DIY yarn blocker

A real fiber find: An inexpensive and easy-to-store tool.

I like to work with light-weight yarns so I've been focusing on spinning single ply yarns. To set the twist to achieve a fairly balanced yarn, that is, one that maintains as little twist and doesn't want to twist back on itself, I've jerry-rigged a clothes line with weighted rods. For the most part, it worked, but it was how most jerry-rigged fixes are.

I hadn't considered making or buying anything more until I spied the pile of PVC pipes and connectors someone (Thank you, whoever you are!) had brought to the guild meeting. (Most guilds recycle equipment among its members for free, for sale or for a donation to the guild.) This was something I needed!

An instruction sheet accompanied the pieces and is attributed to Vonne Grunza who calls it a Yarn Blocker/Display Rack. I don't know if--or even how--she sold these and have been unable to locate her to ask. Whatever, it's a clever design--inexpensive, easy to make and  breaks down to store. Mine came in a long, narrow cotton bag and takes little space.

Last week's blog, which focused on my dyeing, brought a comment from Boud, who said, "That rack looks like something I would build from PVC pipe and connectors! To go with my niddy noddy and embroidery frame made that way!"

And she's absolutely right! A few pieces of 3/4 inch PVC plastic pipe and some connectors is all that's necessary. I made a couple modifications to the original plan by adding a crossbar to the base and a bit of glue to a few of the joints to add stability. (Thanks to M. for directing operations!) Most hardware stores have all the pieces. If you can't find pre-cut lengths, borrow or buy a PVC pipe cutter.

Do it yourself yarn blocker

Materials

• PVC plastic pipe, 3/4 inch. 
• Two 4:-ft lengths
• Three 2-ft lengths
• Four 1-ft lengths
• Connectors (Numbered parts correspond to numbers on diagram)
• (1) Four elbow connectors, 3/4"(upper crossbar and lower back crossbar)
• (2) Two T-connectors, 3/4" (Connects two 1-ft lengths for sides of base)
• (3) Two T-connectors, 1" arms/ 3/4" single (Larger 1" opening slides over the upright pipe.)
• (4) Two 3/4" caps or in-line connectors (Stabilizes front of base)
• PVC plastic glue, clear

1. Glue is optional, but adds stability and when applied to only a few places, the blocker still breaks down for convenient storage. (Numbers and arrows point to glue points.)
1. (G1) Glue elbows to each end of two of the 2-ft pipes. (Upper and back base crossbars)
2. (G2) Glue ends of remaining 2-ft pipe into the 3/4" opening in the larger T-Connector. (Sliding crossbar)
3. (G3) Glue one end of each 1-ft pipes into each of the 3/4" T-connector ends.  Make two. (Side bases)
4. (G4) Glue a cap on one end of each side base. (Stabilizes base)

Yarn blocker parts and assembly diagram

To assemble:

1. Connect a 2-ft length crossbar to each back end of the side bases.
2. Insert a 4-ft pipe upright into each of the two T-connectors in the middle of the side bases.
3. Put the upper crossbar and the sliding crossbar through yarn skein(s), slide the sliding crossbar onto both uprights and connect the upper crossbar.
4. Weight the sliding crossbar as desired.

Spinning to dye for

After building up a sizable basket of handspun, it was time to dye. 

Most of my dyeing experience has been with natural dyes and I do love them--from the collecting through recycling nature's color-laden gifts to the lovely, soft colors. 

I've done my share of roadside collecting, but two things have spurred me to consider dye alternatives. One, most free and readily available dyestuffs--marigolds, walnut hulls, onion skins, etc.-- result in colors that dominate the yellow end of the color chart. And two, it may be fun, but it takes time. Precious time. 

As I'm focused primarily on wool fibers, I've puttered a bit with acid dyes but it's effect on the environment has been an ongoing concern. We live in a beautiful but fragile ecosystem--the Pinelands of New Jersey. We also have a septic system. 

