Spindles seem to come in all shapes and sizes from tiny supported spindles to the mammoth Navaho spindle. But this post is about drop spindles! Do you prefer a top whorl, middle whorl, or bottom whorl? Maybe a Turkish, Tibetan, Rusian, or Akha?
Some reference material for diving deeper into the diverse options and science:
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Straddle Creek's Guide to Spindles
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General Information on Spindles
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The Science of a Drop Spindle
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The Turkish Spindle
I prefer to make and use top whorl spindles with a hook. This allows me to roll the spindle down my thigh or kick it with my feet.
I also prefer non-round spindles. They sit still when you put them down.
The first spindle I made was a top whorl giant. An intern made the whorl on our lathe and I built the spindle which I learned to spin on. That beautiful, bulky blue yarn is in my stash. :)
Spindles from Toy Wheels
If you want a bottom whorl then turn the wheel over and put the eye hook at the other end or carve a notch
Little Wheel - smaller weight = smaller yarn.
NON-Round - the easy square
My Favorite Shape: Hexagonal
My favorite wood: homegrown Blued Pine - the stain on the wood is from a fungal infection
I love that there are so many options! Each of us can choose our spinning style.
I know people who like to flick a bottom whorl spindle and my sister loves spinning on her Turkish spindles.
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