Nov
22
In our previous episode of this step-by-step guide to drop spindle spinning, Rosee Woodland went through the different types of yarn you can choose to spin. This time we will look at how you can prepare your yarn and get spinning.
Drafting the fibre
Before you begin spinning, you need to prepare your tops. Split it into sections about 1m long and then lengthwise into pieces about 1cm to 2cm thick.
Now, try holding the fibre with your non-dominant hand, and pulling one end with your dominant hand. Experiment with pulling at the fibre strongly and gently, until you find the point at which it ‘gives’. You will probably find that if you pull hard the fibre will not pull apart, or draft, at all. Moderate force seems to work best, but each fibre will vary.
Set up your spindle
We are using a 60g top whorl spindle.
Set up your spindle, with your ‘leader’ – yarn which you will use to start off the spinning process. Take a 50cm length of yarn and wind it around the shaft underneath the whorl for a top whorl spindle, or above for a bottom whorl.
Once you are used to spinning you will find most yarns work fine as a leader, but for now, use a plied yarn, preferably something woollen spun, with a bit of ‘grab’.
Place the end of the leader yarn over the whorl and through the hook, with about 10cm length left over at the cut end.
Rough up the end of the leader yarn to make it more fibrous. Take the fibre you have already drafted and overlap the ends of the leader yarn and the fibre.
Now, holding them at this point with a pinched finger and thumb with your dominant hand, give your spindle a good spin clockwise and then slowly move your finger and thumb about 2 to 3cm up the fibre to allow the twist into the join.
Spin the spindle again and move your pinched finger and thumb up a little again. You should see and feel the twist move up again and now, if you pull on the fibre you should find that it remains attached to the leader.
Continue this process for another 30cm or so of yarn, drafting the fibres, then pinching them together and putting spin into them.
You may find it easiest to stop the spindle spinning when you need to draft by catching it between your knees, as show at the top of this page.
Make sure you keep the spindle spinning when you are putting twist in - if it stops, or starts to spin the other way, you will lose the twist and your yarn will break.
When you get about an arm’s length of yarn, wind this neatly onto the shaft (below a top whorl or above a bottom whorl) and then resume the process. Every time you feel like you have too much yarn, simply wind it onto the spindle. You will find as the spindle gets heavier it may become more or less stable as it spins, which you will need to adjust for, by spinning the spindle slower or faster.
When you are finding the process fairly comfortable, try spinning without using your knees as a brake.
Eventually you will be able to set the spindle spinning, and then use both hands to pinch and draft out the fibres, only stopping to wind on your yarn. This does take a little practice, though, so don’t be disheartened if it takes a while to get the hang of it!
Next time we will look at how to deal with potential problems with your spinning.
About our expert
Rosee Woodland is deputy editor of The Knitter and a craft tutor and knitwear designer. She was a founder member of SpinDyeWeavers in 2009, a collective of Bristol knitters who work together to explore textile crafts.
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