Seeking a greener alternative

Dyed skeins drying

At the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival last month, I came across Greener Shades dyes offered by Still River Mill in Eastford, Conn. As advertised, "Greener Shades is a non-hazardous, non-chrome, low impact, heavy metal-free acid dye for use on silk, wool, nylon, or any animal fiber. 

Formulated without the use of hazardous metals, these dyes provides superior light and wash fastness without relying on metal compounds to achieve bright and beautiful colors."

It seemed worth a try so I bought a starter kit. Then I proceeded to gather the tools and equipment needed to dye. My old stainless steel dyepot was long gone (It had been appropriated to make beer!). It's been replaced thanks to New Jersey Guild of Spinners and Weavers member Pat, who alerted guild members to cheap pots at a local discount store. pH paper was harder to come by--at least locally. After trips to four pharmacies and one medical supply store, I ordered it online, along with an inexpensive thermometer and citric acid. Oh, I also bought a burner.

Directions to use the Greener Shades dyes are simple, but I still needed to get into the rhythm of doing it. Perhaps most surprising to me was to discover that our well water is pH neutral! These dyes require an acidic pH of 4.5. Citric acid does the trick.

I dyed several batches over the weekend with depth of shade ratios ranging from 0.5% to 1% and played a little. That lovely soft mauve came from throwing a skein into the pot before all the amethyst dye had been discharged. It's the skein on the right in the photo and I like the effect.

Thanks also to the kind soul at the recent New Jersey Guild meeting who offered the yarn drying rack for a donation to the guild. It's perfect and I promise to share details about it (Click here for details.)

Lacey compromise

Lace shawl No. 1

About 50 more yards would have been better

I thought I had plenty, but those outside edges gobbled even more yarn that I'd estimated. About 20 rows from the planned end, I could see the yarn disappearing too quickly. I measured and estimated whether or not I'd have enough yarn.* But I was overly optimistic.

Even after cutting the number of rows I found myself facing the yarn's end about halfway through bind-off. I backed up, tinked a couple rows and bound off again. 

OK. I compromised on the bind-off, using less than I should have and getting a less-than ideal edging. After all those yarn-overs, knit-two-togethers and double decreases, there are no gorgeous points on the outer edge. A disappointment, to be sure, but if I didn't confess, it might appear that I planned it that way.

Triangular lace scarf

Working down the stash mountain

In my stash was one skein of Pepperberry lace weight cashmere yarn, which I had purchased at Vogue Knitting Live 2015. The intent was to make a smallish triangular scarf  that could be worn as an accessory at the neck. The skein  had 366 yards, which seemed enough for the small size I planned. And it certainly might have been.

However, I used this scarf to work through an evolving design idea that involved multiple pattern transitions. So it wasn't one that worked especially well with planning ahead.

Overall, I'm pleased with the result. I made copious notes so, after I organize them and incorporate my changes, I will update the pattern to make it easy to follow. Then I  want to knit the design with my single ply homespun. 

When I have something to share, you'll see it here first.

*How I estimated yarn needed for completion: 

I measured about four yards of as-yet-unknit yarn from the needles and made a small slip knot. I knit one row in pattern. Depending on how much was left of the measured yardage (or needed to be added), I added a factor of 10 percent and multiplied the result by the rows yet to knit. 
Formula: [Measured yards + 10%] x Number of rows remaining in pattern.

When good projects go bad

When tension and color differ

The good, the bad and the ugly

What my mind envisions in a project is not always how it turns out. A recent project combined all the wrong elements to result in a truly ugly item. I had seen the pattern for a cute shrug pattern that was cleverly constructed. It was knit in one piece and sewn together somewhat like a fortune cookie. 

I couldn't wrap my head around 'how,' so I bought the pattern with plans to knit it up with some yarn I had in my stash, Araucania Ruca. Made from sugar cane, the yarn is soft with a sheen reminiscent of silk. Nice to touch. Bad choice.

