My daughter and I are SO VERY HAPPY that we found your videos! We are absolute beginners, and you have given us the information, instruction, and confidence to get started with drop spindling! Thank you so much!!! Sending our love from Maryland and Delaware in the USA! 💕
I've watched a bunch of videos about how to start and still felt super nervous. I'm so glad I found your video as I finally feel I understand how to get started!! Thanks so much.
This is great! I've been working through the how to's today and you go through it slowly, so I can follow along, and clearly, so I can listen as well as watch my own spindle. I have a small amount of wool yarn done and am happy with at least having the hang of it. Thanks!
I just started spinning. I was having so much trouble drafting even after watching a lot of videos. Your video made something click in my brain. I'm drafting and spinning perfectly! Thank You so much!
This was actually so helpful! I tried to watch other people explain how to draft and just didn't get it. But you taught it beautifully! And it gave me a more consistent spin! Thank you so much!
When emptying my mothers house I found an unused drop spindle and fleece beginners kit. Your tutorial is fabulous, you have covered so many things I had not even thought of, looking forward to learning more and using the drop spindle kit. Thankyou so much
I have wanted to spin yarn on drop spindle, before finding you I have watched many a tutorial, I have just started to spin some fiber before watching this video. I wish I would have found you sooner!!! I have learned so much and your taking your time and showing step by step in the way you have is soooo helpful!! I cannot wait to watch your full series of videos!!!! I will be sharing you with everyone I know who would like to learn to spin their own yarn!! You are Wonderful as a teacher!!!!!❤❤❤
Thank you so much. I have wanted to learn how to spin with a drop spindle for a long time. Now, with your tutorials, I know I can learn how. So I will purchase a top whorl spindle today and some roving. I am excited for the next lesson and I will rewatch this first class to begin to practice. Again, Thank you
Sorry for the delay! I've had a break from RU-vid, so just catching up with comments. I would suggest a lightweight spindle - heavier ones put more pressure on the yarn you produce, so can lead to snapping a lot more quickly.
Thankyou si much for this video tutorial in how to use and make our own yarn. Can't wait to get started Will have to wait till after Christmas as my Husband as bought ne a starter kit for Christmas ( he doesn't know yet) . I have lots of these small pieces used some for needle melting but decuded I wanted to try drop Spindle Spinning. Thanks again for beginners tutorial video.
Hi, Happy New Year,. Well got my Spindling Goidies for Christmas. I'm so New to this, your video has only popped up today. You're so hepful to any beginner you're so easy to Spindle along with. Thankyou so much. Take care, stay safe & Happy Spindling Jen.xx
Hi Fiona How are you? Hi, Lady's, My name is Paula I am new to this site I believe is important to know this kind of art. Just so beautiful I think. I was waiting for my daughter and then I saw you and did wow I want to learn this art. thank you for this.
Hi there...I do hope all is with you...I'm a new subscriber...and I plan to start yarn spinning soon..so ofcourse I've been looking at many videos over the past few weeks...I came across this video and I have to say that it held more explanatory instructions than others and it was less intimidating..thank you by the way...I was looking forward to the next videos in the series, but I can't locate them...I'm aware that this an old video🌞
Thank you! There are a couple of drop spindle vids on my channel still - maybe one day I'll be able to film more, but unfortunately I'm just not able to. This is one reason why my channel has become devoted to my music, but I kept these old tutorials up in the hope that they'll still help people.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QVaXRrlsXxw.html I'm sorry I took so long to reply, I'm not really on RU-vid much any more, however, I did do a follow-up video which I've linked above for you.
Hej again. I can see why this top method is better than the bottom method as it is easier to wind the wool onto the spindle compared to the bottom way where you have a long strand and have to wind it on the spindle. (Y)
I'm thinking about getting into spinning my own yarn & decided to watch a video on how to do it when I came across this video. It says this is part 1 but I cannot find the other videos in your course😢 It may be because there's so many videos but I thought I'd ask to see if you made anymore. Do you think it's worth it to spin your own yarn?
