Tahkli Spindle

karenokupniak wrote

on Jun 23, 2010 7:52 AM

I'm new to spinning and, oddly enough, not a big fan of wool.  I love cleaning/teasing/carding and spinning it, but not weaving/wearing or using it.  So I thought I'd try spinning cotton.  Any thoughts on a Tahkli or supported spindle vs using my wheel?

Any input greatly appreciated.

Karen

L Tyler wrote

on Jun 24, 2010 8:32 AM

Hi, I've spun cotton both ways, happily. The wheel is quicker, of course, but the tahkli is very portable, & not expensive. Under $20 (or you can make a support spindle with a piece of small dowel, tape, & a donut bead or toy wooden wheel!) , & you can use an old teacup for a support bowl. Why not try both & see what you prefer? On the spindle, you usually spin cotton by "spin, then park & draft" which is pretty restful. There were a couple excellent how-to articles on Spindlicity.com about using support spindles & making your own bead (support ) spindle, plus there are some articles in SpinOff. On the wheel, use a reasonably high ratio & light draw-in so you get enough twist & the yarn doesn't pull apart. Cotton is generally spun fairly fine because of the short staple length. Go for it!

By the way,  the striped cotton roving is particularly fun to spin!                           LT