Shrug, back view. 
Note color variation and extreme sag.

I knit and knit and knit....It was a boring project IMHO....ribs and short rows that seemed to go on forever along a  long curved rectangle. I found it a slog, but still looked forward to sewing it together.

But when I did, I  hated it. I still hate it. It is ugly. And it is all my fault. 

The pattern was not the problem. The problem was me. I introduced too many variables and ruined it.

My choice of yarn was the main 'hate.' Although it looked good in a skein, its drapey quality knitted up into a saggy, sloppy-looking garment. In addition, the color variation skein-to-skein was too great. When  the beginning side of the rectangle was sewn to the side of the end of the piece, the color difference shouts. In the photo above and at right, the beginning of the rectangle is on the left. The end is on the right

Oh, there was another problem and, again, it was all my doing. My tension from beginning to end varied. (I confess: I was bored and put the project down far too often.) The variation in tension is distinctly visible in the photo. 

Taken together, the combination of tension difference, yarn with no memory and color variation and does not a pretty picture make.

Play it safe...or not

This shrug is only the last in a long line of misshapen and/or misfitting garments that have failed to live up to my expectations over the years. But as I see it, there is really only one absolute solution and that is to be safe. 

I can buy a pattern and knit it in the recommended yarn to be fairly confident of the outcome. But what's the fun in that? Where's the adventure? 

So, I can be safe or I can try different things. This means that I have to be willing to throw away the mishaps--no donations to charity!--and learn from them. If time is the only factor, I should have a trunk full of lessons learned and make nothing but perfect projects, but it doesn't work quite that way, does it?

I intend to keep trying new ways. I expect to throw some of them in the dustbin but some will be mistakes that lead me in new directions. 

Working with fiber is most rewarding when I can insert something of myself into the process. Whatever you call it the result--personal expression, originality or creativity--I can call it mine.

Book review: How to spin

Want to learn to spin but don't know where to start?

The soon to be released, How to Spin. From Choosing a Spinning Wheel to Making Yarn, by Beth Smith, would provide a good starting point. Story Publishing has positioned this book as a Storey BASICS Title and a basic inexpensive guide is exactly what it is. 

As a mostly self-taught spinner, I considered this book as I might have many years ago when I was a "wanna-be spinner" and then again, as an experienced spinner. 

There is a wealth of information in this well-organized book for beginners and spinners like me who didn't necessarily get all the fine points related to the craft. I found it a quick read from beginning to end and appreciated some new-found tips.

I particularly liked her chapter on finishing techniques as I think too many books focus on making the yarn and not enough on taking it to the final step of making it into a usable skein of yarn. 

There are excellent illustrations and step-by-step diagrams in the book, but the problem with learning a technique like spinning is that there is no substitute for watching someone spin. Recognizing that a book isn't the medium for this, the author points readers to YouTube videos for some techniques, especially those difficult explain. Hopefully, those videos will remain in place through the life of the book.

How to Spin. From Choosing a Spinning Wheel to Making Yarn, by Beth Smith, is a Storey BASICS Title from Story Publishing. The paperback edition is scheduled to be published March 8, 2016 for $9.95.

Two ways of thinking

What the right brain creates, the left brain must execute.

The Peacock's Gift.
Model: Lauren Valletutti. Photo: Maurice Marietti

My right brain bubbles with ideas for projects--scarves, jackets, sweaters, shawls--you name it. The thread is a major catalyst and often dictates the design. 

Threads on shelves and threads in my hand all but 'talk' to me--and keep up the 'talk' throughout the project. All that talk becomes notes of where the threads went and how. But even with a pretty well documented page or two of notes and sketches, I find transforming my notes into directions that others can easily follow requires an entirely different way of thinking. 

I need to turn off my right-brain thinking, which is  largely visual and wordless, to tap into the left-brain's strengths of logic, language and math. The transition is rarely seamless. Not for me, anyway.

