Girl you have a rare and special knowledge when you can look at pics from a museum of 2000 year old artifacts and be like, "Oh yeah I know how to use that! I can get one riiiiight here like this."
My fav for beauty are the Viking reproductions. but for practicality, I love the drawer pull + dowl DYIs! Great episode! PS Saw you today with Bernadette Banner! You ARE the best!
I had to stop in the middle when you got to the drawer pulls and tell hubby how excited I was about your brilliant creativity! And I’m not even a spinner! 😂 I do other fiber arts, but I don’t need to be a spinner or a weaver to love your channel. 🥰
I love, love, LOVE this episode! ❤ And I love your idea of using drawer pulls as whorls, but...are they glass or are they ceramic? A couple of years ago I saw a very short clip on the British Antiques Road Show where a young woman brought in some large ceramic beads she'd bought in Italy. They were identified as antique spindle whorls, often given by a young man to his fiance, which her name painted on the center portion of the bead. Because I am living in Italy my attention was snagged....and 45 minutes later I had found ALL there was to find on the internet AND Pinterest about antique ceramic spindle whorls. I hoped to find some here (in Italy) to buy, but have so far been unsuccessful. I did buy some lovely spindle sticks on Etsy, but they were all out of whorls when I ordered. 😢 Eventually I took my photos to a local ceramic studio and Enzo agreed to guide me in hand-buildi g and hand-painting some large beads. I am still in the midst of this project, but have a few pics on my phone if I can post them here...
To get rid of wobble, you can just put the half hitch closer to the end of the dowel - hooks on low whorls drive me nuts because they get in the way of my flicking so I had to learn to position the half hitch to the sweet spot! The glass spindles are absolutely gorgeous, the rubber gaskets are a brilliant idea, and now I've also got Goth spindle envy... maybe I should make a trip to the hardware store...
Those really were beautiful spindles. But taking it in the drawer-pull direction was unexpected and genius! I'm a pretty dedicated supported spindler right now, so it was fun to see you go in that direction. :)
when you started talking about the birds nest and how ancient people also saw the birds nest it made me so emotional i started crying. thank you for keeping history alive and connecting with our ancient relatives who really were just like us today!! this is such a special channel and community, thank you evie for your positivity and ancient knowledge :))
I fell into the algorithm rabbit hole and i am here now because Bernadette Banner mentioned you in one of her video. I don’t even sew, spin or weave but your videos are fascinating and you seem like a very nice and wholesome person. Take care ❤
I was spindle window shopping on etsy the other day and the glass ones are so beautiful omg. I want them all... especially the green ones. But I need to use my other spindles first and get good at it otherwise they're just a very shiny beautiful waste of money that will sit on a shelf looking lovely but not being used to their full potential. The supported ones are also amazing with their matching bowls. I need them all... or like a 'yarn crafting allowance' or I will have no money.
Whorl shape absolutely makes a difference to the way a spindle spins. I’ve made about two dozen whorls based on archaeological finds, in different weights, and they all spin differently. My favourites for my default spinning style (suspended with a hand distaff) are a 28g biconical whorl to start off, and then changing down to a 17g sphere.
Now I'm wondering if you've ever done a video about 'weird' spinning. Like I have spun on a pen stuck through a fidget spinner. And I've improvised mayan spinners. I bet there's more things you could improvise into a spinning device...
Ok, I am not sure how I found my way to your channel but I am so glad I did because you just RADIATE sweetness and goodness and I am so excited to learn more about fibers and wool from you. ❤️
Wat a fun video! I love all the spindles! And getting your yarn caught on your dress is very common, Bernadette Banner had the same happen in her latest video 😂
"I went... to the hardware store." Footage of Menards follows Very brave of you to go to such a forsaken place 🤭 I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets way too distracted by drawer pulls. Always need more excuses to use them!
As a child my favorite place in Menards was the lighting, all the fun glass light shades and decorative bobbles for the pull chains. I wonder if some of the pull chain bobbles could be made to work.
I love this whole episode!! I think beautiful spindles we’re status symbols too :) i loooove the red n white one. What a great diy!!! Thank you so much for this episode!!
anyone have tips for spinning w adhd? i’ve been trying to practice more often but i can never manage to spin for longer than 20-30 minutes without getting bored and stopping, even when i have a video or podcast in the background
Take this with a grain of salt, because I spin as an AuDHD stim, and when I spin I do so somewhat obsessively for a few days to a few weeks, then put it down for a bit for a different hobby. If you have a spindle, regardless of drop or supported, and just...take it with you when you go places. Use it when you're waiting in line, or at the doctor's office, or wherever you have some downtime. And you'll spin for a few minutes, sure, sometimes less than 5. But that adds up *a lot*. You don't have to force yourself to sit in a routine that feels unnatural. Work with your personal rhythyms instead. And like....take breaks. Its not going anywhere. You have all the time in the world to practice. Urgency and deadlines are constructs we put upon ourselves, and its unnecessary to push yourself when you're already burnt out on something.
