# Has Anyone Else Ever Seen a Mayan Spindle?



## IndigoSpinner

I happened to trip over this on the internet a few minutes ago, and was amazed.


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## Irish knitter

I have a quesion.....when you have that ball of fur how do you get it to come out to the little string without breaking......how does it come out to the little string?


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## Cdambro

I am amazed. I haven't seen anything like that before. She makes it look easy, of course. Thanks.


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## IndigoSpinner

The twist you're inserting with the spindle pulls the fibers in toward the center, and makes them wrap around each other fairly tightly. That's what holds a ply of yarn together.

It's a balancing act between twisting the fiber and pulling the fiber out so that it just grabs about the same amount as you go along to keep the diameter fairly consistent.

It's one of those things that you need to _do_ so that your hands get a feel for it to truly understand it.

People tell me when I demonstrate spinning that it looks like there's a strand of yarn in all the fluff that they can't quite see that I'm pulling out of the fiber source.

If you have a break between the yarn you're spinning and the fiber source, or you just finish spinning what's in your hand, more fiber held near the yarn while you're applying twist will be instantly caught up and pulled into the twist and joined. Adding more fiber when you've run out is _really_ easy. It's almost like the fiber is trying to jump out of the batt or roving and join itself to the yarn and let you continue.


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## deemail

If you liked that, you'll probably like this.... spinning can be very primitive in terms of the tools, and still be very effective...


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## IndigoSpinner

Good trick!

I hadn't seen that before, either!


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## Irish knitter

I love that cape she has on....Cat Bordhi is always so inventive and uses her imagination.....I am going to the county fair at the end of the month and I hope they have a spinner there......


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## mama879

Wow I like that. I think that would be easier then a drop spindle. Might have to look into how much they cost. You would get lots of exercise to.


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## nellig

I learn something new everyday.


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## tatesgirl

mama879 said:


> Wow I like that. I think that would be easier then a drop spindle. Might have to look into how much they cost. You would get lots of exercise to.


I'm thinking the same. If you find out the price and where to purchase, please let us know.


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## tatesgirl

tatesgirl said:


> I'm thinking the same. If you find out the price and where to purchase, please let us know.


Found it myself - there are lots of places. Etsy has a variety for as little as $20!


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## IndigoSpinner

Yeah, it's a very _different_ kind of a support spindle!


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## msgran

Neat video, but I am amazed by the two women in the back who are so absorbed by their work that they don't seem to notice the swinging ball! I wish I had that level of concentration.


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## IndigoSpinner

Some of the Mayan spindles on Etsy have a little knob on the opposite end of the spinning part. It looks like it would spin better if you took a turn or two around the knob with the yarn you're making to spin.

It would keep the part you're spinning from closer to the center, which looks like it would spin better.

If I were going to get one, I'd pick one with that little knob.

The spindle I first saw that started all this was this one, made by Majacraft.

http://woolery.com/spinning-wheels/majacraft-spinning-wheels/majacraft-mayan-spindle.html

This instruction to make your own Mayan spindle (scroll down) says to use the knob to spin from, just like I thought might be better.

http://kero1au.tripod.com/id28.html


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## martyr

Is this all a wicked plot to get me to start spinning? :sm04: Seriously this is fascinating and looks like it would be easy enough to do a little. I don't do a lot of any one thing, but I adore learning new things and making stuff. MY LYS owner keeps temping me with weaving and there have several interesting threads here on that, but it takes an investment I'm not yet ready for. This looks like you could manage a little on a small scale, and you can always use roving in other ways. Am I correct in thinking that roving and the spindle is all you need for this? :sm16: :sm17: :sm07:


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## mama879

martyr said:


> Is this all a wicked plot to get me to start spinning? :sm04: Seriously this is fascinating and looks like it would be easy enough to do a little. I don't do a lot of any one thing, but I adore learning new things and making stuff. MY LYS owner keeps temping me with weaving and there have several interesting threads here on that, but it takes an investment I'm not yet ready for. This looks like you could manage a little on a small scale, and you can always use roving in other ways. Am I correct in thinking that roving and the spindle is all you need for this? :sm16: :sm17: :sm07:


Yes that is all it takes. A drop spindle is not expensive I have seen them for under $20. My first one was a gift. She was the one who started me on all this she created this monster. It would be a small investment that you could really enjoy because it travels well to. Just think sitting in the DR's office spinning yarn how many people will come over to look and ask questions. Yup it is addicting.


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## IndigoSpinner

mama879 said:


> Yes that is all it takes. A drop spindle is not expensive I have seen them for under $20. My first one was a gift. She was the one who started me on all this she created this monster. It would be a small investment that you could really enjoy because it travels well to. Just think sitting in the DR's office spinning yarn how many people will come over to look and ask questions. Yup it is addicting.