Waterways cowl/scarf
Model: Lauren Valletutti. Photo: Maurice Marietti

The editor: a powerful ally

But that's why editors are so important and why all good writers value them. They are the people behind the byline, the ones who make writers look their best. 

Many years ago, I took a workshop with Ben Yagoda and one thing he said has stuck with me. He worried, he said, that editors weren't editing his work as aggressively as they did when he was an unknown writer.  

I have always been grateful to an editor's keen eye. As he or she picked apart pronouns and verb tenses, questioned details that seemed clear to me, and found niggling formatting issues that bedevil most written work, they always made me look better. 

I still crave an editor's oversight and the questions and corrections. Finalizing patterns for The Peacock's Gift' (above right) and 'Waterways' cowl (left) that I plan to release at the upcoming Garden State Sheep & Fiber Festival (next weekend!), I was hesitant to publish them, worried about possible errors, so I am especially thankful to Kris, an extraordinary knitter and designer and an editor with a sharp editorial eye. 

I hope I'll see you next weekend at the 21st annual Festival. Do stop by Winter's Past Farm  and say 'Hello!'

Speaking of spinning

Why spin yarn when you can buy it at the store? 

For much the same reason many people garden or sew or do any number of things that are readily available to buy, We do it for the joy of doing it. 

Spinning fiber is the same. Some of us learn to spin to better understand fiber and its properties and others because the pastime is peaceful and the spun yarn, rewarding. 

Kids are intrigued--and they love to try to make yarn, too. Spinning isn't a difficult skill to learn. Like all other crafts, doing it well takes practice. Lots of practice.

When the Navajo rug sparked my interest in learning to spin, it was the late 1960's and we lived in Ohio. No Internet to support research or speed my connection to resources. I was on my own.

Spinning wheel, c.mid-19th c.

My first wheel came from a barn. The Saxony wheel, circa 1850 or so, was a long-neglected and non-working family wheel that had been stored for years in the hay loft of the family's farm in Hilliard, Ohio. The owner had no interest in it and was happy to sell it.

The wheel needed a lot of restoration. M recalls that a prior owner had nailed a piece of wood to the edge of the wheel where it was damaged to keep the drive belt on and one of the maid uprights was missing. A major problem was the orifice, which was cracked and jagged where the original forge welding had failed. The distaff was also missing, but it was not important to me as I wasn't interested in spinning flax.

M, a very talented woodworker, restored the wheel. He found someone with a metal lathe to make a replacement for the broken orifice, turned a new maid upright, repaired the damaged wheel and replaced the leather bearings and the old, rusty and broken hooks on the flyer. It worked!

Next was wool. I was so green that I knew nothing about sheep breeds and certainly nothing about selecting an appropriate fleece for hand spinning. But that didn't slow me down. I made a trip to the nearby Ohio State Woolgrower's Association and went home with a fleece and a set of hand carders. (Looking back, I wonder where my brain was: If they were selling hand carders, might not they have known a hand spinner?)

I was seriously swamped in wool ignorance. Now I look back on the experience as an adventure in what not to do. First I opened my bag of fleece.....on the dining room table. That was not the smartest thing I've ever done. As you all know, I should have done this outside even if the fleece had been skirted. And it hadn't been. It was absolutely filthy. 

Ashford Traditional, c.1969

Armed with Elsa Davenport's book, "Your Handspinning," I had decided to spin in the grease, so after carding some wool, I got down to business. I sorta-kinda spun some yarn, but my best work seemed to be distributing bits of sheep dung on the wall behind the wheel. Really.

I learned to spin on that wheel--but not particularly well. And with small children, I eventually gave up on the fleece and sent it to an Amish carding mill, where it was made into batting for a quilt. 

