Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Serbian Spindle

I think it was just about a month ago, when I stumbled across a lady on Ravelry, who happens to live in Serbia, and happens to buy hand made spindles from the local purveyors of such things. She had a bunch on hand that she was hoping to sell, so I wrote to her and learned I could have one for a mere $5.00, plus $10.00 for shipping. Well! What a deal! So, I ordered one and, not knowing how long it might take for the spindle to arrive on my doorstep, I sort of forgot about it.

Today, there was a package in the mailbox, and the return address said Serbia. It took me a minute to remember having ordered the spindle, and I gleefully tore of the package and went to find the perfect fiber for my first try.

I had some lovely pin-drafted roving I scored at the Happy Hands Yankee Swap around Christmastime, and that seemed perfect: a pretty color, and properly rustic.
It took me quite awhile to get the hang of it, and while I am getting a pretty sturdy thick-and-thin single for my trouble, I probably am not spinning EXACTLY like a Serbian lady would.

It's not a supported spindle, nor is it a drop spindle. It's somewhere in between, and you spin off the point, as one would do with a Navajo spindle. One flicks the tip of the spindle between thumb and forefinger, and if it's being done properly, there will be a little "pop" sound on each spin. It's actually quite a cheerful sound, and made me think of "Pop Goes the Weasel."

So, as you can see, this spindle is rather plain and simple. Nothing ornate about it. It's a basic tool: a workhorse. I think it's quite elegant in its austerity.

For something so light weight, it spins a rather heavy yarn, and it reminds me a lot of the skein Grant bought me in Serbia a couple of years ago. Based on the way my yarn is spinning up, I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps that beautiful skein of handspun was actually spindle spun rather than wheel spun. I suppose I'll never know, but that does not stop me wondering!


2 comments:

SungThreads said...

Greetings! I'm glad to have stumbled upon this post. Would you mind passing along details for the Serbian lady on Ravelry or putting us in touch? I'd like to buy a spindle if she still has any available. My username is SungThreads. Many thanks! :-)

SungThreads said...

Greetings! I just stumbled across your blog entry, and I am looking for a Serbian spindle. I am on Ravelry (username SungThreads). Do you know if your Serbian friend is still selling spindles, and if so, would you mind helping me get in touch? Many thanks!

Also, i'm having trouble with this site, so I hope this comment comes through. Apologies if you get duplicates!