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Taklis
These small spindles come from India. The word takli
means spindle in Hindi, so “takli spindle” is a tautology,
much like “chai tea.” (The word chai means tea.)
They are small, lightweight, often made of metal, and
specially designed to spin cotton. They spin very fast,
efficiently inserting twist into short cotton fibers. Indian
taklis are made entirely of metal and have a specific
design, but many modern or Western interpretations
come in a variety of materials and styles.Russian Spindles
Russian spindles are lightweight and have a very short
spin time. Traditional Russian spindles tend to be even
lighter weight than many of the modern adaptations.
These heavier spindles are often made from solid woods
and might have a larger whorl than traditional styles.
Russian spindles spin very fast, despite needing moreflicking to maintain speed. I find that they spin better as
they fill with yarn.Phang Spindles
Pronounced “pong,” the phang is simple in shape; it
can be described as a stick with a bulge. They vary
a lot in how they spin: some need constant flicking,
whereas others have a more sustained spin. In general,
fatter phangs have a more sustained spin than thinner,
lighter phangs. The popular Bristlecone Goddess
spindles are phang-style spindles.Perfect Pairings: Exploring Fiber-Supported
Spindle Combinations
With a growing collection of supported spindle styles,
I decided to try a few fibers with different types of
spindles to find what worked well and what did not.
I encourage you to do your own experimentation inBristlecone Goddess phangs. Goddess spindles are so called
because they are carved in the shape of a female fi gure.Sukrita started by spinning cotton on several types of
Tibetan spindles.