ETSY - OH DEAR!

Oh no I've recently discovered Etsy - this has definitely become my latest obsession. Over the last week I've spent hours browsing the Etsy shops (research!).

I've saved several pages of favourites - both sellers and items - I've made my first Etsy purchase - surprise, surprise two little bundles of space dyed tussah silk. I'm eyeing my next purchase - probably a scrummy polymer clay drop spindle and am currently trying to persuade my hubby to take a look at all my favourites (never miss a chance to drop a huge hint!).

I've also earmarked several pressies for family and friends and am now working out what my own future Etsy shop should look like, contain, etc, etc.

I've found someone on Etsy who will design banners for Etsy shops and only this morning have found the links to "Moo" where you can have designs printed for business cards, tags, postcards and all sorts of other bits and pieces - all to match your Etsy image.

If you want to browse Etsy for yourself use this link.
http://www.etsy.com/buy.php

EQUIPMENT - DROP SPINDLES

There are many different styles of drop spindles and a warning should be issued here - once you've mastered drop spindling there will be a temptation to COLLECT lots of them! I said, when I started, that I wasn't going to do that - but I'm up to 4 and I've had my eye on a few seen in Spin.Off and on the internet - just yesterday I saw a couple of gorgeous ones on Etsy (Oh no I can feel another obsession coming on)!

A starting point if you've never spun and would like to have a go is to buy or make a CD spindle - these are very light so for a more experienced spinner are not so easy to use. However if it's too light some blu-tac or other maleable material could be pressed around the edge to give more weight here - having more weight at the edge makes a spindle spin for longer due to cetrifugal force (apparently). I will try to find a site with instructions or where these are sold.



My most recent addition is a (possibly) Saxon spindle whorl - which doesn't yet have a shaft - it's carved stone - very pretty and supprisingly heavy for it's wee size - it weighs 15 grammes (1/2 oz) I can't wait to spin with it - have to find a wood turner first.....

My favourite spindle was a fourtieth birthday pressy - it's a Golding Ring Spindle. It spins forever and is an absolute joy to work with - it's a top whorl spindle which I think is more stable and easier to spin with than a bottom whorl one. I'm currently spinning some lovely caramel Alpaca fibre that I bought in Norwich during the Norwich & Norfolk Artists Open Studios.



My first ever spindle was a simple wooden one (bottom whorl) made by one of our Guild members. I paid very little for it except that having bought it I was instantly volunteered to demonstrate at a show in Harlow - Gosh you learn quickly when people are expectantly watching & waiting for your words of wisdom! Truth to tell it was almost as much drop as spindle that day but I did spin a sizable quantity of Black Sheep fleece that I'd been given and I learned and even began to enjoy drop spinning.



My second spindle is made of polymer clay with cute little sheep on it - I found it at West Dean's Wholly Herbs Show (Our guild demonstrates natural dying there once a year and a fellow stall holder was selling them) It's small and light and fits in a pocket - great for spinning on the go.

Sites for drop spindles:


Golding
http://www.dropspindle.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=106

Etsy shop - butterfly girl designs
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5207884&section_id=5123666

glass drop spindles
http://www.glasspens.com/glass-spindles.htm

Woolly Designs - with lambs, alpacas, rabbits........

http://www.woollydesigns.com/spindles/fancy.htm

how to make your own
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/make-dropspin.shtml

how to use a drop spindle
http://www.handspinning.com/lollipops/spininst.htm

video - spinning basics by Abby Franquemont
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drXid5cT0y8