I kept spinning and a couple years after acquiring the old wheel, my Christmas gift from M and my in-laws was an Ashford Traditional wheel. Accompanying it was a sheet with assembly instructions and a page entitled, "Home Spinning for Everyone." Scroll down to the bottom for a trip back to the 1960's. (Does the spinner's hairdo date it, or what?)

Recent twists on spinning

I spun over the years and even added a drum carder to my toolkit, but spinning, along with most of my fiber crafts, were relegated to lower priorities with increased responsibilities of a full-time job. 

When my daughter started her flock and was interested in learning to spin, the Ashford wheel moved to Winter's Past Farm. Kris is an excellent spinner and has been instrumental in my return to the wheel and in improving my spinning. So has M. As CWR (chief wheel researcher), he spends his time at the big sheep and wool shows researching equipment and encouraging me to replace the Tradition with an double drive Ashford Traveller. (It is a good wheel, but do not be misled by the name. It is not a good traveller.)

With a flock in the family, I found myself lusting after beautiful fleeces as they were shorn. Acquiring them was easy. Spinning it was another matter. My intentions were good, but my priorities weren't. When I (finally) retired in January, I had two fleeces--a Coopworth and a Tunis--and a rather large assortment of wool from other sheep breeds.

I made spinning a priority and I have vowed to spin all the wool by year-end. I set up a spinning 'station' in our main living space, which makes it easy to sit down and spin for 15 minutes or so. Then, shortly after the new year, M surprised me with an Ashford Joy--a wheel that spins and travels well. And it really is a joy! 

Ashford Joy Spinning Wheel

I'm not sure I can make my self-imposed deadline. We're at the year's midway point now, and I can't/don't want to devote entire days to spinning. (So much else to do!) But I'm working on the stash--and making progress. 

Thanks to spinning instructors, including Mabel Ross, Nelda Davis and Amy Tyler, and to practice, my spinning continues to improve and my fleece stash is shrinking. 

Coopworth yarn, singles and 2-ply 

Next challenge: Design something and  use the yarn.

Ashford brochure, c. 1970

Time travel in Kilbarchan

The Weaver's Cottage imparts a proud history of people and their craft

The Weaver's Cottage, Kilbarchan

Glasgow had long been on my bucket list and although we traveled extensively throughout the U.K. during the years we lived in London, we'd never been there. I wanted to see more  of the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh, but I was also interested in the area as it once was a major weaving center.

Call me a fiber art aficionado, a fiber geek, or just plain curious, I love well-crafted textiles. In addition to simply admiring them, I want to understand who made them and how they're made--whether they were made last week or 1,000 years ago. 

I own some wonderful textiles and love to wear them. Many were special gifts. Among them is an antique paisley shawl, which was surely made in Paisley and accompanied a Scot or English woman immigrating to America many years ago.

Paisley, the center of paisley shawl production, is near Glasgow, but that industry is long gone. However, a little further west in Kilbarchan the National Trust for Scotland has preserved a  The Weaver's Cottage much as it was 200 years ago.

There are plenty of period homes of the rich and famous, but few that offer as pure a view  into the lives of ordinary people as the Weaver's Cottage does. No kitsch. No sugar-coating. 

Some of the Cottage's tartan samples

The cottage was built in 1723 and lived in continuously until 1953. The National Trust acquired it the following next year. Some of the furnishings, including samplers, belonged to the family. The steep stairs and hollowed out floors bear witness to many footsteps over many years.

The loom, which is in the lower level, is not original to the house as the last resident had closed off the space allowing the loom to deteriorate beyond repair. In 1957, the loom of one of the last weavers in the village, William Meikle, was moved to the cottage. In the mid-20th century, Meikle wove most of the tartan samples in Cottage's collection, which fill many drawers like the one above.

Industrialization and market forces take a toll

Kilbarchan was the center of weaving for nearly 200 years. According to Weaver's Cottage history, the peak was in the 1830s when there were 800 handlooms in the community. When power looms in nearby towns undercut the Kilbarchan handweavers market, the weavers turned to plaids and tartans. Even so, by the 1930s, only 20 handlooms remained in the village.

