How to Make a Drop Spindle for Making Yarn
Spinning your own yarn is a great way to control everything about the yarn you will be knitting with. It takes a bit of practice to learn to produce good yarn, but the basic process is easy.
The first tool you need to spin yarn is a simple drop spindle. While commercial spindles are available, they are expensive. This simple spindle, made from things you can get at any craft store, will get you started and let you decide if spinning is for you.
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden toy wheel
- Wood dowel
- Fine-grade sandpaper
- Wood glue
- Saw
- Drill or hammer and small nail
- Small cup hook
- Acrylic paints
Instructions
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1
Cut the dowel, which should fit snugly in the wheel, into pieces 8 to 10 inches in length. Sand the wheel and a dowel section until they are smooth.
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2
Put a dab of wood glue on one end of the dowel. Insert the dowel into the wheel and wipe off any excess glue. Make sure the dowel is flush with the top of the wheel or extends up to 1/2 inch beyond. Let dry.
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3
Put a small hole in the center of the dowel at the end nearest the wheel. This is to guide the cup hook. You can do this by drilling a small hole or by hammering a small nail a short way into the dowel. Insert the cup hook by screwing it into the hole.
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4
If desired, paint your spindle with acrylic paints. Let dry.
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Tips & Warnings
This is a great project for children, and assembly and painting can be done by most children over the age of 4. This is a great project for the classroom.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by author
