The unique and original "quill supported" engineering eliminate the "drop" of a drop spindle, the need for the support of a support spindle and give a smooth, fast spin, great for medium fine to fine yarns.

The Spindolyn is made of two parts, the spindle whorl with it's brass shaft, and the wooden base with it's specially shaped brass tube that the shaft rides in.

The base sits between your knees, tucks in your pocket or outer purse pocket or fits into a bean bag pouch so that it can sit comfortably anywhere on your lap.

A spindolyn can be used for fine and short to medium and long, from "cotton to Cotswold" so to speak. It is not a production spinner, but it is easy, fun and relaxing.  
Perfect for spinning sitting down, in the car, tucked in your pocket, in your easy chair or while lounging on the couch!
The hardwood base and whorls are finished with an oil based stain in a warm, neutral tone. The final coat is a hand rubbed non-toxic oil finish of my own recipe of a combination of beeswax, coconut oil, walnut oil, mineral oil and all natural lemon oil. (It may be ordered unfinished upon special request.)

Spindolyns.....FAQ
(Be sure and read the instruction sheet enclosed with your Spindolyn)

• Help, I lost my Instructions! Here you go!

  • Spindolyn Instruction Sheet

• Which Spindolyn do I choose? In general, the smaller (lighter weight) the whorl, the faster the spin, but the shorter the spin time. The larger and heavier the whorl, the slower the spin, but the longer the spindolyn will turn.
      So spinners who primarily spin fine, lace-weight or cotton would choose the smaller whorl. For plying, or bulky yarns, and beginners, you would choose the larger whorls, and for a multi-purpose spindolyn, a medium sized whorl.
  Now, having said that, you can spin any sized yarn on any spindolyn by adapting your technique. Because it does not drop and you can slow it down or speed it up to your own pace, it is very suitable for spinning very even yarns, for practicing your drafting, and for controlling the amount of twist. To add more twist to the length of yarn you have just spun, you simply give the spindolyn another spin before winding on. The base choice is a personal preference. Many people like to make a bean bag cover for their base to make it more stable and comfy, and to act as a “shock absorber” as the shaft rides in the slightly larger tube.

• How do I tell if my spindolyn is interchangeable with current spindle and base styles? The newer models all have an approximately 3 inch shaft below the whorl, and a 3 inch deep tube. The older model spindolyns have an approximately 6 inch shaft and tube, and will not interchange.

• Is the Spindolyn different from spinning on a drop spindle?Yes and No. The spindolyn is a fully supported spindle. On a supported spindle such as the spindolyn, tahkli, or the kind of spindle that rides in a bowl, you draft away from the spin by moving your fiber hand upward, always upward, away from the newly spun yarn. On a drop spindle, gravity is pulling the yarn down, away from you as a spin. The drafting technique you choose to use is up to you. Advantages of the spindolyn are that you can change it's speed, or stop it completely and of course, it doesn't drop!

• How do I wind off of the spindolyn?  
   Wind your newly spun yarn off the spindolyn shaft the same way that you wound on, with the spindolyn riding in its base and the yarn held out perpendicular to the shaft, near the whorl.

• How do I care for the spindolyn?
  Keep yarn and dust off of the shaft below the whorl, lest it get into the tube and slow down the spin. Occasionally put a drop of light spinning or sewing machine oil inside the brass tube. If something does get inside the tube, you can fish it out with a pipe cleaner.

• Why the choice in tubing?
  The original tubing was a softer type of material, the quality of it became variable over time, and I had to find a more stable and reliable tubing to use, so I experimented with food grade tubing, both clear and black and found a more reliable source and material. Some people really like the clear, some people really like the black, once again, personal preference.

• What happened to the other styles of Spindolyn? As a semi-obsessed spinner and inventor, I am continuously experimenting and improving the Spindolyn (and other unpublished spindle designs) Right now, I am ecstatic over the performance of the new improved Spindolyns, and am actually making a dent in some of my fiber stash with it, because I don't want to put them down.

• How come I have seen fancy spindolyns, but not on your website? Before fiber festivals I go on a creative jag and make many unique spindolyns out of cherry or walnut. You can special order one if you like, via email. I also from time to time have fancy spindolyns for sale on my etsy shop.

  
  About the bean bag "nest'

   For many spinners, the bean bag cover for the base is the ultimate way to go, solving the problems of skirt wearing, or ample thighs, or odd positions. It also works as a bit of a shock absorber to smooth out the spin if the yarn gets wound onto the spindolyn unevenly.

  

  The first free bean bag pattern can be found here on my blog.
  and now there is another one,here.

      As time has gone by, more spinners have shared their ideas with me about pouches, bags and "nests" for their spindolyn, including just winding a thick scarf around the base.. the creativity is amazing!