for small things.
