Meagan
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Drop Spindles - 2007/05/24 20:44
Good for you for deciding to learn to spin on a drop spindle. I, myself, am partial to drop spindles, so I might be biased, but I really think that it is easier for beginners to learn on one because it isn't as intimidating.
Also, I would recommend that beginners spin a silk cap because after attenuating the fiber while preparing it for spinning, you don't have to worry about drafting it and can concentrate on learning how to keep the spindle moving, etc.
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allena
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Re:Drop Spindles - 2007/05/27 05:50
That's good point, of course I always have trouble not drafting enough. I don't know how I would have done with silk caps as a beginner, hard to say. I have some though,so he could give it a shot.
As an aside, silk doesn't spin well when one has big ugle MAN hands. rough, with callouses, and a few hang nails aren't helping me. I need a pumice before tackling those caps again lol.
Stuff sticks like glue to any roughness.
If you fall off, get back on and try again. |
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floodgate
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Re:Drop Spindles - 2007/05/28 17:31
Hello All!
I am a man spinner, and have been for over 20 years. It all began shortly afterwe moved to 5 acres in the country, and a cousin took pity on us, wielding weedwackers in the orchard and loaned us a super-annuated 4-H sheep. My wife is a weaver, and we were refered to a local spinning class. Bev didn't really enjoy spinning, but I took to it right away,a nd have beenat it ever since. We have a floating group of spinners, weavers, crocheters and knitters that meets once a month, and we help stage the California Wool and Fiber Festival that is a part of our annual County Fair, where we serve as "greeters",and I teach and demonstrate spinning on everything from a couple of Great Wheels to drop and Navajo spindles.
I'd like to recommend the latter as preferable to the drop spindle (guess why they call them "DROP" spindles?), as you can let go of the Navajo spindle and nothing falls apart or starts spinning backwards. I'll be happy to provide particulars, if anyone is interested.
floodgate
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beau
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Re:Drop Spindles - 2007/05/28 21:19
Actually, Ihave to agree with you about the Turkish Spindle. I just discovered these not long ago. I went to go and work on my spinning only to discover that we had sold all of our CD drop spindles at a local fiber festival we attended. I decided to make a Turkish spindle and it spins very nicely. I made it with the help of a chop-saw and a drill and some scrap wood I had laying around. It took about 10 minutes. I'm thinking of putting up a tutorial about it.
It's nothing fancy and I use little rubber grommets to hold it in place since I wasn't sure how to make a tapered shaft, but you work with what you've got, eh?
What I like best about it is how long it spins. Because it has a little more weight than a CD spindle it just goes and goes. I'm going to have to get some nicer wood and spend a bit more time on the next one - get it stained and everything so that it looks pretty.
Anybody know how to make (or where to buy) a tapered shaft? I can't think of anything short of a lathe, and I haven't got the money for one of those.
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floodgate
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Re:Drop Spindles - 2007/05/29 02:53
beau:
I had a long answer to your post, but it was "access denied", even though I was properly logged in. Anyhoo, I pointed out that - if your mention of the Turkish spindle was in response to my reference to theNavajo spindle - these are two VERY different critters. The Navajo spindle is typically 30 - 36 inches long, with a 3 -4 inch whorl near its center; the upper, spinning end is rolled along one's thigh in a sitting position, with the other end resting on the floor (preferably in a heavy bowl, to keep it from skidding around).
I don't know of any obvious, easy way to make a tapered stem for the Turkish spindle in the absence of a lathe, but little ones offered in the "woodworkers' porn" catalogs for turning pen and pencil bodies are compact any cheap enough, if you really want to get into this. The neat thing about the T-spindle is that if you wind-on the spun yarn in the proper pattern, keeping the "start" end exposed, you can a end up with a neat center-pull "muffin" of finished yarn.
floodgate
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Eepster
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Re:Drop Spindles - 2007/05/29 03:21
beau wrote:
Anybody know how to make (or where to buy) a tapered shaft? I can't think of anything short of a lathe, and I haven't got the money for one of those.
Just taper a regular wooden dowel with sand paper. To make the task go quickly insert the dowel into the chuck of your drill and tighten it down. The drill acts sort of like a lathe, then hold the sand paper to the dowel.
HTH
Jennifer
http://buddhabellyart.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/buddhabellyart/2991457 |
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