Spin-Off – September 2019

(singke) #1

Fall 2019 • Spin Off 21


There are many types of low-whorl spindles, but I
prefer those with a plain shaft because I find that a hook
or other mechanism for securing the yarn actually slows
me down. A simple half hitch, once you have practiced
it and gotten used to it, secures the yarn just as well as,
if not better than, a more complicated solution. A half
hitch becomes second nature, and it can be secured on a
plain shaft without looking; this method does not take
my attention away from anything else I am doing. (If I
am using a spindle with a hook on the tip, I generally
have to glance to make sure I am securing the yarn well
and that it is catching properly.) I can tuck this simple
spindle away in a bag or basket without worrying it will
catch on anything, unlike some spindles that might be
more easily damaged, bent, or chipped.

Technique
I like to spin whenever I can, and I find a low-whorl
spindle the most versatile. I love spinning while
walking, and I can do this most easily with a low
whorl. Top-whorl spindles are incredibly useful, and
I appreciate the high rotation speed I can get from
a thigh roll (setting the spindle in motion by rolling
down the thigh). However, I spin with production in
mind and find it annoying to either bend slightly or
raise my leg to do a thigh roll as I walk. (You can use
a thigh roll on a low-whorl spindle, too, by the way.)
I find spinning with a high whorl without using
the thigh-roll method hard on my hands. It is much
easier for me to set a low-whorl spindle in motion
with a snapping motion at the top of the spindle,
palm facing down, than to twist a high-whorl at the
bottom of the shaft with my palm facing up.
Low-whorl spindles can also be used as supported
spindles, which adds to their versatility. Simply by
resting them on the floor, my leg, a bowl, whatever
I have at hand, I can use my drop spindle as a
supported spindle. I most often use this technique
either to draft a gossamer thread supporting the
weight of a spindle or to cram the last bit of fiber

Pukhu (Supported Spinning)
“This variation on spinning with a pushka
comes from the Acopia region to the south
of the city of Cusco. Rather than letting the
pushka drop in the air as they spin, spinners
sit on the ground and rest the base of the
pushka in a small ceramic bowl. While drop
spinning can be done standing or walking
about, pukhu is only done while sitting, as the
pushka must remain balanced in the contain-
er. If a ceramic bowl is not available, spinners
will use whatever is at hand, including bits of
terra-cotta roofi ng tiles. Pukhu is only used for
spinning and never for plying or over-spinning.
Spinners who become practiced at pukhu can
spin faster than with the drop-spinning meth-
od because they tire out less quickly in a seat-
ed position. Additionally, pukhu skips a step
of the process: half-hitches are unnecessary
in this technique, which means spinners can
work faster.”
—Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, Secrets of
Spinning, Weaving, and Knitting in the
Peruvian Highlands

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I can tuck this simple spindle away in a bag or basket without
worrying it will catch on anything, unlike some spindles that might be
more easily damaged, bent, or chipped.
Free download pdf