Spindles

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Instructions

Supported spindle: I used a really long dowel (80cm) for in-chair spindling. For sitting on the floor, make it 45-60cm. Step 1. Drill through the round "foot". Check the dowel will fit into the hole.
Step 2. If the pointy balustrade top has a flat end, drill into that a short way too. If it has a peg, check the peg will fit into the hole in the "foot" - you may need to drill a bigger hole for it to fit into. Glue the dowel into the round "foot on one side, and the pointy balustrade top into the "foot" on the other side. Wait for the glue to dry.
Step 3. Sharpen the far end of the dowel.
Step 4. Sand everything very smooth and finish with wax.


Drop spindle: Use ~30cm of dowel.
Step 1. If using CDs, glue or use double-sided tape to fix 2 together (one is too light). If using a coaster, find the exact centre - trace the coaster onto paper. Cut out the paper, fold in quarters and use a pin to poke through the centre of the paper. Lay the paper on top of the coaster and transfer the centre mark onto the coaster with the pin. Drill a hold through the coaster in the exact centre - a hand-held drill is ok if you're careful, but ideally use a drill press.
Step 2. Push the dowel through the hole. Decide if you want a top-whorl or bottom-whorl spindle. You can glue it in place, or just wind elastic bands above and below the whorl to hold it in place (and then it's easy to convert from top- whorl to bottom-whorl!).
Step 3. Drill a small hole in the top end of the dowel and attach the cup hook.
Step 4. Sand everything very smooth, coat with furniture wax. Supported spindle: I used a really long dowel (80cm) for in-chair spindling. For sitting on the floor, make it 45-60cm. Step 1. Drill through the round "foot". Check the dowel will fit into the hole.
Step 2. If the pointy balustrade top has a flat end, drill into that a short way too. If it has a peg, check the peg will fit into the hole in the "foot" - you may need to drill a bigger ...
Read full instructions »

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Difficulty:

Category: Spinning

Type of item: Functional

For: Unisex

Style: Casual, Eco-Friendly, Traditional

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Materials

Supported spinde: wooden dowel, balustrade mouldings (one round "foot", one pointy), giant pencil sharpener, drill, drill bit to match dowel, wood glue, sandpaper, furniture wax Drop spindle: dowel, up hook, round wood coaster or 2 CDs, drill, drill bits to match dowel and cup hook, wood glue or 2 rubber bands, sandpaper, furniture wax

What was your inspiration?

I made a basic drop spindle years ago to try out spinning - I decided I liked it, and bought some better drop spindles. The Craftsy class has made me interested in trying supported spindles as well, so I made a long Navajo-ish spindle to try.

In the photos above, the 4 spindles are commerically made by (Left to Right): Ashford, Ashford, Katherine Kowalski and Schacht. The fibres are: Corriedale, dyed Merino, silk cap and bamboo. The Alpaca on the home-made Navajo spindle is from a "Guard Alpaca" living on a sheep farm near my parents. It hadn't been shorn for 2 years, so the staples are about 10cm long and a bit more coarse than a fibre alpaca's would be, but it's great to work with and was free. Gotta love that!

What are you most proud of?

I really enjoy seeing handspun yarn building up on my spindles. I am looking forward to having enough of the alpaca yarn to dye half and warp up the inkle loom. I'm planning some hatbands to thank the farmers who gave me their fleece.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

* Making your own spindle is a cheap way to start out, but unless you're an expert woodturner, your finished spindle won't be as well balanced or long-spinning as a professionally made one - expect to upgrade at some point if you decide to continue spindling!
* Fibre tips: Wool is a good fibre to start on. Alpaca is very similar. Silk is fun and not too hard to get a thin, strong yarn, but depending on how its prepared, can be hard not to have lumps. Bamboo viscose is a real pain - slippery and hard to keep from falling apart. Hemp and flax are hard on the fingers.