A drop spindle is a long shaft, usually made of wood, with a round whorl located towards the top or bottom. A drop spindle is used to make yarn from animal and plant fibers for knitting and weaving. A hook or groove is located on the whorl or shaft for wrapping the yarn in preparation for spinning.
Here are five different ways you can create your own drop spindle.
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1. DIY spindle out of recycled pieces
If you are starting out in drop spinning and aren’t sure you want to invest in materials to get started, try out this tutorial. Using pieces of recycling, you can create your own drop spindle with a little effort.
Using a pencil, bottle cap, and some string, you can set up a beginner drop spindle. The outcome is not as nice and doesn’t work quite as well as a wooden drop spindle, but it will get you started.
2. CD drop spindle
Another quick and easy way to make your own drop spindle is to use an old CD, a dowel, and a screw hook. Put the CD over the dowel and secure it in place with rubber bands. Screw the hook into one end of the dowel. And that’s your drop spindle ready to go!
3. Wooden wheel drop spindle
Make this wooden drop spindle using pieces from a craft store. You can also find these pieces online.
Using a wooden wheel, a dowel, and a screw hook. This is another simple beginner drop spindle.
4. Polymer clay whorl spindle
Polymer clay is a poly clay that can be baked in the oven to create plastic-like pieces.
Use polymer clay to form the disc or whorl for your drop spindle. Place this on a dowel and add a hook to the dowel end.
For full instructions on how to make this drop spindle, see the Instructables tutorial.
5. Wood turned drop spindle
By far, this drop spindle requires the most skill, equipment, and experience. Creating a wood-turned drop spindle produces one of the most professional-looking drop spindles out of this collection of DIY tutorials.
I am not a wood-turner, and this is beyond my maker skills, but I find the process fascinating. Check out this cool YouTube video following the process this artist takes to create a beautifully wood-turned drop spindle.
If you prefer to buy a drop spindle, The Woolery offers a wide variety of options.
