The Wind Rose Spindle Noddy ~ Coming Soon!

I've taken the day off from crocheting and pattern writing and I've done a little wood working instead. I've been planning on making these for a while now, so it was really fun to shut myself in my studio and get busy.

This little guy is the first ever Wind Rose Spindle Noddy. If you follow this blog, you may have seen a post or two on a small niddy noddy drop spindle that I purchased on a whim. It has turned out to be one of my favorite spinning tools especially when I'm traveling. The sad thing is, the place I bought mine from doesn't sell them anymore and I haven't seen them anywhere else. It's time to make my own.

I have named my design the Wind Rose Spindle Noddy because it is a cross between a drop spindle and a niddy noddy. Actually, it's both. It could be used just as a niddy noddy. Each wrap of yarn creates a 24 inch loop which has become a popular size for short skeins or sample skeins. On the other hand, it can be used just like a drop spindle.

Let me tell you why I like my spindle noddy so much. I think it's really fun when I'm traveling, to be able to spin a medium weight singles yarn and wrap it right onto the niddy noddy as I spin. When I have enough yardage, I can slip off my yarn, set the twist and let it dry. The next morning I have a new hank of yarn just waiting for me.

Once I took a four day trip to North Carolina. I spun on the plane on my way there. The second day I finished spinning and washed my yarn. I set it on the dash of my car to dry in the sun while I went hiking. Then on the third day I made the yarn into a baby hat for my niece who we were expecting to arrive any day. I created a handmade baby gift, start to finish, in three days!

I also think the spindle noddy makes a good lap spindle. By lap spindle I mean that it's comfortable to spin while sitting. It's easy to park the spindle between your legs and extend the roving to an arm's length and let the twist travel on up. It has come on more than one ride with me whether I'm traveling by car or by plane.

My spindle noddy design is very minimalist looking. I think the Swede in me tends to lean towards the Ikea school of design. I like basic shapes and simplicity. I have one more change to make before I'm ready to launch these in my shop. I need to make it just a little heavier. Right now, my model weighs .5 oz and it's feeling a little light to me. I'm going to up the diameter of my wood pieces to gain at least another half an ounce. Otherwise, it works like a charm.

When I have a few ready for sale, I'll be back with more pictures so you can see it from every angle. For tonight, I just wanted to share today's efforts. Have a great weekend everybody.