Hobby & Craft Forums

I was asked by a spinner on another forum if I could make a Russian drop spindle. The three without whorls are these and I also did a Thai one as well. I am going to have a look at the different styles and make up some of as many as I can find. Apparently the Russian ones are similar to the spindles used for spinning yarn for Orenberg Lace. Amazing what you learn doing woodturning
These are 12" long and made of hawthorn and mahogany. The whorl on the Thai one is fixed. The Russian style are supported in use in a small bowl.




Pete

I had to take a closer look at the one with the bowl Pete- at first glance it looked like a fencing sword lol! I have no real idea what I'm looking at unfortuately, very naive I know but what are they used for?

They are used for spinning yarn by hand instead of using a spinning wheel. Slower but portable. One girl who buys them off me carries one in her handbag all the time and apparently gets it out whenever she has to sit down somewhere like a doctor surgery or on the bus. These are variations that are supported in a bowl whereas the normal type like these

are hung on the yarn which is teased out of a fleece and spun to make the yarn for knitting etc.

Pete

Arh right- I get you now! I never even knew you could spin yarn by hand until Edna mentioned it a few weeks back lol! I surprise myself at how naive I am sometimes lol! You learn something new every day eh!

Nickie wrote:Arh right- I get you now! I never even knew you could spin yarn by hand until Edna mentioned it a few weeks back lol! I surprise myself at how naive I am sometimes lol! You learn something new every day eh!

I had to look them up when first asked to make one and am still finding different types. There is a huge variety of crafts out there and a massive variation within each craft. I was asked to make some 20mm knitting needles once and couldn't imagine what they'd be used for. Still don't as I asked and didn't get a reply

Pete

OMG! 20 mm! It makes you wonder doesn't it lol! Maybe they were to knit a sweater for the jolly green giant lol!