The 200-year old loom in the Weaver's Cottage

Note the floor cut away for the treadles

I found the cottage remarkable. I appreciated the yarn-related equipment throughout the house--yarn swifts, skein winders, and spinning wheels, both big and small--but I loved the big, hulking, old four harness fly-shuttle loom. It isn't fancy, nor does it appear to be any more than what it is--a functional workhorse. The loom was made for production weaving and its owners used what was at hand to keep it in working order. I particularly liked the curling stone weights. 

The ceiling is low. To accommodate the loom, a space was dug in the floor to accommodate depressed treadles--a common practice for cellar looms.

I also enjoyed talking to Christine MacLeod, manager of the property, who provided a wealth of information. A Kilbarchan native, her primary interest is historical textiles. In the garden in back grows madder, dyer's greenweed, rhubarb, and woad, among others, for dyeing. And I envied her her job.

The day we visited, Ms. MacLeod had a Black Watch pattern on the loom. She is also is a designer. Her recently designed Battle of Bannockburn tartan commemorates the 700th anniversary of the battle and is a beauty. She uses Gardiner Yarns for her historical weaving. 

Teaching is also a function of the Weaver's Cottage, so a modern Louet loom is set up opposite the old loom for interested visitors to try their hand at weaving. That loom is set up with wool from New Lanark Wool & Textiles mill where the yarn is still spun in one of the historic mills from organic British wool by traditional methods. All proceeds from the sale of their yarns go toward care and development of the New Lanark World Heritage Site.

Unpretentious and personal

From the bedrooms to the garden to the loom room, this cottage does not aspire to greatness. And yet, 'great' is exactly how I would describe it--at least for me. It was a home of people--people with names and faces. In fact, at one time, it was three cottages. And It included a workroom that provided a living for families. It is as close to 'tasting the time' as I can get.

And there is another aspect to the visit that will stay with us. The volunteers at the property are not only informative and committed, they go beyond usual volunteerism. Thank you, David Baillie, for so kindly and graciously helping us get back to Glasgow. 

Warping board & woven items in the loom room

Finding the Stirling unicorn

Tapestry above the fireplace, Queen's Inner Hall, Stirling Castle

The Stirling Castle tapestries

The original itinerary to the cruise-that-didn't-happen included an excursion to Stirling Castle, which is about an hour by train from Edinburgh. The castle wasn't my primary goal. I wanted to see the set of seven  recently completed tapestries that now hang in the Queen’s Inner Hall in the Royal Palace. 

I appreciate tapestries much as I appreciate any great art. I've tried my hand and have woven tapestries, but I'm no tapestry weaver. There is a difference. A big difference.  

The Stirling Castle project is part of a master plan to furnish the castle as it would have been in the 16th century. Two inventories of goods--1539 and 1561--list two sets of "unicorne" tapestries belonging to James V of Scotland. After 1578, when the inventory lists only four pieces, the tapestries disappear from recorded history.

Tapestries, Queen's Inner Hall, Stirling Castle

The Stirling Castle tapestry project, which was commissioned by Historic Scotland and managed by West Dean College in West Sussex, tapped the college's West Dean Tapestry Studio and its master weavers. One of only a handful of remaining tapestry studios worldwide, the Studio specializes in using heritage techniques in contemporary design. 

I know of two remaining sets of unicorn tapestries--in Paris (Musée de Cluny) and in New York at the Cloisters Museum of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). Both are stunning and well worth a visit.

The project's leaders considered the Met's "Hunt of the Unicorn,"  ca. 1495 to 1505, "one of the most majestic surviving sets" and developed a collaborative working relationship with that museum to research medieval techniques, materials and colors. 

