absolutely love this video. Been spinning for (counts) 11 years on the wheel and probably closer to 14 on the spindle, and I love seeing this kind of thing available for beginners now. thank you so much.
I started spinning in December and set a goal to be able to walk down the hall between classes and spin at the same time by the end of the school year. I started attempting suspended spinning in February and was walking with it by May
@bina nocht what‘s your problem, exactly? She didn‘t specify this in her first comment, so no need to apologize @Kailyn, and secondly…how rude do you wanna be to a kid on the internet who is establishing valid goals for herself?! Do you hate yourself that much having to put down highschool students to feel better about yourself?! SHAME
Kailyn, I‘m so glad you did achieve your goal. I used to braid friendship bracelets in class (90‘s) and my teachers soon learned that it was better to let me have a go quietly at something else than to take it away from me and having me disrupt other student‘s learning process because I was BORED out of my mind. I didn‘t know until later, because I was a middling student across the board, but I am a highly sensitive and gifted person so I just had to busy myself to get some value out of my day. I did finish my phd in molecular genetics, and I can tell you my teachers saw nothing but a troublemaker in me. Maybe if you talk to them and sit in the last row they‘ll let you spin in class as long as you are up to your latest grades. Have fun!
I LOVE these tips so much. I was so fortunate to have been taught most of my favorite crafts at the worst possible times XD. I learned to drop spindle in line at a yarn convention thanks to the most amazing woman. I had to quickly learn how to stop parking and drafting because it made inching forward in line awkward. The main thing that helped me was that she told me it wasn't possible to be bad a spinning. If I could spin a top, I could spin yarn. I might not like what I created, but it was yarn. I have no idea what her name was and I never saw her again, but I am so grateful for her.
Does everyone else here just wanna be besties with this kind, nonjudgmental, skilled, enthusiastic cutie? Like either that or deage and have her as a mom?
Today I finished my first tiny ball of yarn (about 14 grams of wool, I think). It is quite uneven and probably over spun. I'm still very proud of it. My yarn never broke and i only dropped my spindle once (although I had several close calls). I was rather frustrated with parking the spindle, as that seemed to be the time I was most likely to drop it. I need to get better at consistent drafting before I can keep it suspended. I simply don't have the required coordination/ timing figured out inmy brain to make it happen. Yet. I think I'll need a week or two to get it sorted out
One time at work I wanted to make the handles of a plastic shopping bag tight enough that I could tie them together so I put the heavy box in the bag and spun it while holding onto the handles and it worked and I later realized I drop spindled the shopping bag.
I just took a drop spindle class at my LYS today 😀 The thing that had been keeping me from doing a fully suspended spin was that I was having "imposter syndrome." I had only spun on my drop spindle a few times and only played with my Ashford Traditional wheel a tiny bit. Once my instructor said, "You are spinning yarn. That makes you a spinner," I felt confident enough to try spinning without parking the spindle. It went great and I had such a good time!! Sometimes we just need a reminder that there are no gate keepers preventing us from spinning the way we want to. No one is going to ask you for your Spinner Identification Card. Just give that spindle a flick or treadle that wheel and you will have earned your official yarn spinner title 😀
There are no spinning police! It’s not lumpy, it’s “art yarn”! I used to feel that way too when I first started, with my little DIY homemade Tahkli & super lumpy yarn🤣But, I’ve come to learn that the only people (aside from myself) who are going to be critical of your craft are either non-crafters who “don’t get it” & compare handspun to commercial, or are themselves insecure & sad.😞 The beauty of handspun is in the “flaws”. It’s the uniqueness that is in each twist & each flick if a spindle. 😉❤️
@@michellemckinney1513 I so agree eith this! I got to try out a spinning wheel at a craft fair as a kid and keep my yarn. It turned out uneven, but it actually looked really beautiful once I had knitted it up! I've even found similar "uneven" yarn being sold at stores. All yarn is beautiful yarn!
So I have recently become interested in spinning my own yarn -- haven't actually done it yet. I looked at wheels and then thought "yeah, no... too much money just to try it." After watching this video, I've ordered a couple of spindles, and will try this method. Thanks for this great tutorial!
@@tamaratamtammorris8151 friend, they can be surprisingly affordable, especially now with 3d printed parts! you can get one for around 200 now I believe! of course, that's not affordable for everyone, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not bound to an Ashford or whatever!
Thank you for these tips. I have been spinning for about a month now on a drop spindle. I have been inch worming until a couple of days ago I realised that I need to just start suspending it and let go of the control, just accept whatever yarn I get and that I will get better with practice. But if I don't practice I will never get better. I am happy to say I am getting the hang of it and it is much quicker. Your channel is probably the one I watch the most and I love the historical bits as well. Thanks for sharing.
I don't spin at all because I'm unemployed and on very tight means so for me, it's a cost barrier. But I love learning all the same so that maybe one day, if my financial situation changes, I can start trying. So thank you for being a resource for when I finally can try.
I made my first spindle from a chopstick, an old CD, and a cup hook. I got a free fleece from a sheep farmer; these days, he only charges me $20 for a fleece, and it takes me about a year to process one. You CAN spend a lot of money learning to spin, but you don’t HAVE to.
