Support spindle spinning

Learn several ways to add a leader, manage fibers, and ply off your spindles with this go-to guide.

To make the loftiest, finest handspun yarn, a supported spindle can’t be beat, so it’s time to pull out a Tibetan spindle or a tahkli and practice spinning supported. Here is some of Heather’s expert advice, which appeared in Spin Off Winter 2016.

With over 48 years experience in custom woodturning and teaching, Jim Echter specializes in spindle turning and produces products such as Drop Spindles, Support Spindles, Nostepinnes, and Kick Spindles.

Among the makers of supported spindles, nobody does anything like the work of Bristlecone Artisan Heirlooms. A Glindle is a spindle with a glass ball for the spinning base: borosilicate glass, hand shaped with beautiful designs inside the glass and a perfectly rounded tip for spinning. Twindles are tapered spindles with faceted crystals in the tip, spun right on the point of the crystal. And then there some made from just wood, no crystal or glass. Most are decorated with pyrography (wood…

Find the right spindle and bowl combination for your spinning practice. Heavenly offers her tips for selecting a bowl that’s just right for your spindle.

Learn all about the temporary-cop method and tips for building a better cop.

Summary: Spinning is a vital step in the production of textiles, whereby fibres are drawn out (drafted) and twisted together to make thread. In the present day, several culturally unique types of spinning are recognised, such as the thigh-rolling technique of traditional Navajo spinners who use unusually large spindles in a supported style (Wolf Creek, 2009)... The content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 License. Please check individual images for…

There have been some very interesting thoughts circling around in my mind recently about my making. Some of it may have to do with the ‘Slow Clothing’ movement, which has been steadily gaining momentum. I have come across many posts on Instagram about clothing purchased or made in the spirit of slow fashion, particularly in relation to ‘staples’ one needs in one’s wardrobe. This constant chatter that I’ve been encountering has had me reflecting on not only my clothing choices, which I’ve…

There are many, many, many spinning approaches out there and each does the exact same thing: Spin fibre into yarn. There are any number of saxony, castle, Norwegian, modern, electric and spindle (C…

This post covers everything you need to know about choosing a supported spindle bowl. Especially if you are new to supported spinning, the options for bowls can seem as dizzying as the spindles the…