BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Spinning For those of you who use hand-spindles...

[color:"purple"]Hello,

I learned how to spin on hand-spindles and then bought a beautiful Kromski Symphony Wheel. Before I could even use it I fell down the stairs and broke both feet (and I already had a gimpy one from surgry a few years ago!). Laid up for 5 months in 2 casts I traded my wheel for a LOT of fiber from the woman I get most of my fiber from and my spindle collection has grown in leaps and bounds. I have now amassed quite a handspindle collection and would love to hear from others who use handspindles whether or not they also use a wheel, and what kind of spindles do you use? I adore my handspindles and they work well because with my designer and custom yarns I sometimes use up to a dozen fibers in one yarn and I find it easier control working with handspindles. I will look very forward to hearing from those of you who use them too!

Blessings to one and all,

Maitri [/color]

I am just learning to spin. Have just about accomplished the spinning wheel and am looking forward to the hand or drop spindle. It looks like lots of fun. Your website was very interesting. I bet those combinations of exotic yarns look and feel marvilous. I was in a yarn shop yesterday and all the hand-spun yarns where done in foreign countries---cost effective, I suppose, but sad. If you have any advice for a beginner, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

I participate in a living history organization (the SCA) and the spinning that I do within that context is all (or mostly all) spindle spinning. Spinning wheels don't figure in the period of time that I re-create until very late and then not with a treadle or a flyer, it's strictly a hand driven flywheel and a quill.

I've fallen into the trap of having to work harder and harder to spin anything that's not basically lace weight yarn. I hear that's a common problem.

Spindle spinning is portable, I think it's easier to learn drafting techniques and hence much more controllable (again, my opinion).

Sarah