What's on the Spindles?

January 2012 edition!

Well this post is a case of exactly what it says on the tin. This is a check in of what I currently have on the go at the moment. As we speak I have two of the six spindles I own in use. I am trying not to load the other four. I already have too many projects on the go one way or another! But what crafter doesn't have a tonne of things to hop between depending on what pricks their interest? 

So, spindle number one:

This is my tiny glass whorled spindle that the Royal Mail hoarded over Christmas. Bad postal service, no cookie for you! Yes it had to come from the US, and yes there was Christmas in between, but items ordered nearly three weeks later from the US arrived first!

Anyway, all that aside! The spindle is from Butterfly Girl Designs. It weights just 25g, and the whorl is teeny, but because of it, it spins like a little demon! Which of course makes it perfect for the silk I am spinning. Its a space dyed silk brick from MandaCrafts. This is a long term slow project for me, seeing as I have a lot of silk and am spinning fine. So I do a handful now and then, and eventually I will have lovely yarn! Not sure whether to self ply it or not. I suppose I will make a decision when the time comes.

I find silk hard on the hands, but sooooo worth it for the lustre and shine, and it is so very soft too.

Spindle number 2:

This spindle is what I spent my Christmas money on. It was relatively inexpensive in the terms of a good quality spindle actually. Its hand turned by TexasJeans and a lovely addition to my collection. A purpleheart whorl with maple burl in lay and a flamed maple shaft weighing 36g. Speaking of which, its an astonishingly long shaft, which I love, and a fab spinner.

The fibre is one I won in the Tour de Fleece last year. Aptly the colour is named Paris! Its a beautiful BlueFaced Leicester/Silk blend from Wildcraft, and admittedly had I seen it in a shop, I probably would not have gone for it. But that's because I am drawn to the same things over and over, and rarely hop out of my comfort zone. But it is exceedingly lovely, and I really am enjoying spinning it. I am glad it has made me jump out of my comfort zone. The water over here is pretty nice! 

 

I have split the roving lengthways and will be two plying this one. I am letting it spin itself. It will tell me what it wants to be after that. 

I will confess that I have two Wildcraft resin whorl spindles too, that are generally my workhorses. I just happen to be playing with the new toys at the moment!

So that's it for this round up. What have you got on the go if you spin? Till next post!