You might cringe at all of my ufos including half done spinning! Just keep it in the rotation if stuff. I am currently spinning on my wheel for a sweater, doing a test knit, spinning on a supported spindle, rearranging my space and the list goes on. I am fortunate to have a 1950s house with built in cupboards and bookshelves in my family room. I am cleaning them out and filling them with all of my projects. I can pick out what I feel like doing and exchange it on a whim. Yay!
My support spindle is a heavy wooden skewer with a polymer clay whorl, with a polymer clay spinning bowl. It works..... and I think that's what ancient spinners went on. They appeared to have used anything that was weighty as a whorl from metal(coins) to stone(natural holes to specially bored ones), to wood, to yes, glass.
This is a wonderful skill to know how to do. Having tried it out, I find that my patience does not hold out for the time necessary to make a usable amount of yard. I believe I will stick to my crocheting and leave the spinning to those with more patience that me. That you for your informative videos.😊
Looking at those spindles I wonder if that is where the imagery of wands came from in fairy tales? What do you think Jillian? The shape makes sense, and if you think about it there are several fairy tales that involve spinning and magic, Sleeping beauty and Rumpelstiltskin just to name two.
As a fellow magpie, all of these make me go @.@ but I really love the blue whorl with the "frosting" (Also the british museum not allowing use of their pictures is *hilarious*, especially right now)
If the drawer pulls are commercially made, there's a fair chance they have a metric hole. The dowels in the hardware store, generally, come in different metric thicknesses, too. So if you have a set of calipers, or nice hardware store employees willing to measure the inside circumference of the pull's hole, you can probably get within half a millimeter or so of the hole, which is a feasible amount to sand down by hand on a dowel. Alternatively, if you struggle to find the little gasket thingies, go to your local piercer and mention you need silicone O-rings for plug-style piercings. They will also ask what size you need, so you'll need a rough estimate at least of either the metric size, or imperial wire gauge size.
Beautiful! I also do Lampwork & melt glass as a hobby too. You just opened a brand new door for me! Thank you. 💖 Do you have a video showing how to load and use the ring distaff?
I now want to go on a research dive to see what comparisons have been done on spindle whorl "fashion"/design. Since they were decorated, one would think they would have the same sort of trends as any other material object. I also had a mental image of some ancient woman saying, "my husband went to Byzantium and all I got was this stupid spindle whorl!"
This episode is so full of beauty. My favorite spindles were your Mingo Asho spindle with glass at the bottom and heart to spin on and the Stephen Willette for the engraving on the wood.
Your section on DIY whorls was a lifesaver! I've been struggling on how to keep my clay whorls attached to my dowel shafts [watched your videos on DIY spindles and whorls last week], rubber gaskets are a brilliant way to keep them secure!
Brilliant! You are onto something fabulous!!!! Well being of the true magpies, I must agree that the black glass with the unicorn spit is my favorite.And yes having very long locks and dresses we must say have had a catch or two or three! Thank you for filming this amazing spin into the world of whorls. Pssst. Grab some glass knobs whilst ye can !
Maybe a drum stick would make a good spindle stick, because they are long and gracefully tapered from quite thin to somewhat thick compared to a dowel. The head might need to be filed off to make a point to spin on. Or the head might be carved into a hook shape if the wider end were used downwards. I've seen some drumsticks 12"-16", and some come with weighted back ends which might enhance spin.
I have 4 antique bobbins that I sent photo to you on your video from fb ? dont see a way to here. I have 4 of them, given to me by an artist I worked for, any suggestions how I can make spindle from them without harming the spindles. They are hollow inside, small hole 1/8 inch in bottom and 1/2 inch in top. Any suggestions please? And how can I send photo thru here?
The question of "Bead or Whorl" doesn't really need to be either/or does it? I can imagine a neck thong threaded through a whorl to be worn as a decorative piece when it's not in use for spinning. It could even be a marker of the profession, or guild, based on color/design.
I have a spindle that is a reproduction of a whorl from Italy/ Este-Casa di Recovero. dated 625-575 BCE. My sister sent it to me from Vienna where she met the maker. It's Blue transparent glass decorated it bands, zig-zags and dots of yellow glass. I use it as a supported spindle.