Yeah, people ask a lot of questions.

I once did a performance where I told the traditional story of how the Chinese people discovered silk. While telling the story, I spun silk on a drop spindle.

After it was over, a woman came up to me and said she was a knitter and she really appreciated the story, but felt it would have been much better if I hadn't been fiddling around with whatever it was I was doing, and BTW, what _was_ I doing?

I explained that I was spinning silk and showed her how to spin, etc.

But she didn't even recognize what spinning looked like.

I found some on Etsy that were about $20, but it looks like the ones with the knob on them seem to be mostly a little more expensive, and I like the knob because if you make a turn or two around the knob, you'd be spinning from something that's closer to the center of the spin, which would be a lot smoother, therefore easier to spin on. The ones that are a bit more expensive look like they're better finished, too. Buying or making a small bag would make it great for travel, too, because it assembles and disassembles so quickly and easily.

If you want something that travels well, you might want to check out an Akha spindle, which is a supported spindle with the whorl in the center and a hook at one end. You hold it in your hand and twirl it to spin, so you can spin on it if you don't have a lot of space, such as in a chair in a waiting room.

http://resourcefulnomad.com/?p=1260


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## shepherd

I sent this on to my group - think I will get one and add it to my demo stuff. I still think the first spinner was a cave woman who picked a pick of fluff off of a bush and twisted it. Can you prove I am wrong? :sm04: :sm04: :sm04: :sm04:


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## IndigoSpinner

shepherd said:


> I sent this on to my group - think I will get one and add it to my demo stuff. I still think the first spinner was a cave woman who picked a pick of fluff off of a bush and twisted it. Can you prove I am wrong? :sm04: :sm04: :sm04: :sm04:


I don't know if it was a woman who lived in a cave, but picking fluff off of a bush and twisting it is probably how it started.

Before humans started breeding sheep selectively for traits they wanted, sheep used to shed their wool in the spring. That's where the word "woolgathering" came from. Sheep would rub against anything rough they could find, usually bushes, and people would just gather the wool.


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## ilmacheryl

mama879 said:


> Wow I like that. I think that would be easier then a drop spindle. Might have to look into how much they cost. You would get lots of exercise to.


Look at the comments. She tells how she made her own.


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## deenashoemaker

Gosh, I'm still trying to get my husband to make me an andean plying tool, he's not going to want to hear about this!


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## IndigoSpinner

deenashoemaker said:


> Gosh, I'm still trying to get my husband to make me an andean plying tool, he's not going to want to hear about this!


If he doesn't want to make one for you, you can buy a handy andy.

http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/handy-andy.html


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## deenashoemaker

Thanks, I might have too!


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## LindaH

I looked up a Mayan Spindle on Etsy and eBay. I will be buying one when we get better financially able to let an extra $28 go.


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee

I have never before seen a Mayan spindle! Interesting!

Hazel


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## makeitsew2750

My husband made these for me many years ago, he loves it when I give him a project especially if it's fiber related.


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## mama879

makeitsew2750 said:


> My husband made these for me many years ago, he loves it when I give him a project especially if it's fiber related.


OH my they are very nice. Hubby is so talented. You should produce some for sale. Bet they would go fast say just start out with 2 or 3. lol lol


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## deenashoemaker

Beautiful!


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee

Another spindle that travels well is the Spindolyn. I've spun on one in the car while DH is driving.

http://www.spindolyn.com/

Hazel


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## sockyarn

No I had not and it dose look easy. Easier then a drop spindle.


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## wordancer

Ohhhhh, I want one!


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## sockyarn

Me also.


wordancer said:


> Ohhhhh, I want one!


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## BirchPoint

Never seen that way to spin. You learn so much here sometimes. Thanks!


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## Reba1

Cady May (Catherine - maker of the Spindolyn) is the one that got me started spinning! She was using a drop spindle at one of our machine knitting seminars and I was so intrigued by it, she got me hooked! I was never very successful with it, but I got others hooked, too.  I still have the one I got from her - probably back in the mid 80s.


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## knitteerli

Not a wicked plot, a delightful diversion from all the crap I might fill my day with, like housework and gardening and the like. Yeahhhh!


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## martyr

knitteerli said:


> Not a wicked plot, a delightful diversion from all the crap I might fill my day with, like housework and gardening and the like. Yeahhhh!


Hey gardening is not crap! Well come to think of it - it is a lot of hard work and my back is still killing me from the hour I spent today - so OK it's not fun, but I do like the outcome. Now housework......
:sm04: :sm04:


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## ParkerEliz

That is very inventive. Very manual and basic. I might be able to handle that!


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