The Making of a Drop Spindle

So, I am finally getting around to the post about how I made my drop spindle. We were both sick for a very long time and burnt out from a crazy summer of work, so we took a vacation and borrowed Mike's parents house in the "hills" for some soaks in the hot tub and walks in the woods. A very much needed vacation indeed...

Anyhow, I gathered a bunch of supplies from around the apartment and made it for pretty much nothing. I apologize for the fuzzy photos, the light was not good.

Necessary tools and equipment:
-pencil (with eraser on end)
-a sewing pin
-piece of cardboard about 4" square (size not critical)
-sandpaper (both for metal and wood, grit not important)
-scissors
-white glue
-wire cutters
-pliers (flat- and round-nosed)

Step 1:
Push a sewing pin into the eraser end of the pencil

Step 2:
Cut off the head of the pin with the wire cutters and sand the cut end smooth. Use the flat-nosed pliers to bend the pin 90 degrees near the eraser end, then curve it into a hook with the round-nosed pliers. If your pins are anything like mine, they will flake when you work them. Just sand them smooth again when you're done.

Step 3:
Draw a circle in the cardboard. Size doesn't really matter - mine has a diameter of about 4" (10 cm). Mark the center. Cut out the circle, then cut a notch in the cardboard.

Step 4:
Sand the coating off the pencil all the way around near the eraser end. Brush away any dust left on the pencil.

Step 5:
Poke a hole in the center of the cardboard circle and push the pencil through until the cardboard is over the part of the pencil with the exposed wood. Paint the area where the cardboard and wood meet with white glue on both sides. Let dry completely.

Step 6:
Use your spindle to spin yarn!

I only had a small bit of raw wool, but I love the way the handspun yarn turned out. If anyone reads this and they have sheep (or alpaca, or rabbits, or really anything with long fur other than boyfriends with back hair), please let me know... I keep staring at bags of cotton balls in the drug store... One of these days...

Spinning Yarn!

Last night, Mike and I went to the knitting night at the Vancouver Hack Space, and I got to try spinning my own yarn! It was amazingly fun, and surprisingly easy! There was a woman there named Penny who I has been spinning her own yarn for many years and makes her own drop spindles.

I am dying to try making my own! I was spinning on one that was made of nothing more than a toy car wheel, a piece of dowling and a picture hook. They may be having a craft night in a couple of weeks where you can make your own spindle - stay tuned. Apparently she got 5 fleeces of wool from someone on Craigslist for free - even delivered. I'm so jealous!

There's a video on how to make one here. And an eHow article here, and one on how to make a spindle from old CDs here. The yarn I have is natural, and a perfect excuse to try dying with food colouring once I finish spinning

There is a simple article on how to use a drop spindle here, and a wikiHow here with a good, but long video on how to spin here. The pre-drafting of the wool isn't really necessary, but her video tutorial for it is here.

Apparently you don't even need to spin 2 strands of yarn together, but the twist in the yarn will shift your pattern, unless it includes the same number of pearl and knit stitches - like an even numbered rib. There are some patterns that incorporate this property of "energized" yarn to make some neat patterns.

Penny had some interesting ideas on spinning with feathers, and naturally coloured cotton, and energized knitting patterns, and spinning in beads... Oh my god, I will never sleep again!

There was also talk of bringing a mini Maker Faire to Vancouver! I am so excited!