Tapestries, Queen's Inner Hall, Stirling Castle

The project launched in 2001 and two teams of three or four weavers began work in 2002. They wove in concurrently over 13 years. Nearly 20 weavers from Scotland, England, United States, Canada, Japan and Australia worked on the project, which was guided by West Dean's Master Weavers. The college-based team in the south of England completed the first three tapestries. The remaining four were woven in a purpose-built studio in the castle's Nether Bailey.

At the beginning, the task seemed enormous. The description of the path described by West Dean Studio Director Caron Penney captures the sense of remaining true to the historical essence while interpreting the scenes from an artistic perspective. She describes it as, 

Weaver at work (mock-up)

"akin to walking in virgin show with one track running through it. You set out not wanting to break into another path however stepping into another's footprints is quite hard. You need to tread your own path as best you can; eventually you find the confidence to break free and find your own route."

The materials and techniques

Materials. The tapestries are 90 percent wool with gold metallic threads and mercerized cotton also used in the weft. The warp is cotton. All the yarn was specially dyed at West Dean. 

Wool, weaving studio, Stirling Castle

Techniques. Using 16th century weaving techniques, the weavers used hatching, hachures, demi-duite, and slits--techniques not commonly used in current tapestry weaving. Like the originals, the tapestries were woven sideways.

Although the looms, tools, and most of the weaving materials and techniques were the same as those used in the 16th century, there are some differences between the Cloister tapestries and those woven for Stirling Castle.

• Warp ends per centimeter (epc). The Cloister tapestries have about seven epc. The project's tapestries are warped at four epc.
• Weft. The project substituted mercerized cotton, which is more durable and preserves its color better than the silk used in the Cloister tapestries.
• Color palette. The wool yarn was dyed using modern chemical dyes, whereas the yarns used in the historic tapestries would have been dyed with natural dyes from plants, invertebrates, or minerals.
• Weavers wove facing the front of the tapestry, rather than from the back as in traditional Gobelin weaving. 

This completed project is quite remarkable and well worth a trip to see the tapestries hung as they would have been. But if travel to Scotland is outside your plans, Stirling Castle and the West Dean Tapestry Studio have a wealth of information about the history, the techniques, and the weavers on their web sites.

Some weavers shared their favorite scenes, weaving studio, Stirling Castle

Make your own drop spindle

Drop spindle, side view

An inexpensive tool for spinning

Always wanted to try spinning but don't have a spinning wheel? Why not try a drop spindle? 

Early tools for spinning fiber, drop spindles continue to be used by many spinners in many cultures around the world today. They're portable and inexpensive and if storage is a challenge, they are very space efficient.

Although plenty of modern spinners flat out prefer the drop spindle for spinning, many wheel spinners value them for their portability. Drop spindles travel well. As for the yarn, some spinners favor them for spinning fine yarns. 

There are many drop spindles on the market today. They come in a wide range of materials and prices ranging from simple and inexpensive to beautiful handcrafted treasures. But because I'm often somewhat reluctant to invest in a new fiber tool until I think I'm going to like the craft, I suspect many others may also be.  

One way to find out if you'll like drop spinning is to make your own. The materials are inexpensive and readily available. Assembly is easy--only a few steps to a fully functioning drop spindle. 

I have one that was part of the welcome packet at North Country Spinners Fibre Fallout 2014. With full credit to the clever North Country Spinners who created this particular DIY drop spindle, it is simple enough for some reverse engineering. 

Materials:

• Two (2) CDs or DVDs (Used or new)
• One dowel, 3/8" diameter, cut to a 12 inch length.
• Fine grit sandpaper
• A rubber or vinyl gasket, 3/8 inch interior size to accommodate the dowel and fit the hole in the CD/DVD snugly
• A cup hook, 1/2 inch size
• An abrasion tool, such as a Dremel tool, to make a small half-round notch on the CD/DVDs.