Spindles are one type of spinning equipment that you can easily make at home. Old cds, polymer clay or airdry clay, in fact any weighty object with a hole to fit a skewer or chopstick will work. I use two spindles regularly. One is a lovely wooden handmade Turkish spindle, and the other is a homemade polymer clay whorl on a skewer. They both work, and the homemade one can be used as a top whorl, bottom whorl or supported style. Cheap fibre can also be found, especially in small amounts. If you really want to try, there are ways.
I just made an awful little spindle from some cardboard circles pushed onto a chopstick with a notch at the top for a half hitch knot to hold the thread. You can spin plarn on spindles too. ❤
Ahhh. The mindset part for me is definitely the fear of messing up or failing. Before I was in a bad car accident about 5 years ago that left me injured and in constant pain I was fearless in a good way. Now the anxiety I guess that has occurred because of that has changed the way I think because I have to be so careful of everything I do physically that its spilled over into all I do? You have given me lots to work on my friend.
It took me a whole year to gather up the guts to try drop spinning without parking and drafting. I'm so glad I did it! It was a game changer in my spinning journey. For anyone out there who isn't sure they will succeed, just try it! The worst that will happen is that you will continue to use a method that you know well.
I loved standing and spinning and watching things around me. Now it's hard to stand long so I started using a longer Navajo spindle. It's fun and I get to teach ppl because they're interested. I've also spun in the car, with limited space and just turned the spindle with my fingers.
Evie, you're my favourite spinning teacher! Always with a positive attitude and a curious mind! I was looking through my stash today and came across some washed fleece, all tangled and with some VM in it. I had it aside for years because I had told myself that I couldn't get it open and airy and fluffy enough for my spinning wheel. But today, without yhinking about it too much, I just grabbed two dog brushes (acting as carders), gave it a prep into airy bird nests. Their appearance inspired my to then grab my bottom whorl spindle and give them a twist. I remember your words "listen to the yarn, it knows what it wants to become". Mine wanted to become a laceweight woolen type, which looks amazing in the ply-back test! 😍Look how many things you have tought me! Thank you🙏
Evie, you absolutely sparkle when you teach! Thank you for putting some of your knowledge out here for us UA-cam kids. You're my favorite spinning teacher! I wish I could come make rolags with you on my homemade blending board (made after watching your tutorial)❤ God bless, Deb
I have to admit, when I started I tried park and draft and got immediately really frustrated with it. I managed to work out continuous drop spinning on my own, but always learn something new eveytime I watch your videos. Thanks for your video!
i love the slow easiness of park and draft , lots of time for adjustments and no hurry .im using cotton ,the fibers are short ish and need some fussing , p&d gives my that time no worries
Thank you for your tutorials! You're so encouraging and supportive. Today, I dared to move from park and draft to fully suspended. The thing that did it for me was using a completely different kind of drop spindle that I was gifted for Christmas. I was having a play, just getting a feel for it and was stunned by how long and steady the spin was compared to my first one. I was so excited, I didn't think about it, just stood up and focused on the draft. Having a longer spin time gave me the freedom to go for it.
This was really helpful. I have been doing park and draft for the longest time and have been too scared to try fully suspended spinning. This gave me the courage to do it. Love the work you do.
No interested in this style of fiber art but your videos are lovely! It's interesting to see what you guys do at your end of the table. And I'm reaaallly grateful y'all exist, as a knitter/crocheter myself!
Some people are afraid to do something 'wrong'. They have difficulty with making mistakes or doing it 'wrong'. I try to think of it as an experiment - nothing more, just an experiment. Sometimes I get a lovely surprise as it turns out okay! I agree with you, we need to try it out just to see how close we can get to doing it. Love your channel, many, many thanks.
This is interesting, because I started spinning a few months ago, and literally my first spindle was an apple with a chopstick through it. Yes. Just an apple with a chopstick. It was so heavy that I actually learned to spin by placing the end of the chopstick spindle inside a bowl. This way, I could control the amount of pull on my drafting area, and if I dropped it, it really didn't fall that far (apples bruise pretty easy, ya know?). Once I got my hands on a top whorl, it was so light that I switched straight to standing while spinning and continuously drafted on. I seriously recommend trying the "apple and chopstick" method to anyone who is trying to learn how to use a drop spindle. It reduces the drops, and you have a lot more control on the weight/pressure put on your drafting area and the spin of your spindle. It won't knock against your leg randomly, it won't swing wildly around, and while it does take more strength to get the spin going, it's fairly easy to get a nice, even, smooth spin from the spindle. Then again, what do I know, as my mother likes to tell me, "you always choose the road uphill." I was the moron who decided to learn how to spin on flax. Because I'm silly! XD
I just ordered my first drop spindle and wool, and while I wait for it to arrive, I found your video! Thanks for the tips--they really will help my mindset as I try spinning for the first time.
This was so helpful! For the tour I’m exclusively spinning on my Turkish spindle so I can become more confident with it. Seeing how you draft sideways, especially the pinky hold, will be a game changer. Thank you!
I tend to rely on the park and draft when starting a new spin. I appreciate your tip with showing how to support while drafting to take tension off the unspun fibre. I look forward to trying this!
About 2 months after getting my spindle I started practicing unsupported. I watched almost all of your videos to learn how. I am so much more confident. My next challenge is adding a distaff.
