K'Nex Spindles!

I learned to spin, just about a year ago, on spindles made from the building toy, K'nex! They are quite easy to make, and if you have children, then you don't even need to leave the house in order to gather your supplies! (Click on the photo for a close-up.)

Here you see me, about 10 minutes into my new addiction - a still shot -


and an action shot -



I'm using this spindle as a supported spindle - on an upturned coffee cup.

It works!
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...yarn....


Here is a picture of my very first ball of yarn!



I'm so proud! This ball is surrounded by some spindle options available - of course, there are many more possibilities. (See the yellow, green, red and white spindle on the left side of the photo - with the fiber on it? This is my favorite design.)

Here are a few more ideas, along with the spindle shaft.





Here you see my first ball of yarn, on its plying spindle. Isn't it sweet? LOL.


(Please, disregard the electrical tape which is hiding a hole in the piano bench *blush*)

The support spindle is very nice and all, but sometimes one gets the urge to take the show on the road, so I figured a way to make my little spindle turn into a drop spindle - -




...spinning at the Reservoir, at sunset, on a peaceful October evening.


Now, does it get any better than this? Nope.

This little spindle is so small, and it comes apart ( to a degree) without disturbing the already-spun fiber, so it is just perfect for taking on a walk. Stuff it all into your pocket, and off you go!

For the past few months, when I get around to spinning, I use the spindle shown further down this blog. I got to where I preferred to spin while standing up, and I *really* like the longer shaft on the beading-elastic-spool spindle, and on my CD spindles, and I much prefer to use a top whorl spindle while drop spindling. I can make the K'Nex spindle into a top whorl, but the shaft is really too short to work with the thigh roll technique. So, I use it as a bottom whorl drop spindle and twist it to make it spin, and this makes my hand fatigue really quickly. I think that I'll stick to support spindling with my K'Nex, and drop spindling with my other spindles. I love the rhythmic whirring that this spindle makes, as it twirls on its little coffee cup. Almost like it's purring, lol.

What's really the coolest thing of ALL is that this little K'Nex spindle can go from a support spindle, to a top whorl drop, to a bottom whorl drop by simply moving the little black clip from the top to the bottom and then... just doing it. A convertable spindle! Really! It works just fine! Cool or what???
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