Assembly

1. Lightly sand the cut ends and sides of the dowel to remove any rough edges.
2. Screw the cup hook into the center of one end of the dowel. 
3. Stack the two CDs/DVDs together.
4. Fit the rubber gasket into the hole in the CD/DVDs, making sure that the CD/DVDs fit into the gasket's grooves. 
5. Fit the dowel through the gasket's center hole. This should be a snug fit. My spindle's dowel extends slightly less than 1/4" above the gasket to the cup hook .
6. Make a small, smooth half-round notch with an abrasion tool. (See notch at right, below)

Drop spindle: Note the half-round notch at the bottom 

Drop spindle, closeup of fittings and hook

Voila! Now you have a drop spindle and you're ready to spin. What next? 

Ideally, find a spinner who can drop spindle or visit a drop spinning demonstration. Spinners are keen to share their love and frequently demonstrate at fiber shows around the country. Guilds such as the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Weavers and the North Country Spinners are good resources and often participate in local festivals to demonstrate and teach their craft. 

Not in the area? Find a local guild or check out your local yarn shop for direction. If all else fails, there are a number of videos online such as the YouTube video produced by Paradise Fibers.

Happy drop spinning!

A few of my favorite knitting tools

Management tools for threads and needles.

We all have our favorite tools for working. I always enjoy hearing about others' favorites, so I thought I'd start by sharing mine--and hope that you will share yours.

Stitch fixes

Knitting machine hook

This little tool at right has been my very favorite hand knitting sidekick for many years. It's a knitting machine tool but the hook end (seen here on the left) is perfect for picking up and manipulating stitches! No bigger than a small crochet hook, it's much more efficient in grabbing miscreant stitches in yarns of nearly all sizes.

I've wondered what I'd do should I lose it, but I am relieved to find options. I found quite a few listed on eBay--all tagged as for knitting machines. Perfect. I also found some other hooks with handles that would probably work well. 

Fix-a-stitch tool

Speaking of picking up dropped stitches, a tool made specifically for picking up pattern stitches beyond stockinette is the Fix-a-Stitch tool. I first saw it at Vogue Knitting Live in New York a couple of years ago and was impressed with the demo. I bought it and keep it in my tool box, but must confess that while I find the design brilliant, I'm not as impressed with the function or feel of the plastic hooks. If I loved them, I wouldn't begrudge the retail cost, which is about $15 for a set of three. (The manufacturing cost must be pennies.) I just wish the material were a little higher quality.

Protective wrap for yarn cake

Cake control

My freebie favorite is for yarn cakes, especially those where the outside end constantly seeks to mate with the working thread, which feeds from the middle of the cake. I've tried to control this with small plastic bags and project bags, but nothing controls the ends like protective wraps such as those used on produce and fruit for protection from bruising. Check the local produce aisle!

Double pointed needle management

I mostly knit with interchangeable circular needles, but still need double pointed needles for some projects. However, they have driven me crazy over the years. They're hard to store and almost always need a needle gauge before using. I've tried fabric cases and the two-part needle holder tubes for sock knitting. Both solutions helped manage the inherent needle messiness, but were less than perfect. 

After seeing a tweet about the recently released double pointed knitting (dpn) needle sorter and gauge tool from Handworkhardware, I jumped online to order one. I was not disappointed. IMHO, it is a triumph of design. The round cardboard storage container with screw-on lid includes a knitting needle gauge and sorter for small double pointed knitting needles (US 000-5/Metric 1.5-3.75mm). It's easy to put away needles and easy to retrieve them. And it provides space efficient storage.

Handworkhardware container

Here's how it works: The flat gauge on the top of the red plastic needle holder (just barely visible at right) is a knitting needle gauge tool. When putting away dpns, you drop the needles through the gauge hole to the storage section below for storage in pie-shaped sections. 

When ready to knit, pull up the internal storage unit to retrieve the needles you want to use. The unit doesn't come all the way out, so the needles don't fall out. They just gracefully 'flower' and enable you to select the ones you want. (The photo on their website shows the entire unit in more detail.)

Do you have a favorite knitting tool? Please share!