My best tip is to spin singles with park and draft and then try suspended for plying. That way you already have twist in the singles so there is less risk of dropping (start with a two-ply to make yarn management a bit easier). As I was plying my first (very bad!) yarn I was able to easily move from P&D to suspended and then it wasn't as big of a step to move to spin my singles suspended as I had worked out the mechanics of it. So maybe for the first spin or two, spin smaller amounts of singles so you get to the plying quicker and hopefully that will help build up your confidence. I also love many of the tips in the comments below like spinning over a bed or sofa etc. and also about just having the confidence to try it out and the comment about gatekeeping was so poignant! Thank you so much for your wonderful videos and for everyone who shares their experiences in the comments! p.s. I'm spinning home-dyed Cheviot too at the moment, although on my wheel which is new to me, so I'm on a learning curve for the wheel after getting quite confident with the spindle :D
Never heard of park and draft before! I'm not a good drop spindle spinner, so watching your videos is helping. I usually use a wheel, but for some reason I wanted to learn the original way people spun. BTW, I live your outfit.
I have to get back to you and can't praise you enough! Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial on taking weight off the yarn with the little finger. It has revolutionized my suspended spinning. Now I am able to spin thin yarn with relatively heavy spindles.
Thank you very much for this video, it was very instructive and I love your energy. I just ordered a spindle and some fiber on the internet to try to spin my own yarn and I can't wait to receive them ! In the meantime, I'm looking at all your videos to try to learn as much as I can ! Greetings from France !
I have only been spinning for about 6 months and I can only do fully suspended drop spindle spinning. You know why? This video was the first time I learned that that wasn't my only option, haha. Glad to know that I have options for the days I just cant seem to get in the right groove and glad to see the other commenters who have similar stories. Happy to have this channel as an amazing resource and learning tool.
I cannot emphasize enough how much your videos are lovely to watch. I got myself a spindle for my bday, and prepping to start my journey by watching some videos. I love how open and encouraging you are, and how you talk about all the details that go into it. Thanks so much :)
I've been spinning for years, but I hadn't heard of the pinky hold part and had to try. It worked really well for me and I feel like it might be a game-changer!
I started spinning two weeks ago after I discovered your channel and, one week later, I was already spinning fully suspended! I’m working now in consistency, but I made an ok batch of chain-plied DK yarn (ply on the fly). Now I’m saving to get one Akerworks mixy spindle so I can spin while I commute to work. 😂
I'm about to stop spinning, and I really want to try out the fully suspended spin, so I found this really helpful. Most of the other videos I've looked at have only shown the park and draft method
Love suspended spin but sometimes get out of hand with me trying to go for as long as I can with arm rising higher high and running out of room before spindle hits the floor 🤣
Just discovered your channel! Love your vibe --when someone loves what they do it really comes across in their teaching. Really looking forward to seeing more!
I never started suspended spinning until after I got my spinning wheel and learned how to draft on the wheel. A few weeks ago I took my spindle for the first time in years and voilà, it worked 😍 Thank you for your beautiful and educational videos!
These tips were super helpful, especially the sideways draft! I'm pretty new, so I didn't even realize that's why it was spinning thicker than I intended. Thanks!!
I only just spun my very first yarn yesterday (it's bulky, uneven, overspun in places, very typical newbie spun yarn, lol). I figure once I get the mechanics of spinning on a drop spindle down pat, I'll be able to do suspended spinning and produce a finer, more even yarn. It's just a matter of practice and experience until I get there. Your videos have been very helpful on my spinning journey. Thank you!
I first learned spinning on an unsupported drop spindle, and other methods only after that. The two things that made me not even consider that it should be somehow too difficult for me, were: 1. Seeing samples of the lumpy bumpy art yarns others had created on the first go, and 2. Knowing that the weight of the spindle will affect the thickness of the yarn that it wants to spin. Trying to play it safe and go too thick at that point may lead to the spindle stopping too soon, and that may erode one's confidence. Just knowing that it's not you, it's the spindle, will help.
Hi jillianeve I've just tried this way of doing it, love it works great and I think it will help people at my guild both new to spindle spinning and those who have been spinning for sometime. Love your videos and get a lot from them Thanks again Sheila
the fibers i carded at home feels less dens than the bought ones. Im so afraid that i can not draft good enough for the yarn to be nice and thin. Right now im trying to make more of the think yarn i startet with 😂 and that is hard enough. Your videos and tips are my life savers right now
Thank you for the confidence to continue my spinning. I wasn't sure sure I'd ever get it but you saying that it takes time and it's ok to mess it up has been great for learning. Much love for your channel!
Thank you so much for your amazing video. I had a course on the hand spindle last week and learned the park and draft technique. As you mentioned I just began with the suspended technique as it came quite „naturally“ but I do really like your tips ❤ Although it’s completely new to me and I’ve got to focus at the same time hand spinning feels so relaxing!
Thank you so much for this wonderful video!! I bought a drop spindle about a couple months ago and was shown the suspended method first, which was very difficult to start out with, and intimidated me so much that I put it down until half an hour ago. Today I picked it back up again and followed along while watching your original park-and-draft tutorial video followed immediately by this one. In the span of that half an hour I learned how to properly drop spin!! Thank you so much!!
I think that tip about how to hold it while drafting is going to make a big difference for me. I have also been hesitant about going suspended because of working with mostly shorter fibers. Although last night I had some long strips of nettle that I was playing around with and I actually did some of that fully suspended! I am grateful for resources like yours that have helped me learn this craft.
