What makes a good drop spindle?
Youll discover that in spinning there are no rules, but we can offer guidelines. (If you fall in love with a drop spindle that doesnt exactly fit our description, its probably perfect for you anyway.) Drop spindle weight depends on the type of yarn you want to spin heavy yarn, heavy spindle. A drop spindle that weighs more than 4 ounces (the weight of a medium- sized apple) is too heavy for general use. And hold off on the 1/2-ounce drop spindle (with a whole walnuts amount of gravity) until you have some experience. Look for a weight between 11/2 and 21/2 ounces (with the heft of an apricot or a plum). Balance is essential. The location of the whorl on the shaft affects the drop spindles balance, as does the shape of the whorl itself. Check a bottom-whorl spindle by resting its tip on a non-abrasive surface (like your leg) and giving it a twirl; let your fingers flick the shaft so it spins, and then make a circle of your fingers so the spindle can rotate freely but remains upright. To
