Some Resources
I had an ask about some drop-spinning resources and I ended up writing 2 pages on it, so I figured, since I already had it all written up, I might as well post it as well.
I’m going to apologize now, because this is going to be a VERY long answer. I also apologize because I reference The Woolry a lot and they are a US based store….If you aren’t based in the United States, I apologize. I don’t generally shop for fiber outside of the US, just because international shipping costs, and as such, can not give advice on the quality or whereabouts of local-ish fiber shops.
As for what to do for purchasing supplies, you kinda have two options:
The two places I suggest looking to buy are either Etsy or The Woolry. Both places have a options, but Etsy being essentially “crafty Amazon”, where it is a collection of sellers using one platform/site, it has A LOT more choices than The Woolry, but, the Woolry is a store that specializes in fiber arts and are, overall, is a great store to shop. Either way, you have two choices from either site: you can get a kit or buy separately. Most of the kits I have seen do not come with “name brand spindles” so I can’t attest to the quality of the drop spindle but in general, kits tend to be the cheaper route and can be a great starting point.
The other way is to buy a drop spindle and fiber separately. If you would prefer to go this route, I suggest any of these brands a I find them to be reliably of good quality and not stupidly expensive: Louet (https://woolery.com/louet-high-whorl-spindle.html), Kromski
(https://woolery.com/kromski-drop-spindles.html), Ashford (https://woolery.com/ashford-student-drop-spindle.html), or Snyder (https://www.etsy.com/listing/546383905/medium-weight-mahogany-steampunk-gear?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=drop+spindle&ref=sr_gallery-1-4&organic_search_click=1&cns=1). (I used mostly Woolry links but you can find Louet, Kromski, and Ashford spindles on Etsy if you want, the Woolry is just easier to navigate). I highly suggest a top whorl as I find that most people find the top whorl spindles easier to master at first. In general, a good student/beginner spindle weights 2-3oz. As for what to spin, do not, for the love of Athena, get silk or cellulose fibers or synthetic fibers. Plant/cellulose based fibers are much more difficult to spin then protein based fibers because they do not have any “grip” or “tooth” - because of the cell structure of plants, the surface is smooth where protein based fibers are scaled on the surface, allowing the fiber to grip together. Synthetic fibers are much like cellulose in that they tend to be smoother and harder to spin (and in some cases, are meant to be blended with other fibers, not spun alone). Silk is one of those “it’s technically a protein fiber (because of it’s cell structure) but it spins like a cellulose fiber”. TLDR: please just get wool, it will be much easier to learn.
Now, not to confuse you too much, I’m just going to say: for a beginner, I suggest getting roving (or, as some people call it “top” or “top roving”). There are multiple different ways to prepare fiber and there is a lot of names and I could literally write a whole dissertation-length paper on the differences with a lot of technical terms, and if you really want that, I’ll throw it up in a separate post. For know, top roving is the short answer.
Wool breeds: for simplicity and for time, I suggest either: merino, BFL (blue face Leicester), or polwarth. I have seen a lot of debate over which breed of the 1000s of wool breeds is best for beginners to learn, and honestly, I don’t think there is one, perfect answer. Mostly, I suggest either one of those three because they are of the easier breeds to spin because of fiber staple (the length of the fiber) and the toothyness of the fiber (this is technically called the micron count of the fiber) generally leaves it soft to the touch but still easy to spin. The Woolry has some good plain wool to purchase but most of it is undyed - which is cheaper. They sell it in 8oz braids (which, btw, is twice what you get for a “standard” braid of top roving - always look at the weight). But some people find plain, undyed wool boring to spin so…..I have a color dyers I recommend:
Wonderland Dyeworks (currently closed but her fiber braids???? I absolutely love them, she is one of the first booths I shop at when I go to Stitches West) (https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderlandDyeworks)
Three Waters Farm (https://www.etsy.com/shop/threewatersfarm)
Greenwood Fiber Works (https://greenwoodfiberworks.com/collections/hand-dyed-roving-1/merino)
As for resources for spinning, my all time favorite books for handspinning:
Spinning in the Old Way: (https://www.amazon.com/Spinning-Old-Way-High-Whorl-Handspindle-ebook/dp/B002I5E42K/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spinning+in+the+old+way&qid=1590422946&sr=8-1)
And Respect the Spindle
(https://www.amazon.com/Respect-Spindle-Infinite-Yarns-Amazing/dp/1596681551/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=respect+the+spindle&qid=1590423239&sr=8-1)
As for a youtube video, this one does a great job at showing how to get started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrZcr7_qXFY
I think that covers everything - if you have any further questions, feel free to send me another message!
