Today we are Spinning yarn with a drop spindle! This is a fun and easy way to make your own handmade yarn. Drop spindles are relatively affordable and allow you the freedom to try spinning fiber anywhere you’d like without the pressure to get a spinning wheel. But be warned- once you start spinning you might love it so much you’ll want to invest in a wheel later down the line. Now with that being said let’s start!

First: Gather Your Supplies

To get started spinning with a drop spindle, you'll need a few things.

• Drop spindle - This is the tool you'll use to spin the yarn. Drop spindles come in a variety of materials, shapes, and weights. Start with a medium-weight spindle, around 1-2 oz. we have some that we love in our store. We'll put some links below for some that are good for beginners!

          Ashford Drop Spindle - A great student top whorl spindle with a fixed whorl and screw hook. Take this spindle with you wherever you go with ease! Affordable and Great for supplying to students who are wanting to learn how to spin on a drop spindle!

         Kromski Drop Spindle - Top whorl spindles are excellent for beginners and for general purpose spindle spinning.  Available in walnut, clear, mahogany and unfinished.

• Fiber - This is what you will use to spin the yarn. There are a lot of different options, colors and types but some Common fibers include wool, alpaca, cotton, and silk. You can find prepared fiber like roving or top to make it easier for beginners. We'll link some of our faves below!  

         Nube Fiber Braids- Malabrigo Nubes are 4oz braids of ultra-soft hand-dyed unspun merino top perfect for learning to spin! And lots of fun colors to get you inspired!

That’s it! Once you gather those two things we can go ahead and start spinning your fiber into beautiful, usable yarn. 

Prepare the Fiber

Before you start spinning, you'll need to prepare your fiber. To start preparing it you just take a small amount of fiber, about the size of a tennis ball, and gently pull it apart to create a loose, fluffy pile. This is called "drafting" the fiber. It should be nice and loose! 

Attach the Fiber to the Spindle

Hold the prepared fiber in your non-dominant hand, pinching it lightly between your thumb and forefinger. With your dominant hand, take the spindle and give it a gentle spin to get it rotating. As it spins, use your thumb and forefinger to gently draw out a small amount of the fiber, allowing it to twist into the beginning of your yarn.

Spin the Yarn

With the fiber attached, continue to spin the spindle, using your non-dominant hand to gently feed more fiber into the twist. As the yarn grows, you can wind it around the shaft of the spindle to store it.

The key is to keep a consistent, gentle tension on the fiber as you spin. Don't pull too hard or the yarn will break. Add twist until the yarn has the thickness and twist you desire. This is where you have more creative freedom into what size yarn you would like and how twisted! Try out different sizes and see what you prefer. Don’t be afraid to play around with it! 

Finishing the Yarn

When you've spun as much yarn as you'd like, carefully remove the finished yarn from the spindle. You can then wind it into a loose ball or skein. 

And that's the basics of spinning yarn with a drop spindle! With a little practice, you'll be creating beautiful, customized yarn in no time. Just keep trying different techniques and colors and you’ll be sure to have fun usable yarn in no time that you spun all on your own!

Happy Spinning!

If you'd like a more in depth video to learn how to use a spindle we also made a fun Youtube video! Feel free to check that out for all the useful tips and tricks to get started.