Fall 2019 • Spin Off 39
pairing fibers with support spindles; my experiences
are dependent on my own spinning style. You may find
that you have different results or preferences, and your
impressions are just as valid.
Cotton
I discovered a fascination for spinning cotton when I saw
a guild member and the owner of Spinners’ Cotton, Liz
Woods, spin on a takli at a local show. [Read more about
Spinners’ Cotton in “Spinning Cotton Down Under” by
Joan S. Ruane, Spin Off Spring 2019.] This fiber, which
once seemed intimidating to me, suddenly seemed within
reach. I didn’t immediately purchase a takli. Instead, I
first explored cotton on Tibetan support spindles.
I started by pairing my Dervish-style spindle with
ginned white cotton. The fiber makes a slubby textured
singles. I find it relatively forgiving to spin without
further preparation, as long as one is able to accept the
inevitable slubs. Initially, I found the spindle perfect for
my beginning-cotton-spinner adventure. The downside
was that, as the spindle filled up with fiber, it became
harder to spin.
Since I had difficulty with the weight of the spindle,
I switched to a lighter purse Tibetan. This time, I
selected natural green cotton top to spin. The long,
balanced spin made this spindle a pleasure to work with.
The green cotton, which is a challenging fiber to spin
due to a short staple length, felt like a breeze to spin on
this spindle. As the cop built up and the spindle became
heavier, I felt again that it was noticeably harder to spin.
I was able to spin 7 to 8 grams of cotton comfortably.
Unfortunately, when it came time to wind off the singles,
I found they broke a lot; I needed a faster spindle.
Finally, I tried two taklis from local makers. The
first is a wooden one from the Spindle Shop. It is very
lightweight and portable, weighing a mere 17 grams
and measuring 23 centimeters from tip to tip. I was
thrilled with how this beauty performed; it is a perfect
compromise between a traditional takli and a modern
spindle, enabling more yarn to fill on the spindle while
at the same time providing for ease of use.
The second takli, a small stone bead on a metal
shaft, is made by Luba Chambers of Handcrafted
Gifts. Contrasted with the wooden one, this spindle
is a bead style, thought to have originated in Africa.
It’s a wonderful little spinner, perfect for cotton. I used
natural brown cotton top, which spun up easily and
quickly, filling the little spindle.
Both taklis made cotton spinning appreciably faster
and easier. Although I’m pleased with how versatile the
Tibetans are, particularly for a beginning cotton spinner,
my taklis performed better. Both the quality of thread
produced and the ease of use made the taklis superior
tools in this case.
Yak
Tibetan spindles form the majority of my collection,
so I tried a quintessential Tibetan fiber: yak down. Yak
down is soft, feels warmer in the hands than wool, and
can be produced sustainably. I purchased a combed
top preparation with fibers that had about a one-inch
staple length. This preparation worked best when spun
over the fold, and I tried two spindles: a medium-size
Tibetan spindle and a Russian spindle.
On the Tibetan spindle, the yak was comfortable
to handle and spun smoothly and easily. The short,
slippery fibers in this preparation benefited from the
twist produced by this spindle’s long, sustained spin. On
the Russian spindle, it was a bit different. The constant
flicking meant that the process was not as smooth. I
Cotton spun on modern taklis. Yak down spun on a Russian spindle.