A drop spindle consists of a shaft, whorl and hook. The
whorl is simply a disc fashioned around the staff to add weight to the spindle
and allow for a continuous spin. It is usually made out of wood or clay. The
shaft is a smooth wooden stick that goes through the centre of the whorl. It
makes up the body of the spindle. Usually the newly spun thread will be wrapped
around the staff. A hook is also attached to one end of the spindle to anchor
the thread while spinning (the Joy of Handspinning 1999).
Types of Drop
Spindles
 |
| High Whorl |
There are two basic types of drop spindles, the low whorl
and high whorl spindle.
The Low Whorl Spindle:
This
spindle was popular in Europe. The whorl is located near the bottom of the
shaft which causes it to spin slower, but more steadily. It is ideal for
spinning thicker and heavier fibers that require less twist. The spun yarn is
wound onto the shaft directly above the whorl (the Joy of Handspinning 1999).
The High Whorl Spindle:
Thought to
originate in the Middle East, the high whorl spindle has its whorl located near
the top of the shaft. It can rotate at a higher speed than the low whorl
spindle, and is used to create thinner and finer thread. Once spun, the thread
is wound into a conical shape below the whorl (the Joy of Handspinning 1999).
Within these two categories, many people have experimented with whorl weight and design to come up with spindles that spin faster or slower depending on what is desired. Some spindles have holes drilled into their whorl. This distributes weight on the outer rim of the whorl and shaft. Others have a deep groove cut into the whorl which leads to a faster and longer spin. The Turkish spindle has a whorl in the shape of an X, and instead of being wrapped around the shaft, the spun yarn is wound around the whorl. On the other hand, bead spindles have very tiny whorls, the shape of a bead. Some spindles, like the Balkan spindle even have two whorls, with a space in between them where the spun yarn can be wound (Bellwether 2001). While these variations of drop spindles can have an influence on the thread created, usually a spinner will choose one over the other based simply upon their personal preference.