Spindle Love

Thanks to those of you who shared some of your own knitting adventures with me, it was fun to read about, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has had some interesting knitting adventures.

I'm not sure if I have ever talked much about the spindles I own.  It might seem strange, but I only own two spindles and I don't think that I need more.  Not only am I an enemy of clutter, but I haven't ever felt the need (desire, maybe) for another.

I currently own two Schacht brand Spindles (the 2.2 oz and the 3.0 oz), and I absolutely love them.  When I took my beginning drop spindle class at Webs, my instructor insisted that all beginners learn on the 3 oz Schacht spindle and I can definitely see her reasoning behind it (by the way, this instructor has a video on how to spin here, she is wonderful). I frequently receive questions from people who are interested in learning to spin, one being which kind of spindle is best to learn with, the larger Schacht is definitely my recommendation.

I absolutely love these spindles for several reasons:
- they are very solid: I cannot even begin to say how many times I've dropped each of them, and they don't even have a mark.
- they are very well balanced and have very simple design (I like simple/functional tools over ornate ones)
- smooth finish so fibers don't snag
- they are two spindles styles in one:

Two common spindle designs are high whorl and low whorl (many people seem to prefer one over the other), the Schacht Hi-Lo's are equipped to be either one.  High whorl is with the whorl (the disk) on top, low whorl is with the whorl on bottom.  I was taught how to spin high whorl and I prefer it.

So, why do I own two spindles for my all spinning needs?

In general, the larger the spindle the higher weight yarn you will spin with it.  So, I use my smaller, lighter spindle the most, and for spinning most singles.  I find it easier to ply with the larger, heavier spindle because it allows me better control over the twist and it has more room for storing the spun yarn.  However, when I was first learning, I found the larger spindle to be easier to work with.

I've started spinning some really lovely, soft BFL right now.  I plan on subjecting it to a dyeing experiment later once it's spun and plied.

I'm always happy to answer spinning questions and love hearing about spinning experiences, so please always feel free to contact me about anything spinning related!

Note: I have not received any compensation or request to review these products, I'm simply giving my own personal opinion on them.