Tools - Style, Size And Shape

Day 173: Winter and gas prices are proving to be remarkably persistent, so I'm not getting out much these days. I know you're probably a little tired of fiberarts posts in what was primarily intended to be a blog of science and natural history, but I ask you to bear with me a little longer. Believe me, I would much prefer being on the trail to being housebound.

Today, I thought I'd give you a size comparison of three different styles of spindle. While they are all capable of doing the same job, there are many reasons to choose one over another. Here, I've used my "Ice Caves" blend of Corriedale wool and bamboo fiber on all three. Initially, I simply wanted to see what it would look like, so I spun up a little bit on a tahkli, the smallest of these spindles, and an excellent way to do a trial run. Tahklis are bottom-weighted and spin very rapidly. They are normally used for spinning short-staple fibers like cotton, but can be used for longer fibers as well. A supported spindle like the Tibetan style (green whorl) can also be used for short or long staples, but are more versatile in that they hold more. They come in various lengths and weights. Drop spindles are larger and also come in assorted weights. They allow the spinner to form a longer strand, especially if used when standing. Although I've never really mastered bottom-whorl spinning with a drop spindle, I did put it to good use plying from the tahklis (my spinning wheel was otherwise occupied). Drop spindles hold quite a bit of yarn! Spinning in this manner, regardless of which type of spindle you use, can be a very relaxing process. It's easy to learn, and a wonderful way to get started making your own custom yarns.

Book Charkha

Day 179: Spinning cotton with a tahkli proved to be so enjoyable that I decided I would indulge my fiber-arts habit with a new toy when and if the gov'mint saw fit to stimulate my personal economy. This odd device is a "book" charkha, which is to say it's a spinning wheel which packs up to the size of the current edition of Hitchcock's "Flora of the Pacific Northwest," eminently portable and entirely self-contained. Every component locks in place, both for use and for storage, and it can be assembled and ready to go in less than two minutes. The workmanship on this particular model from India is exquisite, right down to the finish of the wood. Three tahklis are included so that when two are filled, the threads can be plied together on the third. It even includes a yarn swift! Although I'm not yet spinning threads as fine as I could achieve on the tahkli, I've only had the charkha for less than 24 hours and am still in the process of learning to control the feed of short cotton fibers to the degree I eventually hope to achieve. The ratio between the large drive wheel, the accelerator wheel and the spindle imparts an incredible amount of twist to the thread with very little effort. The spinner turns the drive wheel with one hand and manipulates the raw cotton with the other, drawing it out to the desired thickness until arm's-length is reached. Then a few full turns of the drive tightens the twist and it can be wound onto the tahkli spindle. Yes, I think it's time for wool to move over. I've found a new love in cotton.