Spindles

A spindle is a straight rod, typically wooden, that is designed to twist, or spin, fiber into yarn.  Some spindles are weighted at the top, middle or bottom of the rod by a whorl.  Whorls are typically round and come in a variety of configurations and materials.  On spindles with a whorl, there is usually a hook and/or notch to help guide the yarn.  Some spindle designs, such as French and Russian, add weight by shaping the rod with added thickness and do not have a whorl. We have a wide selection of spinning spindles for you to choose from. Buy spindles for sale today! 

Types of Spindles

Top Whorl – These spindles are configured with the whorl at the top.  Ideal for learning to spin with the "park and draft" method, these spindles can spin any yarn.

Bottom Whorl – These spindles are designed with the whorl at the bottom.  Turkish spindles fall into this category, but use two cross spars, rather than a whorl, to weight the spindle.   

Supported Spindles – These spindles spin on a surface, usually a bowl.  This design enables the spinning of yarns so fine, they cannot even support the weight of the spindle.  Ideal for the more advanced spinner with plenty of time and patience as these spindles are the slowest and have the lowest output in terms of yards per unit of time.

What You Need to Get Started Spindle Spinning:

• Carded fiber 
• Niddy noddy or skeinwinder
• Book ("Drop Spindle Basics") and/or DVD ("Drop Spindle Spinning”)

Nice to have, in ranked order:

1. Swift and either ball winder or nostepinne
2. Spinning gauge or Control Card
3. More Fiber!

If you don't find exactly what you want, or would like a spindle recommendation, please call the shop directly at 800-441-9665 or contact us for assistance.

Watch this video to learn more about spindles and the Woolery collection!