Saturday 13 November 2010

Kick spindle

Kick Spindle





   Here are the pictures of my kick spindle. You don't really kick it, more of a push with your foot than a kick. I'm left footed but use my right foot and draw the ball towards myself for a clockwise spin.





Kick spindle




I find it tiring on my leg but I think that's to do with the chair I'm sitting on, I walk over an hour a day and ride my bike most days so my legs are pretty strong. I tend to start out sitting down then when the yarn gets a certain length I stand up and carry on spinning until its too long to carry on, unhook the yarn and wrap it around the bobbin and start again from a sitting position. My couch is too low for it to be comfortable really, I need to looking to getting a chair to use with it.
kick spindle

I'm still getting used to drafting the yarn whilst spinning, I think its a lot like drafting with a spinning wheel, or like rubbing your tummy while patting yourself on the head. Its nice to have both hands free to draft though, I just need to figure out what I'm doing. I think long draw can be done with the kick spindle. You can see the white bfl on the bobbin. I don't think it spins as tightly as a top whorl drop spindle and at the moment I'm plying one yarn from the kick spindle and one from the drop spindle.

White and oatmeal bfl

   Picture of my first plyed yarn, white and oatmeal bfl. The white was done on the kick spindle and the oatmeal was done on my small drop spindle and both were plyed together on my larger drop spindle. I'll do another picture post next week with more pictures of my plyed yarn. Or go to my flickr or photobucket page to see more pictures now.
kick spindle



I really like the kick spindle, its solid and well made. The ones I've seen video of you have to put your foot on the base to stop it running away but with this one the base is hefty enough to stay put. I'd still like a wheel but for now the kick spindle fits the gap between drop spindle and wheel nicely.

 Have a great weekend, I'm going to go use my kick spindle. 


(ETA I got the kick spindle from here)

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