I'm starting to spin with supported spindle and I thought about trying to spin with a drop spindle but it really seems intimidating 😆 This video inspired me to try it out anyday. Thanl you so much for the amazing content💖
Thank you so much! I have been having some trouble with over spinning, so when I spin my yarn is over spun and it's hard to do anything with. And your video has helped me to understand a little about what I'm doing wrong from the beginning. :)
What a lovely lady thank you for sharing these skills. I’ve got a big spindle that I’ve not got the hang of yet I usually use a spinning wheel. I’ll try your tips possible get a smaller drop spindle like yours.
Thank you so much for your expertise!! After dropping my new spindle more times than I can count I checked your tutorials and I found this one! I’m off to try these techniques! Thanks again!
I just bought my first spindle today and I can see how easily you got hooked. I just wanted to reach out and thank you very very much for the inspiration and a lot of the wonderful information you share (in all of your videos) came up in talking points so thank you for doing everything you do! ❤
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! i took a spinning class at my lys a few months ago and learned the park and draft method- but you're right the suspended method just looks cool and I wanna be a cool kid :( I keep having issues with the spin stopping before i draft more than an inch. Your tips are really insightful and have pointed out exactly where my problems have been!
I only spin using spindles. No wheel yet. Ive been spinning for 4 years. My favorite are supported spindles, but I do use drop spindles for my thicker yarns, and for plying, bottom and top whorls. My problem with the drop spindles, is that I have to be standing to spin it so the spindle doesn't wabble, and I can make a longer piece of yarn at a time. But if I want to be sitting while spinning, using a turkish spindle, works better for me. Thanks for these tips, you helped a lot. Love you videos.
Hi, Evie! I've been watching your channel for a while, but this is my first time commenting. :) Thank you so much for all your videos! You are such a wonderful teacher and radiate such joy. It's always such a treat to see when you've uploaded; I'm learning so much about the world of spinning from you! Thank you so much to you and your team for a truly outstanding channel!
Hi Evie - another great video! I was looking for something to watch while I was drop-spindling this morning and your video popped up on my subs. A couple of thoughts I had about learning to drop spindle: the first is the 'psychology' of it - when I started to think of it as suspended spinning, rather than 'drop', my attitude changed and I felt a bit less anxious. My first attempts were disastrous and i gave up for years. Then I found out that my spindle was way too big and heavy for what I was trying to spin. I tried a smaller, lighter one and straight away things started coming together. When I moved from park and draft, I started by spinning standing up next to my bed so if the spindle did drop it would be a soft landing (and not so far to bend to retrieve it). A tip I would add is that if fibre has varying lengths, like the roving I'm spinning at the moment, I need to be aware of the possibility that my next draw could be shorter fibres than the previous draw and be ready to adjust my draw length and spin time. Maybe tops, which are more consistent length, would be good for starting out?
This was a lovely and informative video. I gave you a like as soon as you mentioned Howl’s Moving Castle, lol. I was given a spindle and roving years ago and I’m determined to learn this year.
J'ai débuté le filage au fuseau récemment. Je réussi maintenant à obtenir un fil régulier. Dans le futur je trouverai le courage de filer sans stopper. Merci pour toutes vos vidéos qui m'aide beaucoup depuis la France. Amicalement. Monique
absolutely love this video. Been spinning for (counts) 11 years on the wheel and probably closer to 14 on the spindle, and I love seeing this kind of thing available for beginners now. thank you so much.
I started spinning in December and set a goal to be able to walk down the hall between classes and spin at the same time by the end of the school year. I started attempting suspended spinning in February and was walking with it by May
Yes, you did it!!! I love hearing about spinning goals! 🧶💜😊
@bina nocht I do not spin in class unless it's art class or for a demonstrative speech I gave in my dual credit class
@bina nocht I'm so sorry, I completely forgot that was part of the first comment! I wasn't trying to be rude, i just wanted to explain
@bina nocht what‘s your problem, exactly? She didn‘t specify this in her first comment, so no need to apologize @Kailyn, and secondly…how rude do you wanna be to a kid on the internet who is establishing valid goals for herself?!
Do you hate yourself that much having to put down highschool students to feel better about yourself?!
SHAME
Kailyn, I‘m so glad you did achieve your goal.
I used to braid friendship bracelets in class (90‘s) and my teachers soon learned that it was better to let me have a go quietly at something else than to take it away from me and having me disrupt other student‘s learning process because I was BORED out of my mind.
I didn‘t know until later, because I was a middling student across the board, but I am a highly sensitive and gifted person so I just had to busy myself to get some value out of my day.
I did finish my phd in molecular genetics, and I can tell you my teachers saw nothing but a troublemaker in me.
Maybe if you talk to them and sit in the last row they‘ll let you spin in class as long as you are up to your latest grades.
Have fun!
I LOVE these tips so much. I was so fortunate to have been taught most of my favorite crafts at the worst possible times XD. I learned to drop spindle in line at a yarn convention thanks to the most amazing woman. I had to quickly learn how to stop parking and drafting because it made inching forward in line awkward. The main thing that helped me was that she told me it wasn't possible to be bad a spinning. If I could spin a top, I could spin yarn. I might not like what I created, but it was yarn. I have no idea what her name was and I never saw her again, but I am so grateful for her.
Lovely story!
Does everyone else here just wanna be besties with this kind, nonjudgmental, skilled, enthusiastic cutie? Like either that or deage and have her as a mom?
