the dropped spindle

Bethie · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 4 Location: London

Can anyone recommend any great spindles available in the UK?
The ads in Spin-Off magazine look so lush, but I don't fancy getting caught on import tax having them sent over from the US and Canada.
So far I've been really impressed with one I have by 1stcrafts from the Handweavers Studio and Gallery in London (although less so by another I bought direct from this maker online, which didn't seem so well balanced). However, their lightest spindle is still quite heavy. I bought a bosworth from P & M woolcraft, which is VERY light (only 13g) a spins wonderfully, with a really well-thought out hook. I wanted to get another light weight spindle, for variety and to try out new things when the other is in use, and didn't know whether to play it safe with another bosworth, or try something new.
Any suggestions?

natalie · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:30 am Post subject:

I'm off to look all these up.
Mine is just an Ashford, though I confess to coveting some of the gorgeous ones in Spin-Off.
When I was travelling earlier in the year I considered taking spindle with me. In the end I took my knitting in my hand luggage, with bamboo rather than aluminium needles... but wasn't brave enough to knit on the plane in case someone tried to take them off me. I know, what a wimp...
Another knitter suggested I take a padded stamped self addressed envelope with me to the airport, so that if the security men wouldn't allow the needles on the plane, I could at least post my knitting back to myself at home.
When I thought about taking a spindle I figured that the one to take would be a Turkish one, which could be dismantled on the spot and posted back in the same way.
natalie

Someone at my guild has a very small handpainted spindle (a lollipop?), they are seemingly collectors items and turn up on ebay for crazy prices in the US. Can't remember what they are called though.
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woollywormhead · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 17 Location: London

Bosworth's (I think I got the name right) are a dream. Very smooth and compact, always around at places like WoolFest etc.
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ClaireUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 94 Location: Coventry, UK

My dh makes spindles etc. They are more Bosworth than Ashford though - the piccies etc are in the Pinboard pages.

Claire UK