Drop Spindles

Yesterday I was at the Derbyshire Guild Open Day, in Derby, UK.

Although I am a member of the Guild, I had been invited to sell my natural dye extracts. Also at the event was Michael Williams, a wood turner and fine woodworker from Sheffield. He was selling his drop spindles, niddy noddies, nostepinnes, diz, lucets, tapestry frames, amongst a lot of other lovely items.

I love spinning with a drop spindle and purchased a 25g spindle. Well, it is the best drop spindle I have ever used! I have been using my Bosworth for the last 5 years which, up until I tried this spindle, I loved.

This top whorl spindle spins like a dream, and goes on and on for ever. Before I knew it, I had spun quite a bit. It would be the perfect spindle for a beginner, they would not have to worry about it spinning back on it's self! In fact while I was trying it out and waxing lyrical about it, a lady who was a beginner purchased one, too. A little while later, I was watching her across the room and she was spinning beautifully. I just had to go over and congratulate her!

I also purchased a nostepinne and a diz. I ply with an Andean plying bracelet and thought the nostepinne would be a useful tool to make my yarn into balls. The diz, is something I haven't used before, but the Online Guild held a workshop last month on spinning the Bowmont Fleece and we were given the instructions for using one, so now I have a chance to try it out.