Thank you! There are a couple of drop spindle vids on my channel still - maybe one day I'll be able to film more, but unfortunately I'm just not able to. This is one reason why my channel has become devoted to my music, but I kept these old tutorials up in the hope that they'll still help people.
Does it matter which direction you spin the spindle? I saw another video saying that you spin clockwise,then ply counterclockwise. Thanks for the video!
No, it doesn't, as long as you ply the OPPOSITE way to the way you spun the single. There are theories about z twist and s twist, and how some knitters prefer one type and crocheters prefer the other, but it's never made a difference to me. Just as long as you spin one way, ply the other, and keep consistent with it!
Hello! I've only recently started trying to use a drop spindle and found your video (this very one). Are there more or did it become a stand-alone one please? Your content made sense to me and you explain really well what you're doing and why, so I'd love to continue with your drop spindle videos if you have them. I did have a look through the ones you have on your channel but could only find this one - I've got loads of rough fleece bits because our cat food orders come in boxes that have waste fleece in plastic bags to help keep the food pouches frozen and I want to use this as well (and have a go at dying it myself at home. I've got a book on natural dying that I'll be using to help me with that bit), so could potentially be spinning for ages, especially when we take into account that we get a cat food order every month. I've got to work out how to clean/process those bits before I think about trying to spin them though.
Hello Jean! Thanks for that. It did become a stand-alone video, in the end - I've since moved to an electric spinning wheel as I spin so much, so no longer use my spindle as much. I do still do some spinning videos, but I have moved over to Twitch, where I stream live - I'm trying to get a more regular streaming schedule over there (www.twitch.tv/elfymakes if you're interested). I do a wide variety of crafts over there, but spinning is on the schedule too!
Hi, thank you so much. You've simplified this method that makes sense. But i have a question. I had bought a drop spindle bit have never used it. However I recently want to knit a sweater using a silk/ bamboo blend but nobody has it in the bulky size that i need. So i was researching how to spin it myself but I'd really like to make my yarn to a size 4 aran yarn, so then i can do a 2 ply both yarns to create the bulky size. Would the spindle i have work for that? I keep reading that i need a heavier spindle to get the thicker yarn ans smaller ones to get thinnner. However i dont know what type of drop spindle i have and frankly was hoping i could just use the one i have for any size. Could you let me know more info about this? Thanks
In my experience, the weight of the spindle doesn;t matter when spinning singles. Just bear in mind that the thicker the yarn, the less you'll be able to fit on the spindle, and if you want to knit a sweater, that's a LOT of yarn to spin. (Also, bear in mind, the more you wind on to the spindle, the heavier it gets, so I'd actually say avoid heavy spindles...) If you're getting into spinning, and you're really enjoying it, and you want to take that next step to spin wool for projects like the sweater, I'd actually advise stepping up to an actual spinning wheel. I use a fairly cheap, but very good quality wheel called the Electric Eel from Dreaming Robots - the spinning technique is the same, you can adjust the speed of the wheel easily, and it holds a LOT more yarn than a spindle would. I'll be honest - since getting this, I rarely touch my spindle any more. I have the bigger one, the EE6, but the nano is a good starting point. Doesn't hold as much yarn as the 6, but you can just fill up multiple bobbins. Hope that helps! www.dreamingrobots.com/product/eew-nano/
I decided I want to learn how to spin. I have taught myself many medias in art, and this is my new adventure. WONDERFUL video, thank you so much. I do have a question. How do you prevent small skin jags (dry winter skin) from catching in the wool? I heard there are many lotions that are BAD for spinning b/c of chemicals. What do you recommend to keep hands smooth while spinning?
Thank you, I'm glad it was helpful! Oh yes, dry skin, the spinner's worst enemy. Honestly, I recommend a lanolin salve. Lanolin comes from sheep, it's also known as 'wool fat'. It's perfect for dry skin, and if a bit gets into the wool it doesn't matter, it has lanolin in it anyway! :D There's a brand I recommend that is 100% pure lanolin, if you can get your hands on it - Mitchell's of Bradford.
Forgot to mention, it does smell like wet wool, so only something to go for if you're ok with that. Personally, I love that smell, but I know it can be offputting to some!
