Spin-Off – September 2019

Fall 2019 • Spin Off 83

30 minutes. I don’t know about you, but my shoulders

would protest quickly. The ideal position is to relax

your arms at your side with about a 90-degree angle at

the elbows. For most of us, this will mean that while

spinning with a short draw, our hands are somewhere

over our laps. Some spinners even rest their hands in

their lap or on a pillow in their lap when they spin. Give

this a try; your shoulders will thank you.

Spinning Position

Poor sitting posture can cause a myriad of problems,

from back, shoulder, neck, or leg pain to headaches or

even fatigue and restlessness. Poor posture puts pressure

on joints, ligaments, and spinal discs that can cause

injury over time.

The most popular, but worst, sitting position

is a slumped position that places weight on the

tailbone (A). Note that the pelvis is rotated backward.

In this position, there is a great deal of stress on

the vertebrae that over time can cause pain and

possibly disc herniations. If you already have a disc

herniation, you should avoid this position altogether. A

slumped posture also causes a forward head position,

compressing the bones at the back of your neck. This

can cause the impingement of nerves, which can

ultimately produce pain or even tingling or numbness in

the arms or hands.

Conversely, if the lower back is hyperextended,

causing the pelvis to tilt too far forward, it may

create muscle fatigue and issues in the upper and

lower back fatigue (B). If you have issues such as

spinal stenosis or foraminal stenosis, this is definitely

not a position you should maintain for long periods

of time.

The optimal sitting position has the pelvis in

what’s called a neutral position (C)—not too far

Get a Grip!

Find more of Mary Egbert’s advice in Spin

Off Summer 2017. Illustrating 10 hand

stretches for handspinners, “Get a Grip” is

a quick guide for those of us who don’t fol-

low advice and spin for too long without

a break. Mary makes it easy to show our

spinning hands some love.

Looking for a Spinning Chair?

If you are looking for a custom-fi t spinning

chair, Mary suggests Walt Turpening. He

makes custom benches and chairs for weav-

ers and spinners using a measuring chart

to ensure that the chair meets your exact

needs. Read more about Walt on page 84.

forward (lower back hyperextended) and not too far

back (slumped position). To maintain this position,

place a small pillow or lumbar support pillow at the

small of your back to support your pelvis. It might

be even more comfortable if you place a bed pillow

lengthwise behind your upper back for further

support. This sitting position is optimal for tissue

and joint health and will allow you to spin more

comfortably.

Once you have adjusted your chair and posture,

you will enjoy spinning even more. Don’t forget to get

up every half hour to move and stretch, so you can

continue to spin with comfort for years to come. ●

Mary Egbert’s fiber journey started in 2005 with a herd of 25

alpacas. A physical therapist since 1995 and a natural-born

researcher, Mary’s quest to spin a balanced yarn resulted in

the development of the Eszee Twist Tool and Yarn Planner.

Mary is the owner of Camaj Fiber Arts and The Spinning

Box, and her YouTube channel, Camaj Fiber Arts, has over

100 videos sharing her techniques for prepping, dyeing,

and spinning fiber. She lives in sunny Florida with her

family and can often be found walking on the beach as the

sun comes up.

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