31 January 2013

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.

19 comments:

  1. It's really impressive to see how fine the yarn can be from a drop spindle! (mine is really thick, so it's great to have something to aspire to ;p)

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  2. I would love to have a go at spinning, I might get a spindle this year.... who knows? Your yarn is super fine, do you have any knitting plans for it yet?

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  3. Thanks for an into to spindle spinning.

    hugs

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  4. I moved very quickly from a spindle to a spinning wheel. I was lucky to have a friend who loaned me hers so I could determine if I wanted to invest in one. But I have heard that it is easier to make lace weight yarns with a spindle. Unfortunately, I'm too impatient to go back to a spindle.

    And isn't BFL divine? I think it is my favorite to spin with.

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  5. I've heard lots of good things about Schacht's spindles. And seeing the incredible yarns you make with them only elevates their status in my mind. :)

    I learned to spin on a slow, heavy low-whorl spindle that I affectionately called "the boat anchor". And while I moved on from it to a high-whorl spindle after only a couple of weeks, I'm glad to have started with it, because it gave me lots of time to figure out how to draft while the spindle was spinning.

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  6. Love your reviews, they make so much sense. I promise I will get my half of that wool spun soon, I've just been so busy. I can't wait to see the finished BFL!

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  7. I've never tried spinning, but you are tempting me.

    I keep asking myself, "do I really need to start another hobby?"

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  8. I love hearing about spinning, I find it so fascinating because it's something I will never do (not enough time) but really enjoy hearing and seeing other people do it.
    I can't wait to see the finished object and how you dye it!

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  9. I wanna try spinning with a spindle one day; I imagine it to be great for travels etc. because it's so portable - I can't imagine dragging my big, heavy spinning wheel anywhere outside my apartment anytime soon :D
    I can't wait to see what the yarn looks like once it's dyed - I wanna experiment with natural dyes this summer... but first I have to find the time to improve my spinning techniques :)

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  10. Drop spindles do exactly just that for me, they drop!

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  11. I always love your spun yarn so I love seeing what tools you work with. Even now that I have a wheel I miss my spindles a lot and sometimes end up back with them. I can't wait to see that fiber all spun up and dyed!

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  12. This is an interesting post! I like hearing about the different spindles and their qualities. And that BFL looks scrumptious!

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  13. I don't know thing one about spinning. At this point though, i'm not sure I have the time to learn a new hobby. I can't wait to see how the dye job comes out though.

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  14. OMGosh! You've reminded me I need to start practicing with my spindle from last November!

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  15. I recently received some hand spun. It's pretty exciting, trying to figure out what to make with it. But, I must not even think about starting a new hobby myself. lol Must knot/not.

    Daughter had to have help from her roommate to get some of the gifts here via car, because Ohio has some of those restrictions you're talking about too. It's annoying.

    http://oozingoutmyears.blogspot.com/

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  16. I haven't touched my spindle for ages. I feel bad about it because I bought some glorious BFL last year to spin....

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  17. Wonderfully written out post--and even though I own zero spindles and have no plans to own one every, I found it quite interesting. That bfl looks so very soft--please show us when it gets dyed.
    *smiles*

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  18. I'm just checking that everything is okay with you - I realised I haven't seen you about for a couple of weeks. Hopefully you've just got your head down studying :) X

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  19. I need to start practicing. I have to say that I'm so impatient that I prefer using my wheel. Hope you are well. We finally had some snow here in Charlotte yesterday, although not much.

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I would love to hear from you!