42 Spin Off • http://www.interweave.com
I love spindle spinning, but many of my first
attempts to ply singles off my spindles resulted in
frustration. Over the years, I have tried a variety of
approaches, some with more success than others. My
favorite method uses a tensioned spindle kate that I
make from a shoebox and a handful of other supplies.
This type of kate works for a top-whorl suspended
spindle with a hook at the tip, and it allows me to
leave the singles in cop form on the spindle—no
rewinding needed. However, this kate design does
require that you own multiple spindles; I’ve not
found this to be a hardship.By Karen WilliamsPhotos^ by^ TimJanneck^unless^ otherwiseindicatedCompleted kate ready for plying.What You’ll Need
The key to this DIY spindle kate is fishing swivels. I
use swivels to suspend the spindles, allowing them to
spin freely as the singles unwind from the cop. The
shafts of the spindles below the cop are placed in a
twisted yarn loop. This prevents the spindles from
swinging like pendulums and provides adjustable
tension to reduce backspin.
Not only does this device work well, but it is easy
and cheap to make. It can be easily adapted to the
supplies at hand while you are traveling or fine-tuned
for different spindles at home.Simple Spindle Kate