This is my newest drop spindle! It was thrown in as a sweetener on a purchase I made off of craiglsist (more on that in a few days).  So, far I really like it – it is quite small, fast rotating, and spins a nice even lace-weight. (I’ve been working on this very soft top, which came with the spindle (It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it’s a beautiful black wool with cotton multi-colored threads throughout). It will eventually become a 2-ply, but I have no idea what to knit out of it yet – there may be enough for a pair of socks – fingers crossed.)
Can’t wait to snuggle up with the family tonight and watch a movie and get some more spinning done on this little beauty!
Blessings on your long holiday weekend!
I have never spun yarn before but have been wanting to make us our own drop spindle. I looked back over your spinning posts… I am wondering what it is that determines what weight of yarn the drop spindle will create? I would prefer a nice worsted weight yarn to start with. Do you think we might have more success buying one to start with? (By “we” I mean myself and Chloe, who is 9, I am hoping she would be able to spin with it as well.) Thanks for any advice you may be able to share!
Renee,
Thanks for the comment and question – The weight of the yarn spun is determined by the velocity at which the spindle spins – a larger spindle with a heavier whorl will spin slower and produce a thicker yarn. The heavier the spindle and the faster you spin it, the quicker the draft and the thinner the yarn.
This spindle is quite small and the whorl is made out of burl wood and has a low density. It spins very fast – hence the fine yarn. You may find a child would like a smaller spindle that spins a finer yarn – my oldest can handle the one above pretty well.
Have you tried making a drop spindle out of a dowel and CDs? My dad made me one – it spins a worsted weight pretty well.
Is there a local spinning group in your area? They usually have loaner spindles you can try out to find one you like. All of mine except this one were made by my dad, so I couldn’t speak to any specific etsy shop or spindle maker…
Good luck and happy spinning!
That’s a little gem! Congrats on having a new beauty to play with!