😂 definitely be besties! Yay fiber friends…
Today I finished my first tiny ball of yarn (about 14 grams of wool, I think). It is quite uneven and probably over spun. I'm still very proud of it. My yarn never broke and i only dropped my spindle once (although I had several close calls). I was rather frustrated with parking the spindle, as that seemed to be the time I was most likely to drop it. I need to get better at consistent drafting before I can keep it suspended. I simply don't have the required coordination/ timing figured out inmy brain to make it happen. Yet. I think I'll need a week or two to get it sorted out
It's not uneven.
It's art yarn. Hand crafted art yarn and punters will pay through the nose for that
You're amazing!
One time at work I wanted to make the handles of a plastic shopping bag tight enough that I could tie them together so I put the heavy box in the bag and spun it while holding onto the handles and it worked and I later realized I drop spindled the shopping bag.
I just took a drop spindle class at my LYS today 😀 The thing that had been keeping me from doing a fully suspended spin was that I was having "imposter syndrome." I had only spun on my drop spindle a few times and only played with my Ashford Traditional wheel a tiny bit. Once my instructor said, "You are spinning yarn. That makes you a spinner," I felt confident enough to try spinning without parking the spindle. It went great and I had such a good time!!
Sometimes we just need a reminder that there are no gate keepers preventing us from spinning the way we want to. No one is going to ask you for your Spinner Identification Card. Just give that spindle a flick or treadle that wheel and you will have earned your official yarn spinner title 😀
There are no spinning police! It’s not lumpy, it’s “art yarn”! I used to feel that way too when I first started, with my little DIY homemade Tahkli & super lumpy yarn🤣But, I’ve come to learn that the only people (aside from myself) who are going to be critical of your craft are either non-crafters who “don’t get it” & compare handspun to commercial, or are themselves insecure & sad.😞
The beauty of handspun is in the “flaws”. It’s the uniqueness that is in each twist & each flick if a spindle. 😉❤️
Yes! I love that so much! Happy spinning, you ARE a spinner now!!! 🧶💜😊
@@michellemckinney1513 I so agree eith this! I got to try out a spinning wheel at a craft fair as a kid and keep my yarn. It turned out uneven, but it actually looked really beautiful once I had knitted it up! I've even found similar "uneven" yarn being sold at stores. All yarn is beautiful yarn!
So I have recently become interested in spinning my own yarn -- haven't actually done it yet. I looked at wheels and then thought "yeah, no... too much money just to try it." After watching this video, I've ordered a couple of spindles, and will try this method. Thanks for this great tutorial!
I ordered a spindle for that very reason too. I'd like a spinning wheel at some point in the future, but it's not in the budget at the moment.
@@tamaratamtammorris8151 friend, they can be surprisingly affordable, especially now with 3d printed parts! you can get one for around 200 now I believe! of course, that's not affordable for everyone, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not bound to an Ashford or whatever!
Thank you for these tips. I have been spinning for about a month now on a drop spindle. I have been inch worming until a couple of days ago I realised that I need to just start suspending it and let go of the control, just accept whatever yarn I get and that I will get better with practice. But if I don't practice I will never get better. I am happy to say I am getting the hang of it and it is much quicker. Your channel is probably the one I watch the most and I love the historical bits as well. Thanks for sharing.
I don't spin at all because I'm unemployed and on very tight means so for me, it's a cost barrier. But I love learning all the same so that maybe one day, if my financial situation changes, I can start trying. So thank you for being a resource for when I finally can try.
I made my first spindle from a chopstick, an old CD, and a cup hook. I got a free fleece from a sheep farmer; these days, he only charges me $20 for a fleece, and it takes me about a year to process one. You CAN spend a lot of money learning to spin, but you don’t HAVE to.
Spindles are one type of spinning equipment that you can easily make at home. Old cds, polymer clay or airdry clay, in fact any weighty object with a hole to fit a skewer or chopstick will work. I use two spindles regularly. One is a lovely wooden handmade Turkish spindle, and the other is a homemade polymer clay whorl on a skewer. They both work, and the homemade one can be used as a top whorl, bottom whorl or supported style. Cheap fibre can also be found, especially in small amounts. If you really want to try, there are ways.
I just made an awful little spindle from some cardboard circles pushed onto a chopstick with a notch at the top for a half hitch knot to hold the thread. You can spin plarn on spindles too. ❤
Calcifer! Perfect name for this little flame touched spindle!
🧶💜😊🔥🔥🔥
Me binge watching the s[indle playlist because I plan to buy a spindle and some wool on Thursday from my LYS 🤣
I'm excited to get a drop spindle. I'm just beginning and don't have any equipment yet, but watching these videos is encouraging to me.
Ahhh. The mindset part for me is definitely the fear of messing up or failing. Before I was in a bad car accident about 5 years ago that left me injured and in constant pain I was fearless in a good way. Now the anxiety I guess that has occurred because of that has changed the way I think because I have to be so careful of everything I do physically that its spilled over into all I do? You have given me lots to work on my friend.
I am so sorry you went through that and I hope for your continued and complete healing. Happy spinning my fiber friend! 🧶💜😊
It took me a whole year to gather up the guts to try drop spinning without parking and drafting. I'm so glad I did it! It was a game changer in my spinning journey. For anyone out there who isn't sure they will succeed, just try it! The worst that will happen is that you will continue to use a method that you know well.
One of the best drop spinning instruction videos I have ever seen!!! 🎉 thank you!!