I couldn't possibly choose between the shiny 😍 I absolutely LOVE your videos by the way, you're so intelligent and witty, not to mention looking like a fairytale queen 🥰 Please please pleeeeease do an a-z video explaining all the technical terms that are used in fibrecraft; rolag, bat, slub, single, whut? I keep getting confused 🤯 😅 🙏🏻
Gorgeous, I have been spinning for forty years :).. and not long after I began I found some beads, as I thought, but they were ancient American Indian Whorls I discovered.. I just adore them, even so small. Glass decanter tops could make great whorls.. Love the glass ones.. they look like magical wands.. and maybe so :)
I've been binging on your channel. I am in awe! We are far apart in age, ( I could be your Grandma 😊) but we like so many of the same things. I have subscribed. I am an absolute beginner. You are teaching me so much!
I have a bowl and whorl from Glass Bead and two Stephan Willett(?) spindles. Plus a few metal replicas. My favorites are the glass ones. Now you have me wanting a Mingo! And I have drawer knobs in my brain!
I stopped when I got to the bit about drawer pulls, but because I remembered that I have my collection of Roman and Viking glass beads with me - I am indeed a magpie incapable of walking past the Tillerman Beads stall without buying something - and that I'd bought a big ol amber-coloured bead last time. Went and tried it on one of my viking-style sticks. Sits a bit closer to the end than I'd like but spins *beautifully*. And Shiiiiiny. May have to take a stick to TORM next time and see what other Big Beads fit the stick...
I'm sure you already know this, but I can't help myself🤷♀️. Shape, and more precisely: weight distribution matters a lot. More weight close to the spindle (like a ball) will give a fast spin that stops quickly, and more weight away from the center (like a flat disk or even a sort of wheel) will give a slower spin but it will keep spinning for a long time. Very nice for beginners 😊 I don't think the details matter much for the spin, but it definitely does for the happiness of the spinner 😁
I liked the second one you purchased that was glass. I have a TDF beginner wooden bead support spindle on it's way. I also have some washed merino to play with. Excited!!!!😮
I was just watching Time Team & they found a Celtic (clay) whorl in the UK from about 3500 yrs ago! It was essentially the same as your whorls except it was a much simpler disk with small balls decorating around the top side. It was really cool.
I think I like the MingoAsho the best, but that's mainly because of the dichroic in in the glass. I do love a bit of sparkle. Now I am wondering what clear dichroic scraps I have in the cupboard. A glass spindle whorl is really just a large donut bead made on a thick mandrel. Ok, where is the project journal, I wont have time until after Tour de Fleece and I don't want to forget.
Love your video! Love all of your videos. And I actually own a Glasspin from Mingo and Asho, with the cute little dish. It's a great spin! And not easy to get here in the Netherlands. I also made some of these drawer pull spindles a while back as giveaways for interested children in the open air museum where I volunteer (and spin, mostly on a 19th century spinning wheel). While I do love the glasspin it's not my favourite supported spindle but it's sooooo pretty!
I’m so glad I found your channel! I’ve been binge watching your videos. Love them! I am learning Nalbinding and I’m bored with the wool yarn available near me, so I’ve decided to try spinning. Super excited to get started.
I like the black and white, the flower and the the transparent one. I also love drawer pulls! They are so pretty, weighty and just plain beautiful! I am going to be looking for some and maybe try to construct a spindle. I have barely started to spin, but am determined to practice!
How many spinners throughout history have caught their clothes in the yarn or accidentally spun their hair? Rough guess... All of them? 😅 I have a cork with a beautiful ceramic decorative thingy on top that is painted in the iznik style. The cork part dissolved over time and now I have a cool use for the ceramic weight! I only need a dowel to make my supported spindle! Cool idea to carve the top of the dowel into a crochet-like hook. Until next time, happy spinning! 😊
My mom learned to spin on a spinning wheel first, back in the mid to late 70's, and then her first drop spindle was on a bottom whirl, so that's what she taught my sister and I. I've still never gotten used to top whirls. What I've noticed is the top whirls loose balance easily and need a hook, but the bottom whirls typically have enough weight and inertia they don't often need a hook so long as the whirl itself has good balance. I think that particular black whirl you had trouble with didn't work very well because the dowel was too long for the weight of the whirl and because the large bumps throw off the inertia of the spin. Smoother disks don't loose as much inertia, and spin better. My mom and sister and I have done spinning demonstrations and we always make and bring extra drop spindles to teach. Because we're teaching with wool and to beginners our drop spindles have a larger whirl. The smaller whirls are typically for more delicate thread like cotton or silk. My mom will buy chopsticks in bulk from a restaurant store. When I was little my mom used to make the whirls with homemade playdough formed with a hamburger press, dried out in the oven, then attached with hot glue. It was so time consuming, but they were cents each and almost always came out with good balance. Then my sister upgraded with wooden toy wheels from Lowes for her demonstrations. We never used hooks but again they are larger spinning wheels, so the half-hitch doesn't upset the balance. When my sister was a teen she used to take old CDs to make drop spindles too. She'd take 2 for added weight because 1 CD would just fly around rather then spin properly. My original major in college was geology, so my personal favorite drop spindle is one my mom got me from Etsy for my 21st birthday back in 2001 where the whirl is made with crinoid fossils. It's so pretty.
