How to buy and use a drop spindle: a 7 step guide

A drop spindle is the cheapest way to try spinning. A shaft, a whorl, a hook, that is all.

Even so, many people give up early on. Usually for one of two reasons: the wrong spindle, or nobody showed them how it works.

In this guide I explain what to look for when you buy one and how to spin your first yarn in seven steps. Along the way you get tips from Vanessa, who leads our spinning courses and has taught a great many spinners their first metres of yarn.

Buying a drop spindle: what really matters

At first glance all drop spindles look alike. But as soon as you spin, you can feel whether a spindle runs well. Four points matter.

Top whorl or bottom whorl

The whorl is the disc that gives the spindle its momentum.

• Top whorl: the whorl sits at the top, just below the hook.
• Bottom whorl: the whorl sits at the bottom, and the yarn is held at the top of the shaft with a half hitch.

You can spin good yarn with either. To start with, I recommend a top whorl spindle. It is easy to flick with your fingers, spins fast, and you wind the yarn on below the whorl, where it stays out of the way.

Bottom whorl spindles spin a little more slowly and are often rolled along the thigh to start them. Many historic European spindles are built this way. If you are curious later on, give one a try. For your first metres, a top whorl is easier.

Weight

For me this is the most important point. A spindle needs weight so that it spins and, above all, keeps spinning. If it is too light, it stops after a few turns or even spins backwards, and your yarn falls apart.

• 60 to 100 g: right for beginners. With it you spin medium yarns, the kind you use for knitting.
• Under 30 g: made for fine yarns, needs practice.

Material

Do not buy a cheap plastic spindle. I have often seen someone start with one and then decide spinning was not for them, when the tool was the real problem.

A good wooden spindle is well balanced, runs smoothly and does not wobble. Also check that the hook is smooth so the yarn does not catch on it.

Our recommendation

I really like Kromski drop spindles. They are a little heavier, run smoothly and are a pleasure to work with.

The Kromski drop spindle is a wooden top whorl spindle:

• 30.5 cm long, 85 g, whorl 10 cm in diameter
• unfinished €12.50, clear lacquered, walnut or mahogany €14, in colour €17

Over the last twelve months we sold 69 Kromski drop spindles. The unfinished version was the most popular, with 23 sold. It is also the spindle I recommend to beginners.

If you want wool to start with right away, go for the Kromski drop spindle set from €38.50: one spindle, 113 g of merino wool, a leader and instructions. The drop spindle set Deluxe from €60 also comes with a small niddy noddy for winding your yarn into a skein.

How to use a drop spindle in 7 steps

Before you start, an honest word: I have never really warmed to the drop spindle and prefer to sit at a wheel. Vanessa also finds the spindle harder.

The tricky part is the flow. How long do you let the spindle turn? When do you let the twist run into the fibres? You only learn that by repeating it.

But the spindle has one advantage Vanessa likes to point out: the yarn does not break as easily as on a wheel. You have time.

Step 1: Prepare the fibre

Split your combed top lengthwise into narrow strips, about as thick as your thumb. Gently pull each strip apart a little to loosen the fibres.

Vanessa suggests starting with a slightly sticky wool that has not been fully washed yet. The remaining lanolin helps the fibres hold together better. Save very smooth, slippery fibres like silk or superfine merino for later.

Step 2: Attach a leader

Take a piece of sturdy wool yarn about 50 cm long. Tie it to the shaft below the whorl, wrap it around the shaft a few times, bring it up over the edge of the whorl and hook it into the hook.

Fan out the free end a little and lay it over the tip of your fibres so that they overlap by a few centimetres.

Step 3: Set the spindle spinning

Hold the leader and the fibres in one hand. With the other, twist the shaft above the whorl firmly clockwise. Remember the direction and stick to it.

The twist now runs into the overlap and joins the leader and the fibres.

Step 4: Park and draft

Park and draft is a tried and tested method for beginners. As soon as the spindle has made a few turns, stop it, for example between your knees. Now both hands are free.

• Your back hand holds the fibre supply loosely.
• Your front hand pinches the yarn just below it so the twist cannot travel further.
• Then draft out a section of fibre with your back hand, about a hand's width.