I loved standing and spinning and watching things around me. Now it's hard to stand long so I started using a longer Navajo spindle. It's fun and I get to teach ppl because they're interested. I've also spun in the car, with limited space and just turned the spindle with my fingers.
Evie, you're my favourite spinning teacher! Always with a positive attitude and a curious mind! I was looking through my stash today and came across some washed fleece, all tangled and with some VM in it. I had it aside for years because I had told myself that I couldn't get it open and airy and fluffy enough for my spinning wheel. But today, without yhinking about it too much, I just grabbed two dog brushes (acting as carders), gave it a prep into airy bird nests. Their appearance inspired my to then grab my bottom whorl spindle and give them a twist. I remember your words "listen to the yarn, it knows what it wants to become". Mine wanted to become a laceweight woolen type, which looks amazing in the ply-back test! 😍Look how many things you have tought me! Thank you🙏
Evie, you absolutely sparkle when you teach! Thank you for putting some of your knowledge out here for us UA-cam kids. You're my favorite spinning teacher! I wish I could come make rolags with you on my homemade blending board (made after watching your tutorial)❤
God bless,
Deb
A rolag party sounds so fun!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
ohh great tips now I want to get a drop spindle and try this out.
I appreciate this. I just got a drop spindle from a fiber arts festival and couldn't figure out the drafting part so thank you :)
I have to admit, when I started I tried park and draft and got immediately really frustrated with it. I managed to work out continuous drop spinning on my own, but always learn something new eveytime I watch your videos. Thanks for your video!
Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
i love the slow easiness of park and draft , lots of time for adjustments and no hurry .im using cotton ,the fibers are short ish and need some fussing , p&d gives my that time no worries
This is immeasurably helpful!! Thank you for making this video. 💜🙏🏻💜
Thank you for your tutorials! You're so encouraging and supportive. Today, I dared to move from park and draft to fully suspended. The thing that did it for me was using a completely different kind of drop spindle that I was gifted for Christmas. I was having a play, just getting a feel for it and was stunned by how long and steady the spin was compared to my first one. I was so excited, I didn't think about it, just stood up and focused on the draft. Having a longer spin time gave me the freedom to go for it.
Evie, I watch your video on transition to suspended dropspindle, over and over. Thañkyou.
Great way to start the weekend with a new vid!
Glad you enjoy it! 🧶💜😊
This was really helpful. I have been doing park and draft for the longest time and have been too scared to try fully suspended spinning. This gave me the courage to do it. Love the work you do.
Ha! I just got a VermontSpindles spindle because of Lisa, too! and boy does it spin! Love your dyed Cheviot. That’s a sweet fiber.
Spindle buddies!!! 🧶💜😊
No interested in this style of fiber art but your videos are lovely! It's interesting to see what you guys do at your end of the table. And I'm reaaallly grateful y'all exist, as a knitter/crocheter myself!
Some people are afraid to do something 'wrong'. They have difficulty with making mistakes or doing it 'wrong'. I try to think of it as an experiment - nothing more, just an experiment. Sometimes I get a lovely surprise as it turns out okay!
I agree with you, we need to try it out just to see how close we can get to doing it. Love your channel, many, many thanks.
You are such a wonderful teacher!
This is interesting, because I started spinning a few months ago, and literally my first spindle was an apple with a chopstick through it.
Yes. Just an apple with a chopstick.
It was so heavy that I actually learned to spin by placing the end of the chopstick spindle inside a bowl. This way, I could control the amount of pull on my drafting area, and if I dropped it, it really didn't fall that far (apples bruise pretty easy, ya know?). Once I got my hands on a top whorl, it was so light that I switched straight to standing while spinning and continuously drafted on. I seriously recommend trying the "apple and chopstick" method to anyone who is trying to learn how to use a drop spindle. It reduces the drops, and you have a lot more control on the weight/pressure put on your drafting area and the spin of your spindle. It won't knock against your leg randomly, it won't swing wildly around, and while it does take more strength to get the spin going, it's fairly easy to get a nice, even, smooth spin from the spindle.
Then again, what do I know, as my mother likes to tell me, "you always choose the road uphill." I was the moron who decided to learn how to spin on flax. Because I'm silly! XD
I just ordered my first drop spindle and wool, and while I wait for it to arrive, I found your video! Thanks for the tips--they really will help my mindset as I try spinning for the first time.
This was so helpful! For the tour I’m exclusively spinning on my Turkish spindle so I can become more confident with it. Seeing how you draft sideways, especially the pinky hold, will be a game changer. Thank you!
Hi, Evie! I always like your videos and refer newbies to your channel
Awesome! Thank you so much! 🧶💜😊
Well, I just realized why my spindle-spun yarn is always so thick 🤭 Thank you Evie! Something new to practice…
I tend to rely on the park and draft when starting a new spin. I appreciate your tip with showing how to support while drafting to take tension off the unspun fibre. I look forward to trying this!
About 2 months after getting my spindle I started practicing unsupported. I watched almost all of your videos to learn how. I am so much more confident. My next challenge is adding a distaff.
