I have finished my first cop of yarn on my fempto spindle which was 3D printed by Turtle Made on Etsy. The cop of yarn from a Turkish spindle is typically called a turtle, I assume because it looks like a turtle in its shell.
This is a particularly slow turtle, as it is in my car as an emergency craft, so the 9 months from start to finish does not reflect at all the actual time spent spinning.
I have finished spinning 4 ounces of Southdown wool using a Turkish style spindle to make single spun yarn.
Southdown sheep are a dual purpose breed from England. When I bought this wool, the sheep were on the Conservation Priority list. In 2024, they came off the list and are no longer considered a threatened heritage breed. Which demonstrates the power of attention and purchase.
Before I ply these singles, I think I will experiment with making swatches with the singles. The ways the yarn twist and fabric method bias interact have peaked my curiosity and I was to do some experiments.
I wanted a travel case for my tiny Turkish style spindle, so went digging through my cupboards. I found a stainless steel can cozy that was just the right size, but didn’t have a lid.
I measured the space and used my laser cutter to cut and engrave a piece of thin birch plywood. I sealed the wood with modge podge (white glue), which also holds the circle in place.
The can fits nicely in the bottle pocket on the side of my purse and fits a handful of wool and the spindle inside.
And yes, I really did pull it out and do some spinning waiting in the line at grocery store!
Squee! I ordered a femto spindle from Turtle Made on Etsy, which is a 3D printed Turkish style spindle that is teeny tiny!
With a spindle this tiny, the obvious choice is to spin as thin as possible. I have some green dyed Corridale mix wool from AnnieWhere that I used to get started.
The spindle works amazingly well for something so small. I plan on finding a case for it and have it be my emergency spinning kit. The emergency would be if I am out and about without a project! Or need to meditatively spin anytime, anywhere.
Here is my fourth yarn turtle spun on my 3D printed Turkish style spindle using Southdown wool.
I was hoping to make a three ply yarn from the Southdown wool, but I think I have enough roving for one more turtle, which will give me 5 turtles, which is not easily divisible by 3. I could chain ply, but I find that difficult with turtles, especially toward the end. I could two-ply, then cable ply by plying the two-ply together to make a four ply, which gives an interesting texture and results in very little waste. I could weigh the yarn and rewind it all into three even amounts. So many choices.
I think, when the spinning is done, I shall do some small lengths of each type of plying, to help me decide what to do over all.
Critters and Craft 