Since starting testosterone, my hairy central European ancestry has revealed it was just waiting for those higher testosterone levels to show up, so I am now both hairy and too warm all the time. This means I frequently spin in shorts while I'm sitting and watching tv. This also means that I have accidentally dropped my spinning onto my leg and spun my leg hair into my yarn. I have never been in so much pain while also laughing so hard! That was also one of my considerations for a wedding ring--as much as I love a big decorative ring and huge goth jewelry...I work with clothes! And textiles! I don't want to have to take off and risk losing my wedding ring, so it had to be low profile and not snag on things. For a while, my wife and I were going to get different rings and just live with it, but thankfully we found something that was both shiny and low-profile enough to satisfy both of us (bands with inset rainbow stones from, where else, an Etsy store!)
That’s so cool I found a ceramic 1850s draw handle it’s so pretty I was going to use it on a draw but now I think I will make my very first hand spindle.
I just discovered your content and spinning, so out of my depth, but I'm loving it! Your vibe is delightful and inquisitive. My partner is a glassblower, and now I'm thinking I have a few projects for him. 😅😆
idk if you talk this slow in real life, or just for these videos, but I love listening to your voice while knitting. So very calming! Also, I've been following you on Instagram for a while and have just learned I don't do that on here??? Fixed that as soon as I saw it
The glass spindles are beautiful. I would love to try spinning one day, but spindles are out for me. Unfortunately my hands aren't limber enough and have to many titanium pins to flex enough for spindles. I am pretty sure I can manage a wheel. Hoping to find a good working used one. Barring that, I'll have to opt for an e-spinner. My ultimate goal is to learn to spin my own yarn and weave my own fabric. I've got the sewing part down - been doing that for many years.
I absolutely love the pure joy you have while nerding out. It warms my heart so much. Love your videos. Never spun anything in my life. Always wanted to try. I think all of these things available to me right now. Gonna give it a go!
As a note of trivia: I came across this spinning techniques as done by Russian spinners. Notably in Orenberg gossamer lace shawls.. On whorls: the mechanical physics of whorls and spinning whorls indicated that a flatten broader whorl spins longer and allows for more yarn to be built up on the shaft. that's why the general shapes used today are so popular..
My favourite whorl shape, with the more durable stone/pottery/metal type, is conical, because if they fall off, they roll in little circles rather than disappearing off somewhere inaccessible.
I find the Stephen Willette spindle the most appealing. The others are beautiful, but the inward curve of the rod contrasted to the rounded glass is just wonderful!
These are so gorgeous, and I may have to make one. Or six. What I'd really love to make is a distaff, though, as I've already got a good handful of spindles and no distaff...have you explored that?
what a great channel!! I adore that you make very specific nerdy videos - they might not immediately appeal to the masses (give it time), but you have a loyal subscriber as of today
this is so mesmerizing to watch! i really hate sewing and knitting and generally all repetitive tasks because of how my brain works, but omg watching you spinning is so meditative and soothing!
This was very interesting, Evie. I think my favorite spindle and whorl is the "gothic" one. While the glass tipped spindles are gorgeous, I would be afraid that I would end up damaging them, (even with a spinning bowl). I have considered and used hardware store items to make drop spindles in the past, including using a large washer, nuts and long bolt. So, the drawer knob pulls appealed to me and now I want to make another spindle. Thank you for all the research done and effort put into your videos. ❤🐻
Amazingly beautiful content, as always💕 I would like to compliment how well this color of hair suits you and the ways you style your hair, it inspires me to try new things and have fun
I have a diy spindle that I made years ago. It is a very pretty white with blue drawer pull on a dowel rod. I made as a part of my persona when I was doing Medieval recreation with the SCA.
How do you how much fiber to buy if you need a certain yardage? I've got a project that I want to spin the yarn for but im worried about buying too much/too little fiber
The glass tipped one with carving or burnings on it is SOOOO pretty. I recently made myself some DIY spindles with clay and chopsticks, I sanded the point but I love the pencil sharpener idea! I'm going to have to try that. I find the chopsticks are nice since they are a good length for me and already tapered. Loved this "magpie adventure" thanks for sharing!