My best tip is to spin singles with park and draft and then try suspended for plying. That way you already have twist in the singles so there is less risk of dropping (start with a two-ply to make yarn management a bit easier). As I was plying my first (very bad!) yarn I was able to easily move from P&D to suspended and then it wasn't as big of a step to move to spin my singles suspended as I had worked out the mechanics of it. So maybe for the first spin or two, spin smaller amounts of singles so you get to the plying quicker and hopefully that will help build up your confidence. I also love many of the tips in the comments below like spinning over a bed or sofa etc. and also about just having the confidence to try it out and the comment about gatekeeping was so poignant! Thank you so much for your wonderful videos and for everyone who shares their experiences in the comments! p.s. I'm spinning home-dyed Cheviot too at the moment, although on my wheel which is new to me, so I'm on a learning curve for the wheel after getting quite confident with the spindle :D
This is an excellent tip! Happy (wheel) spinning! 🧶💜😊
The sideways tip is very good 👍 🙂
Thanks for your show, it's right where I'm at transition from p ,d, to suspended,
this is EXACTLY what I needed!! you have such a warm and loving energy and it’s an honor to learn this craft from you 🥰
Never heard of park and draft before! I'm not a good drop spindle spinner, so watching your videos is helping. I usually use a wheel, but for some reason I wanted to learn the original way people spun. BTW, I live your outfit.
Love your videos. I bought a Bosworth spindle years ago. Still my favorite
Very cool video, very clear explanation and tips.
I have to get back to you and can't praise you enough!
Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial on taking weight off the yarn with the little finger. It has revolutionized my suspended spinning. Now I am able to spin thin yarn with relatively heavy spindles.
I don't spin or weave but I learned so much from your channel.
Just watching you do this and spinning those fine weight yarns is so satisfying!
Thank you very much for this video, it was very instructive and I love your energy. I just ordered a spindle and some fiber on the internet to try to spin my own yarn and I can't wait to receive them ! In the meantime, I'm looking at all your videos to try to learn as much as I can ! Greetings from France !
I have only been spinning for about 6 months and I can only do fully suspended drop spindle spinning. You know why? This video was the first time I learned that that wasn't my only option, haha.
Glad to know that I have options for the days I just cant seem to get in the right groove and glad to see the other commenters who have similar stories.
Happy to have this channel as an amazing resource and learning tool.
I cannot emphasize enough how much your videos are lovely to watch. I got myself a spindle for my bday, and prepping to start my journey by watching some videos. I love how open and encouraging you are, and how you talk about all the details that go into it. Thanks so much :)
I've been spinning for years, but I hadn't heard of the pinky hold part and had to try. It worked really well for me and I feel like it might be a game-changer!
I started spinning two weeks ago after I discovered your channel and, one week later, I was already spinning fully suspended! I’m working now in consistency, but I made an ok batch of chain-plied DK yarn (ply on the fly). Now I’m saving to get one Akerworks mixy spindle so I can spin while I commute to work. 😂
I just started using a drop spindle, and OH MY! These tips are so helpful!!! Thank you!
I'm about to stop spinning, and I really want to try out the fully suspended spin, so I found this really helpful. Most of the other videos I've looked at have only shown the park and draft method
Thank you for this! You are such a pleasure to learn from!
Love suspended spin but sometimes get out of hand with me trying to go for as long as I can with arm rising higher high and running out of room before spindle hits the floor 🤣
thank you for making this
Great video, thank you!I love your eye makeup too.
i have that same spindle! i'm spinning some GORGEOUS polwarth silk on it right now.
Your videos give me a lot of hope for my dreams of spinning beautiful handmade yarn
I love how you teach, your wonderful!!!
Just discovered your channel! Love your vibe --when someone loves what they do it really comes across in their teaching. Really looking forward to seeing more!
I never started suspended spinning until after I got my spinning wheel and learned how to draft on the wheel. A few weeks ago I took my spindle for the first time in years and voilà, it worked 😍 Thank you for your beautiful and educational videos!
Excellent, as always, Evie! Thank you so much. The tip about holding the yarn in your pinkie really makes so much sense!
These tips were super helpful, especially the sideways draft! I'm pretty new, so I didn't even realize that's why it was spinning thicker than I intended. Thanks!!
I only just spun my very first yarn yesterday (it's bulky, uneven, overspun in places, very typical newbie spun yarn, lol). I figure once I get the mechanics of spinning on a drop spindle down pat, I'll be able to do suspended spinning and produce a finer, more even yarn. It's just a matter of practice and experience until I get there. Your videos have been very helpful on my spinning journey. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, i just got a drop spindle.
Great! Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
I first learned spinning on an unsupported drop spindle, and other methods only after that. The two things that made me not even consider that it should be somehow too difficult for me, were:
1. Seeing samples of the lumpy bumpy art yarns others had created on the first go, and
2. Knowing that the weight of the spindle will affect the thickness of the yarn that it wants to spin. Trying to play it safe and go too thick at that point may lead to the spindle stopping too soon, and that may erode one's confidence. Just knowing that it's not you, it's the spindle, will help.
What an inspiring person you are. Thank you for your wonderful guides.
Hi jillianeve
I've just tried this way of doing it, love it works great and I think it will help people at my guild both new to spindle spinning and those who have been spinning for sometime.
Love your videos and get a lot from them
Thanks again
Sheila
You are such a great instructor. I'm starting to find that I am spinning more than I'm knitting.
Thank you. Spinning is so much fun (in my very biased opinion)! 🧶💜😊
the fibers i carded at home feels less dens than the bought ones. Im so afraid that i can not draft good enough for the yarn to be nice and thin. Right now im trying to make more of the think yarn i startet with 😂 and that is hard enough. Your videos and tips are my life savers right now
Drafting from the side is a great idea! I’ll have to try it.