Hi Hilary, I no longer have any filming equipment so can't make a video response to this, but there's a few bits of info I can give you. What you've just spun is called a 'single', and they have a lot of pent-up energy built up. That means given half a chance it'll twist up on itself and knot. To finish a spin, you need to let that energy out somehow, and let the yarn relax. The easiest way to do that, and to get a more durable yarn, is to ply the wool. The easiest way of doing that is to take the single off the spindle by wrapping it into a ball, spinning another single, doing the same thing, then holding the two ends together and spinning them both back onto the spindle. (Note: When plying, spin the two singles together in the OPPOSITE direction to when you first spun them - otherwise they won't stick together and you'll just be adding more energy into the wool rather than taking twist out). The other way to ply is to 'self ply', which means finding the centre of the single that you've just spun, and plying it back on itself. Another option, if you want to keep it as a single is to wrap it as a skein rather than a ball (wrap it around two legs of a chair works) and then soak the yarn in reasonably hot water (do not agitate it or it'll felt). Leave it soaking for an hour (I usually wait until the water is cool) then take it out. Wrap it gently in a towel (you want to be as gentle as possible here to avoid felting,) and squeeze the water out. Leave it somewhere to dry. This is what's known as 'setting the twist' - the hot water encourages the twist to even itself out along the length of the yarn, makes the fibres fluff up slightly, and just helps the yarn relax. It's important to do this after every spin (I usually do it after plying), but it's especially important if you plan on leaving your yarn as a single.
Thank you!! I have had a bit of a hiatus away from RU-vid, but there will be more coming in this series soon! I'm about to start filming again, so keep your eyes peeled!
@@Elfdaughter I am so happy I found your video today. I just started spinning and was having a hard time with it until seeing your video, now I finally got it. Can't wait for more videos on this.
Hi,thank you so much for this video. I have wanted to learn to spin for ages, but I have been really scared that I would make a pig's ear out of it (I know it is silly but there you go). Having watched this video, I feel like giving it ago! I don't even know if I should try a class, your video explains it so well! do you think I should try a work shop? Would be very grateful for your views.
Thank you so much!! I'm glad you found it useful. Honestly, I am completely self taught, never had a workshop. A lot of what you will learn just comes down to practice. The best way to learn is just pick up a spindle and have a go. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be doing a follow-up video to this.
That is great. I am looking forward to your video. I am a knitter and have always dreamt of learning to spin. Going to a craft show on Friday, hopefully I'll be able to get a spindle there!
This would be a Z twist single, but once plied (because you ply in the opposite direction) would become an S twist yarn. If I span the single the opposite way (towards me) it would have been an S twist single, and then a Z twist yarn. Hope that helps!!!
How do I find the rest of this series? Have only found drop spindle so far and found this excellent. You make it look so easy. Having just had a go I realise I need to do a lot more practising. Thanks
Thanks, Jennifer! Yes, a lot of it comes down to practice. There's one more video on my channel, but it's a bit of a rough cut. I'm filming another video in the next couple of days, I didn't realise this one was going to be so popular! 🤣
Sorry to bother you again, but I just started my first attempt at spinning and ran into a huge problem. The wool spins back to fluff no matter how much I spin it. How does the yarn stay twisted? Mine won't stay twisted even after a length has been spun around the handle.. Thank you kindly in advance.
Hmm, that's an interesting issue. Normally I would say you aren't getting enough twist into it, but you say it happens no matter how much twist you put in? The only other thing I can think of then is that you're drafting too big of a section. Pull out one strand of fleece from your fibre, and take a look at how long it is. That's what we call staple length. If it's a short staple length, (under 60mm) then it's difficult to spin. Make sure you get plenty of twist in your fibre - it's better to overspin than underspin when you're starting out. Longer staple lengths are easier to spin because there's more fibre to grab onto each other and hold that twist in place.
Hi Kitty, I'm spinning what's called a single. Yarn is made up of multiples of these singles, which are then spun together (called plying). The thicker the yarn, the more singles there are in the ply. So if you go into a knitting shop, you might see yarn called '2ply' or '3 ply' yarn - and that's how many of these singles are in the ply. Hope that helps, and isn't too confusing!