Step 5: Let the twist run up

Open your front hand. The twist travels into the drafted fibres and turns them into yarn. Once that section is firm enough, draft the next one.

If the spindle slows down, spin it again before it stops. Over time you will let the spindle hang and turn freely while you draft. That is true drop spindle spinning.

Step 6: Wind on

When the yarn is so long that the spindle almost touches the floor, take it off the hook and the whorl.

Wind the yarn around the shaft below the whorl, ideally in a cone shape that is thicker towards the middle. Leave about 30 cm free, bring it back over the whorl and into the hook.

Step 7: Keep going and join

Now it starts again: spin, park, draft, let the twist run.

When your strip of fibre runs out, fan out the end of the old strip and the start of a new one and overlap them by a few centimetres. Let the twist run in, and the two join without a knot.

Expect your first metres to be thick and thin. That is part of it. Many spinners love that first uneven yarn the most.

Typical drop spindle mistakes

Holding the fibres too tight. According to Vanessa, this is the most common mistake of all. If your back hand grips the fibre supply too firmly, the fibres cannot be drafted evenly.

Too much twist then goes into too few fibres, and the yarn becomes uneven and wiry. Hold the fibres as gently as if you had a small bird in your hand.

The spindle spins backwards. If you are not careful, the spindle stops and turns the other way. The twist runs back out of the yarn and it falls apart. Stop the spindle before it comes to rest, or spin it again in time.

Too much twist. If the yarn curls into little kinks as soon as it hangs loose, there was too much twist. Draft out a little more fibre for the next section, or do not let the spindle spin as long.

Too little twist. If the yarn drifts apart when you pull on it, it lacks twist. Let it run longer before you draft again.

A spindle that is too light. If you constantly have to spin it again, it is often not you but the spindle. With 60 to 100 g, things are much easier at the start.

What else you need besides the spindle

Not much. Vanessa puts it this way: apart from the spindle, all you really need is a niddy noddy. And of course some wool to practise with.

• Wool: the Kromski drop spindle set and the drop spindle set Deluxe both already include 113 g of merino wool. You will find more fibre in our Fibers and Colors for Spinning category. Which fibres suit what is explained in Spinning materials overview.
• Niddy noddy: with the Kromski niddy noddy from €15 you wind the finished yarn off the spindle into a skein. That way you can wash it to set the twist and measure its length.

Over the last twelve months, the niddy noddy was actually our best selling item overall. You will need it later at the wheel too.

What comes next: spinning course and wheel

Many people start with a spindle because it is inexpensive. I think that is the right call.

But in our spinning courses I notice again and again that almost everyone has already tried a drop spindle at home. In the course they really learn the flow, and at the end most of them choose a spinning wheel because it is faster. You can find the current dates on our spinning courses page.

Whether you should start with a spindle at all is something I explain in detail in Drop spindle or spinning wheel: where to start?. If it is going to be a wheel, read Spinning wheel for beginners: 6 models compared and our page Which spinning wheel is right for me?

Frequently asked questions

Which drop spindle is good for beginners?
A wooden top whorl spindle weighing 60 to 100 g. It spins long enough for you to draft at your own pace. Our best selling beginner spindle is the 85 g Kromski drop spindle in unfinished wood for €12.50.

Top whorl or bottom whorl: which is better?
Both spin good yarn. A top whorl is easier to start and spins faster, so it is simpler for beginners. A bottom whorl spins more calmly and is more of a next step.

Which wool is best for learning to spin?
A medium fine, grippy wool as combed top. Vanessa recommends wool that has not been fully washed and still feels slightly sticky, because the fibres hold together better. Slippery fibres like silk are hard at the start.

Why is my yarn so uneven?
Usually you are holding the fibres too tight. Then they cannot be drafted evenly, and the twist gathers in the thin spots. Holding more loosely, drafting smaller sections and parking the spindle all help.

How long does it take to learn the drop spindle?
Most people manage a first yarn in an afternoon. Until the flow feels natural and the yarn becomes even, expect a few weeks of practice. A spinning course speeds this up a lot.