Youv taught me so much. Complete beginner. Thanks :)🧡😀
This is a great video! Thank you for sharing these helpful tips!
Thank you it so much for the tips!! I’ll just started spinning a few weeks ago and this is just the help I needed 😁
Thank you for the confidence to continue my spinning. I wasn't sure sure I'd ever get it but you saying that it takes time and it's ok to mess it up has been great for learning. Much love for your channel!
Thank you so much for your amazing video. I had a course on the hand spindle last week and learned the park and draft technique. As you mentioned I just began with the suspended technique as it came quite „naturally“ but I do really like your tips ❤ Although it’s completely new to me and I’ve got to focus at the same time hand spinning feels so relaxing!
Thank you so much for this wonderful video!! I bought a drop spindle about a couple months ago and was shown the suspended method first, which was very difficult to start out with, and intimidated me so much that I put it down until half an hour ago. Today I picked it back up again and followed along while watching your original park-and-draft tutorial video followed immediately by this one. In the span of that half an hour I learned how to properly drop spin!! Thank you so much!!
You are so welcome! Happy spinning! 😊🐑💜🧶
Thank you for sharing
I think that tip about how to hold it while drafting is going to make a big difference for me. I have also been hesitant about going suspended because of working with mostly shorter fibers. Although last night I had some long strips of nettle that I was playing around with and I actually did some of that fully suspended! I am grateful for resources like yours that have helped me learn this craft.
I'm starting to spin with supported spindle and I thought about trying to spin with a drop spindle but it really seems intimidating 😆
This video inspired me to try it out anyday. Thanl you so much for the amazing content💖
Thank you so much! I have been having some trouble with over spinning, so when I spin my yarn is over spun and it's hard to do anything with. And your video has helped me to understand a little about what I'm doing wrong from the beginning. :)
New subscriber! Thank you for these tips, especially supporting the yarn with your pinkie and drafting from the side!
What a lovely lady thank you for sharing these skills. I’ve got a big spindle that I’ve not got the hang of yet I usually use a spinning wheel. I’ll try your tips possible get a smaller drop spindle like yours.
Thank you so much for your expertise!! After dropping my new spindle more times than I can count I checked your tutorials and I found this one! I’m off to try these techniques! Thanks again!
I just bought my first spindle today and I can see how easily you got hooked. I just wanted to reach out and thank you very very much for the inspiration and a lot of the wonderful information you share (in all of your videos) came up in talking points so thank you for doing everything you do! ❤
Evie you are the best!!! Thanks!
Thank you! 🧶💜😊
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! i took a spinning class at my lys a few months ago and learned the park and draft method- but you're right the suspended method just looks cool and I wanna be a cool kid :( I keep having issues with the spin stopping before i draft more than an inch. Your tips are really insightful and have pointed out exactly where my problems have been!
Thank you for this! I just started spinning and my yarn has been so thick, so I'm going to try drafting from the side.
Just bought my first drop spindle and fiber after wanting to try it for ages, I'm so glad I found this video! Can't wait to get started
I only spin using spindles. No wheel yet. Ive been spinning for 4 years. My favorite are supported spindles, but I do use drop spindles for my thicker yarns, and for plying, bottom and top whorls. My problem with the drop spindles, is that I have to be standing to spin it so the spindle doesn't wabble, and I can make a longer piece of yarn at a time. But if I want to be sitting while spinning, using a turkish spindle, works better for me. Thanks for these tips, you helped a lot. Love you videos.
Thank you! Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
Hi, Evie! I've been watching your channel for a while, but this is my first time commenting. :) Thank you so much for all your videos! You are such a wonderful teacher and radiate such joy. It's always such a treat to see when you've uploaded; I'm learning so much about the world of spinning from you! Thank you so much to you and your team for a truly outstanding channel!
Thank you so much! Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
@vintage Reader I want to be Evie when I grow up!
Thank you for these wonderful tips💕
Glad you like them! 🧶💜😊
Hi Evie - another great video! I was looking for something to watch while I was drop-spindling this morning and your video popped up on my subs. A couple of thoughts I had about learning to drop spindle: the first is the 'psychology' of it - when I started to think of it as suspended spinning, rather than 'drop', my attitude changed and I felt a bit less anxious. My first attempts were disastrous and i gave up for years. Then I found out that my spindle was way too big and heavy for what I was trying to spin. I tried a smaller, lighter one and straight away things started coming together. When I moved from park and draft, I started by spinning standing up next to my bed so if the spindle did drop it would be a soft landing (and not so far to bend to retrieve it). A tip I would add is that if fibre has varying lengths, like the roving I'm spinning at the moment, I need to be aware of the possibility that my next draw could be shorter fibres than the previous draw and be ready to adjust my draw length and spin time. Maybe tops, which are more consistent length, would be good for starting out?
Yes, these are great tips! Isn't it interesting how much our thinking plays a part in our techniques? Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊
This was a lovely and informative video. I gave you a like as soon as you mentioned Howl’s Moving Castle, lol. I was given a spindle and roving years ago and I’m determined to learn this year.
Your dye is beautiful!
Thank you! 🧶💜😊
J'ai débuté le filage au fuseau récemment. Je réussi maintenant à obtenir un fil régulier. Dans le futur je trouverai le courage de filer sans stopper. Merci pour toutes vos vidéos qui m'aide beaucoup depuis la France. Amicalement. Monique
Merci beaucoup! Happy spinning! 🧶💜😊