![drop spindle drop spindle](https://cynthiawoodspinner.com/pic/SAFF-JJWM-2017-singles-spindle-t.jpg)
Once you get the feel for it, spinning becomes like a second nature. The harder you pull lengthwise, the harder the staples will press against each other transversely. The process of drawing out the short fibers and twisting them together, or spinning, produces strong yarn as the individual fibers create friction and wind together in a helix. There are three steps to spinning yarn: drafting, twisting, and winding. The natural fibers are very short and pre-spun are commonly referred to as a staple. It is used for twisting and compressing fibers into yarn such as wool, flax, hemp, and cotton. What exactly is drop spinning? A spindle is a simple tool consisting of a shaft, a weight (called a whorl) and a hook that is usually made from wood. By the end, you’ll have a completely custom skein of yarn with the satisfaction of turning raw fiber into a workable thread. It’s incredibly accessible and all of the fine fibers are aligned making it much easier to work with and more predictable.
#Drop spindle how to#
Combed top wool is the perfect fiber for beginners to learn how to spin on a drop spindle. What are some of your favorite gifts to make for kids? Take a look at more creative DIY gifts here.We begin by learning the fundamentals of drop spinning: how to split wool in preparation for spinning, how to draft and park to spin singles, and how to ply and finish the yarn. It would make a wonderful handmade gift for kids! It’s easy to make and affordable too (total cost was just a few dollars). It’s fun to see the yarn forming and watch them spin spin spin. This is a fun little activity that helps young children practice their fine motor skills. You can combine the roving to make your own colorful blend of yarn. Here is my 3 year old son spinning for example. As the spindle is spinning, it’s turning that roving into threads of yarn which you can wrap around the stick and continue to spindle.
![drop spindle drop spindle](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1169/5498/products/paradise-fibers-artisan-wooden-drop-spindles_2048x.jpg)
A good tip is to help them out by one person doing the spinning and the other pulling to give a sense of how much to pull.Īnother tip is to give them just a little bit of roving to start. This takes lots of practice and isn’t easy to get the hang of right away. Now ask your child to spin (in the same direction) and pull along the roving at the same time. To spin yarn, take a bit of the roving, fluff it up with your fingers, and hook it onto the cup hook. Attach your cup hook over the top of the stick.
![drop spindle drop spindle](https://i.etsystatic.com/8544920/r/il/7cf491/1980333085/il_fullxfull.1980333085_tl11.jpg)
Glue on the 3 remaining discs to each other. Add a dab of glue on the inside of one and and insert the dowel stick a little over a quarter way up from the bottom of the stick. Drill a hole in the center of each wooden disc. – wool roving (found in most yarn stores or online) – 1.5″ wooden discs (at least 4, found in many craft stores)
#Drop spindle plus#
Plus they’re super easy to make and require just a few items. You can buy drop spindles online, but I wanted to make a “mini” one that would be easy for young children to hold. You can make a top or bottom whorl, but we made a bottom one since that seemed to be the easier process for little hands to handle.
![drop spindle drop spindle](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1169/5498/products/paradise-fibers-artisan-top-whorl-drop-spindle-blocky-whorl-rosewood-ripple_2048x.jpg)
They were so fascinated by the process I decided to make them their own drop spindle.Ī drop spindle is a handheld spinner that’s simply made of a weight (the whorl) on stick with a little hook. Our family recently visited a farm where my the kids watched how sheep’s wool is turned into yarn on a spinning wheel.