Showing posts with label pacific yew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pacific yew. Show all posts

Wednesday

New Top Whorl Drop Spindles


These beautiful handspinning tools were recently added to our Etsy shop.  The top whorl drop spindle on the left is a mini top whorl made from Pacific yew (the whorl) and walnut.  The top whorl drop spindle on the right has a myrtlewood whorl and a Brazilian cherry shaft.


Friday

Pacific Yew and Hickory Tibetan Support Spindle

This beautiful Tibetan support spindle weights 1.2 ounces (35 grams). The hickory shaft measures 11 1/2 inches in length, and the whorl, which is crafted from Pacific yew, measures about 1 3/4 inches in diameter.  Additional photos can be seen in our Etsy shop.

Dave checks all of his spindles for balance. Occasionally he finds a spindle whorl that has two different densities (and weights) of wood which can occur naturally, and cause the spindle to wobble. He carefully drills and insets just the right amount of brass rod as a counterbalance to evenly distribute the weight. He has decorated the resulting brass dot as a sun symbol, paying homage to the Navajo people who are famous for their fiber spinning and weaving skills.